If you’re interested in a career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, then they’re interested in you. They currently have a critical need to hire new Special Agents and professional support personnel to help the agency continue to meet the challenge of global terrorism and homeland security. If you work for the FBI, you have a daily impact on the nation’s security and the quality of life for all U.S. citizens. This career is challenging, compelling and rewarding.

The heart of the FBI lies in their investigations, and they currently have jurisdiction over violations within more than 200 categories of federal law including counter-terrorism, public corruption, civil rights, cybercrime and white-collar crime. Investigations cover the gamut from financial crime to copyright infringement and from interstate criminal activity to bank robberies, extortion, kidnappings and air piracy.

FBI agents are required to obtain a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in criminal justice-related areas, engineering or science, accounting and finance or foreign languages. You also will need to obtain at least three year’s worth of related full-time work experience in law, law enforcement or the military.

Once you’ve achieved your bachelor’s or master’s degree and have worked in a related field for three years, you can apply to the FBI academy located in Quantico, Virginia. Acceptance at this training facility is by invitation only, based upon college experiences and training. The ability to specialize is available at the FBI Academy, and categories include an international training program, the FBI National Academy, firearms training, forensic science research, the technology services unit, and law enforcement among others.

The training is rigorous, but the rewards are many for those who wish to serve the United States and who want to embrace the FBI’s core values. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, experienced FBI supervisory, management, and executive positions pay a base salary of about $89,000 a year, and $111,000 with overtime.