FBI Special Agent
He cannot now recall why he chose a career in law enforcement but it’s still an interesting story of finding job satisfaction within a large, national business where the employee had no control over assigned job duties.
JS was born during WW2 in Monticello, a small town in rural New York State. During his early years, JS’ family (parents and older brother) lived on his grandfather’s farm, where young JS often helped with animal care and learned to enjoy the outdoors including fishing and hunting. During the WW2 years, his father worked in a munitions factory and later worked as a house painter while driving a taxi 7 days a week during the summer’s local tourist season, during which he earned most of the family’s annual income. His mother managed the local hotel, especially busy during the summer months. Later, she was a schoolteacher.
Following his parents’ examples of daily hard work, JS was usually employed part time during the school year and summers, involving many tasks ranging from working behind a soda counter to driving a taxi, all of which enabled JS to pay his own college expenses.
CAREER SUCCESS NOT NECESSARILY LINKED TO ACADEMIC PROFICIENCY
JS attended Catholic based primary school and college on either side of public high school, where his interests were focused more on playing fields and socializing than achieving high academic honors. When his former chemistry teacher learned that one of his current students had purchased JS’ chemistry textbook, the teacher noted: “That has to be a pretty good book because JS never took anything from it.”
During his freshman year in college, JS wrote a letter (email and texting not yet invented!) to the FBI, inquiring about eventual employment. Their response provided basic employment conditions, including entry level at age 23 and experience within the business world. All of that seemed a long way away. Looking back, JS has no recollection of what motivated his interest in joining the FBI. His only relative serving in law enforcement, an uncle who was a NY State Trooper, was not an influence in JS’ career considerations.
MILITARY SERVICE INSTILLS SENSE OF PRIDE IN JOB WELL DONE
Nearing college graduation, JS applied for and was accepted into the Navy’s officer program. Following basic naval training, he was assigned as a Communications Officer to the Staff of the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet in Norfolk, Virginia.
With his military service term nearing completion, JS had a wife, their first child but not yet post-Navy employment lined up. Again, without any current recollection of his motivation at the time, JS wrote to the FBI to inquire about joining their service. He was now qualified by age and surely his naval officer’s service would count as business experience. Apparently, it did, as JS soon received a call from an FBI agent to discuss his interest and the application process.
JOB APPLICATION SUBJECT TO FBI INVESTIGATION
The first involvement of an FBI applicant with FBI investigations is to be the subject of their own, pre-employment investigation. JS heard from the owner of a small grocery store within his rural hometown, that an FBI agent had visited and had many questions about JS.
Readers interested in a career within law enforcement: Would your life’s record to date be acceptable to FBI inquiries regarding good character and dedication to whatever prior jobs?
EMPLOYMENT TRAINING
(JS notes that the following details of his training and assignments may not accurately reflect current FBI training, procedures, and priorities, some of which can be found at www.fbijobs.gov)
At the time, the first phase of FBI training involved a general introduction to the workings of the Bureau (e.g., report writing) and relevant laws (e.g., US Constitution). During the second phase, at Quantico, Virginia, trainees received revolvers and related firearms training (shotguns and rifles) plus defensive tactics and finally, their personal credentials as official FBI agents.
EMPLOYER’S FIRST RANDOM JOB ASSIGNMENT
Like the experiences of new employees within any large, national corporation, the early duty responsibilities seemed random. For JS, he was assigned to the Miami office, within the Robbery and Fugitive Squad. An experienced Special Agent provided two weeks of guidance before JS hit the streets on his own, which provided the opportunity for his first arrest: a fugitive Marine, after a short, high speed car chase. Later, another early career arrest involved a fugitive wanted for murder.
EMPLOYER’S SECOND RANDOM JOB ASSIGNMENT
Early FBI assignments were scheduled to last about one year, following which the relatively new employee awaited news of the next, apparently random duty assignment. JS was pleased to be transferred to the Philadelphia Division, which (coincidentally?) was the mid-point between the family homes of his parents and his wife’s parents.
EVERY WORKING DAY IS ANOTHER INTERESTING DAY
In Philadelphia, JS was assigned to the Bank Robbery, Fugitive, Extortion and Kidnapping Squad but on the Sunday evening before his first, new office appearance, he was directed to accompany other agents to join the investigation of a commercial airliner crash in north central Pennsylvania, involving the death of all aboard. JS estimates that during his 28 years within the Philadelphia Division, he was involved in the arrests of 100 or more people. JS spent his final two decades with the FBI in a suburban Philadelphia office, working general criminal matters, public corruption (including the arrest of a police captain and mayor following an extended teamwork investigation) and background investigations of Presidential appointees.
While subject to being “on call” 24/7, JS was able to be involved with his family and especially enjoyed coaching his children in local, youth league sports.
SECOND CAREER UTILIZES EARLIER SKILLS AND CONTACTS
FBI regulations applicable to Special Agents mandated their retirement at age 57. Accordingly, JS designed his next career to take advantage of his contacts within law enforcement and experience as an investigator to establish his own investigation service, for which he was its sole employee, fortunately having learned to type any written reports.
EDITOR’S NOTE RE CERTAINTY OF CAREER CHOICE MOTIVATION
JS’ current lack of recollection regarding his motivation to join the FBI reflects his training as an investigator to honestly state known facts, while declining to speculate regarding uncertain facts or conclusions. However, an amateur psychologist would note the following likely, though unconscious, components of career interest in the FBI: (1) early exposure to working outdoors, assisting family with farm-work is the opposite of working in an office building; (2) early exposure to handling firearms while hunting and target shooting; (3) parents worked hard, away from office business settings; (4) JS’ interests were more in dealing with people – athletics and socializing – rather than achieving academic knowledge and recognition.
Regardless of the absence of certainty regarding motivating factors to choose a career path, JS’ story may still be helpful to those pondering whether to choose a career path within a large corporate setting, where job satisfaction must be found within your specific job duties rather than being able to control or even influence many of the variables within that business.
