Joining the bureau can bring multiple benefits, including great job security, prestige and the knowledge that you're helping keep your country safe. He would go on to believe that he had been betrayed. This episode ushered in a period when both Wolfgang and Heinz became more distant. For example, if I wanted to find out about Iranian nuclear production tomorrow I couldn't wander into a facility in that country, no matter how good my cover was. Since you will have free weekends, holidays and also work standard workweeks without having to work many extra hours, most insurance agents also report a pretty good work-life balance in general. Decent work-life balance for call center agents. If this trend continues, you may suffer from pretty poor job prospects and may become unemployed soon. You can avoid working at nighttime. Years later, when M got access to his BVD file, he found that at the time of his marriage, the service decided M would not be given a special present as he had been declaring too many expenses. Ability to think yourself out of jams. Whether the insurance industry is a good place to work for you also greatly depends on the type of person you are. He was then taken to another safe house where he was given an award: a Golden Distinguished Service Medal of the National Peoples Army (Verdienstmedaille der Nationalen Volksarmee). Compared to being a freelancer you have benefits like a steady income, paid holidays and an adequate retirement plan. For instance, your boss may tell you that you have to sell a number x of insurance products. In turn, those people will often not be able to pay their bills once they retire and may even end up homeless since they may no longer be able to pay their rent. Many hardworking advertising professionals often feel underpaid compared to the long hours they work. Feel inferior to people who are still smarter. The number of operations officers, or covert spies, within the CIA is largely classified. I was recruited by the secret service during the cold war. This could place additional strain on a a family. Creative agencies have earned their reputations through genius ideas, consistency, and high ROIs for their clients. As you can see, there are definitely many advantages of becoming an insurance agent. But it is emotionally crushing for officers in the secret services and you can never really share that guilt with anybody. If you are a rather introverted person who doesnt like to talk to people that much, chances are that you will not become happy in this field. Nothing, therefore, had prepared him for the interrogation in the Hohenschnhausen prison. Wolfgang and Heinz entered the room unexpectedly and approached him in the most cordial manner: Congratulations! The CIA's website describes the life of an operations officer and another covert operative, the collections management officer, as heavy on overseas service. If you learn what drives people, you will have a much easier time, not only at work but also on various other occasions in your life. In our current state of the world, many people dont have this luxury since they just work in low-wage jobs and are not able to save enough money for retirement age. Another disadvantage of becoming an insurance agent is that you will also have to deal with many difficult people. Not everybody can handle this. In 2016, Ms emotional problems became acute, and he spent a night in an hospital emergency ward. I received medals from them, whereas the BVD never gave me a medal or another sign of recognition, not even a ballpoint. They threw me in a prison cell, and after a while they took me out again. Ms meetings with them often took place in East Berlin, and sometimes in other venues in the Eastern Bloc such as Bulgaria or Yugoslavia. The Federal Bureau of Investigation: Frequently Asked Questions. I've realized that there are three main drawbacks to being a real estate agent in this day . None other than Markus Wolf, the legendary chief of the HVA (dubbed The Man Without a Face) officially handed him the medal. Quick promotions are guaranteed to those who shine. CIA clandestine service officers serve globally, both in the so-called war against terrorism as well as in nations unfriendly to the U.S. The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Our professionals play critical roles in preempting threats and furthering national security objectivesfrom working against terrorism and cyber-attacks to preventing the spread of biological weapons and more. As an associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon or other programs. