Preparing for a career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation is harder than some aspiring… Preparing for a career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation is harder than some aspiring students might think.

And only after reaching the ripe old age of 23 can the quest begin.

According to Special Agent James Knights, Pittsburgh’s FBI applicant coordinator, the age requirement is designed to ensure commitment – the kind of commitment that someone fresh out of college might not be able to make.

“We are looking for people who are looking for careers,” he said.

That means applicants must prove their unwavering interest in their discipline by having a significant amount of work experience before coming to the FBI.

The FBI seeks only applicants who possess certain “critical skills,” Knights added. Such skills come from degrees in computer science and engineering and physical sciences, as well as foreign language fluency and military, law enforcement, intelligence or counter-terrorism experience.

In other words, the FBI does not simply look for people with criminal justice degrees.

“Majoring in criminal justice creates an unrealistic expectation,” Knights said.

He recalled many applicants who had been told by someone, at some point, that getting a degree in criminal justice would help them get jobs with the FBI.

They were wrong.

“It’s easier for the FBI to teach a computer scientist or an engineer about criminal justice, than to teach a criminal justice major how to be a computer scientist or an engineer,” Knights added.

Once applicants have met the age and critical skills requirements, they must go through a comprehensive background check, as well as physical fitness, drug and polygraph testing. They are also informed of what will occur if they pass all of the application hurdles.

Qualified applicants first go to the FBI Academy, where they learn academic and investigative strategies. They also work to develop knowledge about physical fitness, defensive tactics and the use of firearms, Knights said. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in all of these categories to qualify to become special agents.

After all that, agents are sent off to their new field offices, Knights said.

New special agents are assigned to places all over the country and must serve a two-year probationary period before becoming permanent members of the FBI, he added.