By By Brendan O’Reilly
The Central Intelligence Agency will be recruiting its largest group of new personnel in 2006, targeting students at specific colleges and universities – one of them being the University.
Despite popular belief, not every member of the CIA is a spy.
CIA personnel fall into four categories: operations, analysis, science and technology and administration.
Operatives participate in covert service.
Analysts are responsible in collecting geopolitical data and analyzing reports from undercover sources.
Personnel in the science and technology category analyze scientific intelligence or develop state-of-the-art technologies for information gathering. Administrators handle finance, facilities, purchases and accounting, among many other responsibilities.
The Northeast regional recruiter for the CIA is looking for graduates with business degrees or other training that would be valuable to the field.
“If you feel you fit the profile, make sure you take advantage of the online application,” Marvin Reed, director of the Career Center, said.
The Agency has invited students graduating in 2006 with any degree level to apply through the Web site at www.cia.gov.
“Anybody in one of their last two semesters before graduation who’s interested should apply,” Reed said.
The recruiter did not specify particular majors that are preferred for CIA service, but recommends that interested applicants should be an outstanding student, have studied a second language as well as political science and be physically fit.
Sophomore Rafal Cebula is interested in working for the CIA.
“It’s a good way to get a solid job internationally working for the government,” he said.
Cebula may fit the profile of a great candidate for the agency with a dual major in Asian studies and labor studies and a dual minor in human resources management and Japanese.
“As a student who has a focus in international relations and politics I feel I am very qualified to work for the CIA,” Cebula said.
However, he said he does not think he would be hired by the agency.
“I’m probably not up to par with their insane qualifications,” Cebula said. “People who think they are must be full of themselves.”
Freshman Dishon Laing is a drama major who speaks two languages fluently. The training he will receive in acting and his knowledge of Spanish may qualify him to be an undercover agent for the CIA in Latin America, but he is not interested.
“I don’t want anything to do with the government period,” Laing said.
Laing suspects the CIA targeted the University for recruiting because the agency is looking for the “rich, white type.”
The regional recruiter did not reveal to the Career Center why the University was targeted by the CIA recruitment campaign. However, a CIA representative said they only target schools with the best and brightest students.
Reed attributed it to the University’s “stature in the world of education.”
“Hofstra has a diverse student body, which is its strength,” Rosanna Perotti, associate professor of the political science department, said.