MI5's recruitment department agreed to allow the M.E.N. to put some questions to a serving member of staff to shed some light on the type of careers available.

Q: It sounds very exciting - is it?

A: Yes, it is. Like any job, much of it is routine but sometimes it's exciting. I'm an intelligence officer currently working in the section that investigates international terrorism. When there's a big operation on, lot's of people in the security service besides intelligence officers are involved - administrative assistants, IT and scientific specialists, mechanics and mobile surveillance officers.

Q:What are the career prospects like?

A:The opportunities for promotion vary according to where you work. I've been working here 18 months and am in my second posting - my first was in counter-espionage. I'm planning to apply for promotion soon - hopefully in the next six to nine months. The career prospects vary for people in different kinds of work.

Q:What's the pay like?

A:The pay is comparable to the pay in most public sector organisations, so I know I'm never going to earn millions. But there are benefits to working in the public sector as well - like the pension, the annual leave allowance and flexible working policies.

Q:What are the hours like?

A:That depends on a number of factors, like your role, your area of expertise and what the threat level is. I still have a healthy work/life balance, and the organisation supports me in that.

Q:What sort of working environment is it?

A:It's a great place to work and, no, I'm not just saying that. I made some good friends among the people I shared my induction training with. And when I started my first posting, I found that there's a strong emphasis on being part of a team - a lot of our offices are open plan. In our London headquarters, we also have a gym, an in-house cafeteria and a coffee bar. The facilities vary for our regional offices but I can't tell you much about them because we don't say exactly where they are. I spend about 90 per cent of my time in the office in my current job.

Q:Would I have to move home a lot?

A:We all have a mobility clause in our contract but it would be similar working for a lot of companies out there. We have eight regional offices.

Q:What do you tell your friends that you do for a living?

A:You're given guidance on what to say about that when you join. I try to make sure my job sounds as dull as possible and then change the subject. It's not a place to work if you need other people to be thrilled by what you do. You've got to enjoy the job for its own sake.

Q:Is it like the TV programme Spooks?

A:Spooks is great entertainment but it's fiction and, like many other spy dramas, it glamorises the intelligence world. It doesn't show the full range of our activities.

Q:Is it dangerous?

A:Clearly there are risks in some of the work that we do, but our welfare is taken very seriously and we always receive the appropriate training for whatever job we're doing.

Q:Do you carry a gun?

A:No.

Q:What is the selection procedure like?

A: People apply via the MI5 careers website and fill in an application form. Depending on what job they're applying for, they then have interviews, tests and may have an assessment centre. And they have to be vetted. For some jobs you need to be physically fit, but not for all.

VISIT MI5 online and submit your CV!

Tweet