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Police and Detectives, American Psychological Association: STress in the Workplace, "Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach, 5ht Edition"; David Barlow, Mark Durand; 2009. Associate professor of international history, Utrecht University. You have to find the resilience to get through those periods. Control - it can be difficult to control the agent's activities and to make sure they continually work hard on your behalf. As a creative in an advertising agency, you are expected to come up with great ideas on a regular base. Benefits for CIA field agents include paid time off and federal health and life insurance as well as pensions. While M spoke eagerly of the excitement and disillusionment he felt as a result of his spying career, he initially was reluctant to talk about this traumatising mock arrest. In my opinion, people often make the mistake to choose their profession solely based on how much money they can earn from it instead of doing what makes them really happy. Operations officer 2. Kiplinger: Should You Work for Uncle Sam? Most creatives are allowed the liberty to wear what they want. In our current state of the world, the job market changes rather quickly and it is also questionable whether insurance agents will still be needed in the future. It is also clear, however, that traumatic memories from that period continue to be a considerable burden to him. Specializing in gathering intelligence from people, CIA field agents are expected to place themselves in harm's way on behalf of U.S. interests. Increased ability to get high and fuck around through all of college vs. having to study to maintain average GPA. Professional staff positions, such as those in information technology and business management, generally won't see you in the field or in dangerous situations; however, FBI police, a division that is grouped within professional staff positions, is an obvious exception. In 2005, he starred with Mike Baker of the CIA in the BBC2 series Spy and wrote the book accompanying the series: Spy A Handbook. And, depending on your position, it can even put your life in danger. Of course, if the operation goes tits up, the person who is going to suffer is the agent, not me. You can work indoors. So a good operational officer will have six or seven, possibly more, covers and there are specialist departments within those intelligence services whose job it is to maintain those covers. Earn Good Money. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. You think about becoming an insurance agent but are not sure whether this profession is the right way to go for you? Understanding - an agent might not fully understand your product or service and you may be better off with hands-on control. Another downside of working as an insurance agent is that only few mistakes can damage your reputation and ruin your career. CIA agents operating in Afghanistan have reported working in mountainous environments in all weather and among people ready to turn them in for the right price. As the largest employer of American citizens, the federal government has become synonymous with bureaucracy. When M finally got access to his BVD file in the mid-2010s, he was not allowed to make notes or copies. This is for a number of reasons it improves your value judgment and it helps your cover because you have obviously done something before. As a creative in an advertising agency, you are expected to come up with great ideas on a regular base. Additionally, an FBI agent's family may be placed in harm's way if a criminal or terrorist decides to target the agent personally. They rob you, as it were, of your identity and take away every shred of humanity. Mentally, he recited the mantra: Keep denying, do not give in. When he became engaged to his future wife, M confided during an intimate dinner at a restaurant that he was working as an agent against the Stasi. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and Japanese from the University of Hawaii, as well as a Master of Arts in forensic psychology. What are your experiences? On several occasions, M discussed the possibility that someone like Aldrich Ames, a notorious KGB mole inside the CIA between 1985 and 1994, was responsible for betraying him. Sure, not all insurance products make sense and whether one kind of insurance is suitable for you also depends on your individual circumstances. This information can help you make a fairly well-informed decision about applying to the FBI. Yet, you should not expect that working in this field is all upside. If a target is in a very stressful or frightening position, for instance, the first person they talk to who shows them kindness and compassion is in a great position to glean information. This is a disadvantage that doesn't affect everyone equally. At an agency you might get the feeling like youre just a number. The CIA headquarters at Langley, Virginia, features a memorial wall with 103 stars, each denoting an employee who died in the line of service. Later, in West Germany, through a stranger who approached M in the street, Herr Gerber sent him his regards and asked for a meeting in East Berlin. In most cases, a CIA field agent operating clandestinely is a spy and subject to detention, arrest and even harsh punishment when captured by an unfriendly nation. Our research focuses on the relationship between intelligence services and their agents and in particular, how signs of gratitude and trust affect this relationship. Instead, you can use your own common sense and your knowledge from your job to make the right decisions in this regard. Wolf had arrived at the safe house in a Volvo, the favourite car of high officials in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), escorted by motors at the front and rear. Whether using commercial agents can help you develop your business often depends on the nature of your product or service and where you want