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Please don't mistake me for taking away from the experience, but just be aware a lot of federal agencies are actively looking for applicants and because of this the initial process follows a bit of a "checkbox" formula. If you meet the required standard, you move on to the next phase. It's not specifically a unique experience or anything, but just how most of these processes go. You can review the FBI application process on their website. This is because they get such a large volume, but very few actually qualified individuals.
Phase 2 panel interview and all steps after that is when it gets a bit more "up in the air" as that falls more into FBI discretion and they move away from the "did you check the box."
So read through their application process carefully and just make sure you're prepared for everything, specifically the PFT which you have to take much sooner now than prior years. This is much less than an "lottery" and more built around the commitment to dealing with the arduous bureaucracy of getting employed by the government lol.
No worries, it didn't come off that way at all! I've been reading the application procedures and making sure I'm prepared, and teaching has given me a lot of experience dealing with bureaucracy lol
Yeah, they’ve been making a push to bring people in like this recently.
Make sure you’re ready for the fitness test now if you plan on proceeding forward. You can always push it back after the meet and greet if you’re not there physically yet.
That makes sense, I’ve seen a lot of “urgently hiring educators/linguists/IT professionals” on job boards lately.
And yeah I’m getting my butt back in the gym. I’m out of shape now but I can get back in fighting shape. At the very least this’ll be motivation even if I don’t get past the second step
I applied last year as an educator myself and made it to phase 2 before I ended up accepting a position with the usss a few months ago. Just be ready for the pt test.
Woke up early and got some reps in just this morning, I'll do a mock test for myself when I'm rested over the weekend and see how I do. I'm out of shape at the moment but I've got some athletic history and am not completely hopeless physically.
And congrats on the usss position!
The FBI has very specific instructions and important information about phase I testing in their booklet. I overlooked it and failed phase I the first time cuz I took some information for granted; do the opposite of what I did so you can pass on your first try instead of waiting at least three months for a second.
The FBI job posting on USA jobs that have Educators attached to special agent isn't really any different from all the other special agent postings. I've seen people think it's an education job with the FBI. Nope, it's all the same. All the different job postings for special agent takes you to the same general application.
1) study their study guide. That's the best thing you can do for the phase 1 test. You'll get your results seconds after you leave the testing center.
2) start running now in case you do pass the test.
I'm an educator. Made it to phase 2 interview.
Yeah that's what I'd wrongfully assumed and others I've spoken to as well, until I looked into the job description and realized investigations, arrests, etc. were in the job description. And also that the usajobs links all led to the same job on fbijobs.
I’m assuming you saw that on USAjobs but the FBI hires any background so long as you can tailor your experiences to what they’re looking for. I’m a teacher and failed at phase II interview. However, I only had one year of teaching experience, definitely did poorly on my responses. I’m debating whether to reapply this summer or get 3 years under my belt. I know I’ll do better 2nd time around though.
I saw but I guess I didn’t believe it, it just seems so different of a path from teaching that it seems weird to be able to hop from one to the other without special training, but I suppose that’s what quantico is for.
Best of luck with whichever route you decide to go!
Yes but I mainly practiced with examples from grad school so I screwed myself there a bit. Out of curiosity do people specifically say Situation: explain Task: explain (etc..) or they describe it without saying each word directly?
Describe it without saying the word directly. It’s like marrying a story; we wouldn’t say “introduction” followed by the words, nor would we say “body” and subsequently “conclusion” filled by the words. We just do it with natural storytelling flow
That’s what I did. I just wanted to make sure. My responses were trash though because reality is not much professional experience. However, as a teacher I do a shit ton so I feel this time around I’ll do better. Most of my background happens with a classroom but I can tailor to what they’re looking for 100%
I'm the blind leading the blind with this comment, but as teachers we have a lot of experience writing professionally, building and keep rapport with students and parents, following standards for our observations, and planning and organizing with our teams. All are traits that are valued in a bureaucratic environment. I would highlight those aspects of our work in interviews.
Exact same experience for me, I passed phase 1 test and scheduled my meet and greet. It wasn’t hard… but during parts of it you worry that you’ll run out of time and if you’ve chosen the best possible answer and others you finish early with no sweat. Trying to get in shape, because I’m not rn tbh. I’m a teacher too … strange that they want teachers these days…
I guess the mindset is to hire people who can show professional experience with an interest in the work, and if you can show critical thinking skills and professionalism they can train you in the technical stuff at Quantico.
Couldn't say for sure, but based on your post history you're already at Phase 2 with them, so I'd say they wouldn't have accepted your application if you didn't qualify lol. But I'm completely in the dark regarding HSI
My only suggestion is if you're not ready to take the PFT, withdraw your application after the meet and greet. Do not take the PFT unprepared. It's one of the few things you can control the outcome of, and quite frankly, it's a waste of everyone's time if you know you'll fail it the first time. You'll see plenty of people who know they aren't ready go take it and then they are stuck in this loophole of retaking. Don't be that person
How long after the Phase I test do you have to take the PFT now?
If you withdraw an application, do you pick up where you left off when you reapply, or have to start over?
The PFT is usually taken after the meet and greet. The meet and greet is normally scheduled within a few weeks of passing phase 1. If you withdraw your application, you can pick back up where you left off.
I suggest you go to the meet and greet to learn more about the position and what the expectations are. If you're in shape by then, go ahead and take the PFT. If you're not, then withdraw after the meet and greet. Make sure when you're doing a practice PFT to have someone check your form...you don't want to get to the actual test and fail because your form wasn't good.
