Is it hard to get into the Secret Service?

Getting a job with the U.S. Secret Service is far from easy, as the selection process is extremely competitive. Candidates must have either a college degree or a combination of college and law enforcement work experience, with a background in criminal investigation.

What percent of applicants get into the Secret Service?

According to the Secret Service, about one in every 100 applicants makes it through the agency's intense vetting process to become a recruit.

What are the requirements to be in the Secret Service?

How hard is Secret Service training?

The United States Secret Service recruits widely, though it doesn't hire many people. Those who make it past the battery of mental, physical, and psychological tests must then face a grueling pipeline of training centers that will leave them physically battered, and ever in danger of washing out.

Is Secret Service a good job?

This agency is a great agency to work for, but your work/life balance will be greatly strained. The agents have great skill, talent, and work ethic. One of the most prestigious agencies to work for.

What New Secret Service Recruits Go Through At Boot Camp

Can Secret Service have facial hair?

Facial Hair 1. Sideburns a. will be neatly trimmed to one-half inch in length, not bushy or shaggy in appearance; b. may not extend below the lowest part of the ear; c. will be a constant width of no more than one and one-half inches (not flared); and d. will end with a clean-shaven, horizontal line.

Do Secret Service agents travel a lot?

Not only are the men and women of the Secret Service serving the country by helping to protect the nation's leaders and financial systems, but in the process, agents are required to travel a lot and are exposed to people and places that most people can only dream of.

How long is the Secret Service hiring process?

Typically, a full background investigation takes approximately six to nine months to complete. During this time, a wide range of information is verified.

How long do secret agents train?

For agents, upon successful completion of Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) at FLETC, this is followed by a 18-week Special Agent Training Course at the Secret Service's training academy outside of Washington, D.C. This course focuses on specific Secret Service policies and procedures associated with the ...

Can you have tattoos in Secret Service?

The Secret Service prohibits special agents from having visible body markings (including but not limited to tattoos, body art, and branding) on the head, face, neck, hand, and fingers (any area below the wrist bone).

How old can a Secret Service agent be?

What are the requirements to be considered for the special agent position in the U.S. Secret Service? Must be at least 21 years of age at time of application and younger than 37 at the time of receipt of a conditional offer of employment to continue in the application process.

How long do Secret Service agents serve?

How long do former presidents receive Secret Service protection after they leave office? In 1965, Congress authorized the Secret Service (Public Law 89-186) to protect a former president and his/her spouse during their lifetime, unless they decline protection.

Why do Secret Service wear suits?

Why do some agents wear suits and others wear uniforms? Special agents, the ones you usually see with the President, do not wear uniforms. This helps the agents blend in with crowds so that they are not easily detectable.

Why do Secret Service hold their jackets?

As noted in the Obama- and Hillary-Protect series, their Secret Service candidate-protective agents hold their hands at waist height, particularly in crowds, but also when standing guard. Presumably this allows quick action against hands of attackers or to draw weapons.

How much a Secret Service agent makes?

The salaries of Secret Service Special Agents in the US range from $19,348 to $511,652 , with a median salary of $93,717 . The middle 57% of Secret Service Special Agents makes between $93,727 and $232,721, with the top 86% making $511,652.

Does Secret Service do polygraph?

The Forensic Services Division (FSD) Polygraph Branch of the United States Secret Service (USSS) uses the FSD Polygraph system to track all polygraph examinations that it administers. This database contains information on applicant and criminal polygraph examinations and their results.

Is being an FBI agent worth it?

Pros of being an FBI agent

FBI agents typically earn a decent salary and receive a good benefits package. The average salary for a special agent is $71,665 per year . In addition, special agents receive health insurance, long-term care coverage, group life insurance, retirement savings and investment plans.

How do people become spies?

How are spies recruited? Spies are recruited via an approach or pitch by a case officer. This often seeks to persuade the individual through appealing to ideology, patriotism, religion, ego, greed, or love, or sometimes by using blackmail or some other form of coercion.

How do I pass the Secret Service interview?

During the interview, make frequent eye contact with the interviewer, sit up straight and avoid nervous fidgeting. Try to crack a smile once in a while. When you're speaking, keep your voice even and use good grammar and appropriate language.

Can you have social media in the Secret Service?

The Secret Service has formally adopted new policies on the use of alcohol and social media, banning excessive drinking and the sharing of work-related information on sites including Facebook five months after more than a dozen employees were accused of drunken partying with prostitutes in Colombia.

What happens if you fail Secret Service polygraph?

If he ever wants to apply for another government job, he'll have to admit to failing the Secret Service's polygraph — a black mark that will likely disqualify him from federal employment for life.

What is life like as a secret agent?

Secret Service agents spend a lot of time together, so sometimes they feel like family members and close friends. In fact, agents may spend more time with colleagues than actual relatives. The men and women who serve occasionally form intimate bonds with the individuals they protect, too.

What is a typical day as a Secret Service agent?

While assigned to field offices, special agents are normally assigned to work a 40-hour (normal business) workweek (e.g., 9:00 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday. Due to the receipt of LEAP, special agents usually work an average of two additional hours per day.

How many female Secret Service agents are there?

Of those employed, seven of 45 special agents in charge of field offices are women, as are four deputy assistant directors out of 20. The chief of staff is a woman. About 25 percent of the whole workforce is female.