to sell. Why the Stasi subjected M to such a harsh and intimidating interrogation has remained a puzzle. They would even take M to toy shops where at their expense he could indulge his love for model trains. The job of a spy can be very lonely. This episode coincided with his approaching the AIVD about receiving access to his file. M has fond memories of the time he spent with his two Stasi companions, who addressed him with the informal du [you] in German: They were good at giving presents. A strange detail is that Wolf apparently put strawberry jam in his tea. Due to the nature of the work, and the general high-stress that goes with being in law enforcement, FBI agents may experience stress-related health issues such as depression, anxiety, heart problems, digestive problems, chronic pain, sleep difficulties and poor nutrition. Be on such a high intellectual plane that you forget to bathe, brush your teeth, wash your clothes, etc. While working as an insurance agent can be mentally demanding and you may have to handle many clients in a rather short period of time, you can still avoid the heavy physical work many people in other jobs have to do. That career would go on to provide excellent cover for his clandestine work, as it involved a lot of international travel. Collection management officer This story is part of Conversation Insights I had once bought a very nice book of fairy tales for myself in Denmark, and sometime later they gave me a similar book as a present. However, if you are a rather extroverted personality with strong selling skills, chances are that you will find your dream job as an insurance agent since you can combine your passion for selling with your outgoing character and this combination will often lead to significant success in this field. I was recruited in that old fashioned way, but of course these days the service has a website and a recruitment team which goes round universities and run open evenings at various places. Some CIA field agents also serve as paramilitary operations officers overseas, frequently engaging in combat special operations. You can avoid physical work. [You are a traitor! Keep insisting that as a foreigner you devoted yourself to the good cause, to socialism. Clients are demanding. During the long days spent at the office, there is always room to have some fun. There are still some issues with a career in the insurance sector which I want to show you in the following chapter. Please note that all the information I provide on this website is to my best knowledge. The job can strain your family life and psyche. Over a period of more than 20 years, from the late 1960s until the end of the cold war, the HVA considered M their agent and he gave the East Germans information much of it acquired through the multinational he worked for. This can be problematic, especially if you just dont look trustworthy at all and are just not born with a sympathetic aura. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), police officers and detectives have one of the highest rates of on-the-job injury and illness. Increased desire to kill self after the dozenth guy you meet at a bar says he thinks Camus is a really good band too.. But if you are eager enough to handle all the cons of being a creative in an advertising agency, it might be the perfect place for you. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, I knew the job wasnt going to be James Bond but I was curious to know more. The Americans were keen to use him when they learned he had also been recruited by the foreign intelligence arm of the Stasi the renowned Hauptverwaltung (Chief Administration) A, known by its acronym HVA. In turn, if you have contact with those people, you may be able to switch fields in case you are no longer interested in working as an insurance agent. Potential approaches of KGB officers were preceded by psychological assessments that could estimate their willingness to collaborate. We visited nightclubs or a museum in Leipzig, we went for rides In Budapest we went to those hot baths on [Margaret Island].. Both sides of the Medaille der Waffenbrderschaft (Medal for Comrades-in-Arms) that M received from the Stasi in 1984. They have to operate every day so that people who dont have a car can get from A to B. nibusinessinfo.co.uk, a free service offered by Invest Northern Ireland, is the official online channel for business advice and guidance in Northern Ireland. The Hohenschnhausen Memorial in Berlin, a former Stasi prison. You can see nice flats and houses during work. To his Stasi contacts, M explained his willingness to work with them as a consequence of the defects he saw in western capitalism, in particular the many forms of social and racial injustice he had personally observed. In all six of our interviews, M emphasised the distinctive nature of his relationships with the three different services he dealt with. I believe the process of earning the CIA is relatively easy for these reasons: 1. M told us he barely managed to control his emotions: I could no longer trust anyone I had to be constantly alert and wary To remain in this position over such a long period of time requires much stamina There is a line of appreciation, trust, but also of abandonment You are being used as a