Military Analyst Interview Preparation Guide

You may have gaps in employment for many reasons. Be honest. Speak confidently about the experience you gained during the gaps that could transfer to on-the-job skills. For instance, if you were a caregiver, you likely managed complex personal finance issues. As a volunteer, you might have worked with diverse groups and managed challenging schedules.

The FBI has had analysts for a good part of its existence in many forms. These forms have constantly evolved to meet the changing demands of the FBI and the intelligence community. From the beginning of their existence, analysts have worked among and with FBI Special Agents to prevent crimes of all sorts including working against foreign intelligence activity and terrorism.

While I worked in law enforcement as a volunteer, I have to admit I grew up reading Tom Clancy novels and I liked what I read about analysts in the books (minus the over the top James Bond type stuff Jack Ryan always lands himself in) and was drawn to the intelligence field. I specifically plotted out my education to make myself attractive for intelligence work even before 9/11, and on 9/11 I was already half way through my master’s in criminal justice and intelligence. The events on 9/11 just solidified my life choice. Now with my education and specialization I wouldn’t consider a job outside public service, I wanted to utilize it and I thought the FBI was ideal for that.

Similar to answering "how do you handle stress and pressure," this is an opportunity to talk about your problem solving abilities. This question is best answered with a focus on a single example since that's what the question is asking for. Start by setting up the situation, then talk about how you solved it. Cap off your answer with a short and sweet explanation of your thought process, goals, and problem-solving method.

This is an almost guaranteed question during your Army interview so there should be no reason why you can’t answer it in a positive manner. Try to display motivation when answering questions of this nature. The Army are looking for people who want to become a professional member of their team and who understand the Army way of life. By studying your Army recruitment literature and the Army website you will understand what service life is all about. You want to be a member of the British Army and you are attracted to what it has to offer. If you have been pushed into joining by your family then you shouldn’t be applying.

{not sure if this question is legal to ask) but I usually respond “He works for the government. He loves what he does which is why we moved. I’m hoping to duplicate that passion for work here at [company name]”

Military training is part of military service and you receive your pay based on your grade and entitlements.

Make sure you tell the recruiter if you have ROTC, college or even Junior ROTC experience. Some services have programs that will allow you to enter at a higher pay grade than peers with no experience.

Keep it brief. A straightforward answer is best. For example, “My organization was forced to downsize.” Avoid negative statements about yourself, your work or your ability to get along with others. Never criticize former employers or coworkers.

Analysts in the FBI can pursue one of three career paths and then branch off into one of two tracks within that career path. Our analysts are designated as tactical, collection, or strategic analysts. Within those paths they will work on gaining experiences and training that builds towards becoming a subject matter expert or towards becoming a manager of analysts. Analysts get opportunities to try on the different paths early in their career, and movement between the paths are allowed, but not encouraged later in your career.

Analysts at the FBI are eligible for promotions and are well compensated in the government pay system, but must prove they meet the criteria for senior pay grades. Gaining certain experiences, such as having experience at another intelligence agency is required for promotion to senior executive levels. Other experiences may be necessary for an intelligence analyst to move up the ladder to being recognized as a subject matter expert with the goal of becoming a FBI Senior Intelligence Officer for example. Other intelligence agencies have variations on this and are beyond my expertise to fully explain.