pawn by something amorphous, by an entity that you cannot enter. What other pros and cons do you see? Resource analyst 9. How China combined authoritarianism with capitalism to create a new communism, What my 20 years in Afghanistan taught me about the Taliban and how the west consistently underestimates them, Embracing uncertainty: what Kenyan herders can teach us about living in a volatile world. Border officials of the German Democratic Republic on the Berlin wall in front of the Brandenburg Gate in 1980. A seed that would grow over the years to become an obsession. In other words, his interrogators seemed to lack proof. These are the words of double agent M, who operated for the Dutch security service and the CIA against the East German Stasi for 22 years. He wants to find out, in particular, why his East German handlers, whom he had managed to deceive so successfully for so many years, suddenly seemed to turn against him in the mid-1980s. The possibility of treason from within the CIA became an obsession. The day has clearly left a deep impression on him: I was mentally put off-balance, I couldnt wrap my mind around it. Gerber showed a keen interest in Ms background, such as the year he had spent at an American high school and a rather unusual topic for a casual conversation among strangers Israeli nuclear developments in the Negev desert. This is not how they should treat people that have worked for them for so many years. Numerous professional staff positions also require travel, but the frequency of their excursions varies greatly, even for positions within the same division. Job Security. As you can see from the previous discussion, there are many advantages and disadvantages to working as an insurance agent. M felt used and alone when his career ended. Everything has to go through a process, the likes of which can be lengthy. Here's a list of 10 jobs that are similar to CIA agents: 1. The connections you make from your agency job can help you land the job of your dreams. Being a call center agent is not that stressful. Having an advanced degree can be helpful for most positions, and in many instances, is required, although the CIA also offers its own relevant undergraduate programs. Hence, the mental pressure can be enormous for insurance agents and you should not underestimate the stress that comes along with it. You will just work your normal 9 to 5 job most of the time and will have free evenings. After obtaining a degree in engineering, he fulfilled his military service with the Dutch army and began his career at the large multinational. He became a double agent: by successfully pretending to be a Stasi agent, M would acquire valuable information on the personalities of his Stasi handlers for the Dutch service. nibusinessinfo.co.uk 0800 181 4422. Ms Dutch handlers correctly interpreted this approach as a recruiting attempt by the Stasi, and encouraged him to respond favourably. One of my personal favorites is the management tool Asana. Creative agencies are known for providing social environments for their creatives to thrive in. Hence, make sure that you are properly insured in this regard to avoid any financial consequences that could significantly harm your future life. All candidates must have a security clearance, which requires a background check that combs through your educational, criminal, credit and employment history. On a few occasions, his wife even played an operational role. BUT, at an agency the clients come first. Even though you may be able to make a decent living from what you are doing, you will still not get rich as an insurance agent. Whether your goal is to become a senior creative director or become an agency executive, you have potential for great advancement. Agencies exist solely to serve their clients. The CIA Eligibility Requirements Are Flexible The requirements of some accounting certifications, such as the CPA and CFA, are very demanding and very strict. Chances are that you will get much more responsibility soon and this will often also translate into a higher salary. Thus, no job is the same and job descriptions may not completely fit your individual experiences. Traumatic memories that come back to haunt people many years later are a common phenomenon for war veterans. You as an insurance agent can avoid those issues since you will rather work with your brain than with your bare hands and this means that your risk of suffering from physical health problems will be significantly lower in the long run. M could easily make such trips behind the Iron Curtain without raising suspicions. As an insurance agent, your level of success will also significantly depend on your trustworthiness. Their meetings always took place behind the Iron Curtain and the two East Germans showed their appreciation for Ms work on numerous occasions. Emphasised the distinctive nature of his relationships with the three different services he dealt with was! Youre just a number of operations officers overseas, Frequently engaging in combat special operations this profession the. With bureaucracy as it were, of your dreams insurance as well as in unfriendly... Agents include paid time off and federal health and life insurance as well as nations! 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