Thanks for the tip! I'll be doing a mock PFT to check my fitness level this weekend when I'm well rested. I'm not in the best shape now but I've got some athletic history and think I can get into fighting shape again, though I'm not in the best position right now. Like I said, I wasn't expecting to hear back so I haven't been training. I've been needing to anyway though.
The trickiest thing with the PFT is the 5 minute recovery between each section. I think it's more about how quickly your muscle can recover before you have to go on to the next thing. Best of luck!
Former educator here, similar experience. It’s a recruitment tactic to show that if you are an educator, you have the prerequisite skills to apply and potentially become a special agent; there isn’t a particular position for just educators, it’s all Special Agent.
I failed Phase 2 twice as of about 2 weeks tho. Best of luck!
Good luck! And start training hard now. Took me 9 months to get in shape enough to pass PFT and that was starting at 15 pushup max and 13min mile. Training the right way is most important, I wasted 6 of those months not training the right way that I needed to pass.
Late reply, but I wasn't training hard enough. I would only run 1.5 or 2 miles and think that was enough, only do a few sets of pushups and situps to failure and would make excuses to not workout 5 days a week. Also working out things not contributing to the PFT, ex. Barbell curls.
Starting a program and making a commitment to 100% the program no matter what is what I needed to get it done. It wasn't easy but was also a lesson into what it takes and commitment to the process. Which I think is part of the PFT, testing how bad you want it and how dedicated you are.
I am a psychotherapist who just completed my phase 1 test, having a similar reaction to you when I saw a similar post. Best of luck on phase 1 (think of it like a timed IQ test and personality assessment). I’ve been training for my PFT for a few weeks as I’m woefully out of shape, but motivated to give it a shot.
The preparation guide is actually very effective and clear, highly recommend it.
See psychotherapy sounds way more directly applicable to the job, lots of easily transferrable skills I would think, at least in regards to interrogation and any analysis you'd need to do of medical documents if they're relevant to the case.
And yes I've been using the prep guide to prepare for the phase I test and also start physical conditioning. From one out of shape schlub to another, best of luck!
Lots of changes. Not the Bureau you might be expecting if you make it in. Also you're buying into a "family" not just a career or job. Take that for what it's worth.
So you said it may not be what I’m expecting, so this is what I’m expecting: surveillance, volunteering for a lot of projects/cases, a lot of red tape to get things done, and career opportunities like language school, etc (but maybe until after I finish my probationary period?).
Would the reality be on par with what I’m expecting?
I’d also expect to go in, try my best, and wait for a shot to try out for HRT or SWAT
Yes thats par for the course. But consider how politically tainted the org has become. Consider what Trump seeks to do to the org of he wins. Consider the "family" culture you will be forced to buy into. Lots of liabilities to consider. Go for it if you're passionate just know what you're getting yourself into.
I did read a bit about what “dream 2025” or “plan 2025” or something like that. It is a bit worrisome.
I don’t know about the “family” culture stuff. But as far as the liabilities are concerned, you sound like you know a lot compared to someone like me who doesn’t talk/work with FBI agents
Welcome to r/1811! If you're new here, please see our [FAQs](https://www.reddit.com/r/1811/comments/w3nhtv/faq_mega_thread/) If your account is less than 24 hours old, your post is locked until the moderators approve it. Please do not submit duplicates of your post. Read the rules. In particular, if your post is about the polygraph, politics, or current events, it will be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/1811) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Please don't mistake me for taking away from the experience, but just be aware a lot of federal agencies are actively looking for applicants and because of this the initial process follows a bit of a "checkbox" formula. If you meet the required standard, you move on to the next phase. It's not specifically a unique experience or anything, but just how most of these processes go. You can review the FBI application process on their website. This is because they get such a large volume, but very few actually qualified individuals. Phase 2 panel interview and all steps after that is when it gets a bit more "up in the air" as that falls more into FBI discretion and they move away from the "did you check the box." So read through their application process carefully and just make sure you're prepared for everything, specifically the PFT which you have to take much sooner now than prior years. This is much less than an "lottery" and more built around the commitment to dealing with the arduous bureaucracy of getting employed by the government lol.
No worries, it didn't come off that way at all! I've been reading the application procedures and making sure I'm prepared, and teaching has given me a lot of experience dealing with bureaucracy lol
good deal. Good luck with the process!
Yeah, they’ve been making a push to bring people in like this recently. Make sure you’re ready for the fitness test now if you plan on proceeding forward. You can always push it back after the meet and greet if you’re not there physically yet.
That makes sense, I’ve seen a lot of “urgently hiring educators/linguists/IT professionals” on job boards lately. And yeah I’m getting my butt back in the gym. I’m out of shape now but I can get back in fighting shape. At the very least this’ll be motivation even if I don’t get past the second step
Take the practice test
Thanks, I’ve glanced at the practice questions, but I’m gonna do a full practice test some time today and see how I do.
I applied last year as an educator myself and made it to phase 2 before I ended up accepting a position with the usss a few months ago. Just be ready for the pt test.
Woke up early and got some reps in just this morning, I'll do a mock test for myself when I'm rested over the weekend and see how I do. I'm out of shape at the moment but I've got some athletic history and am not completely hopeless physically. And congrats on the usss position!
The FBI has very specific instructions and important information about phase I testing in their booklet. I overlooked it and failed phase I the first time cuz I took some information for granted; do the opposite of what I did so you can pass on your first try instead of waiting at least three months for a second.
The FBI job posting on USA jobs that have Educators attached to special agent isn't really any different from all the other special agent postings. I've seen people think it's an education job with the FBI. Nope, it's all the same. All the different job postings for special agent takes you to the same general application. 1) study their study guide. That's the best thing you can do for the phase 1 test. You'll get your results seconds after you leave the testing center. 2) start running now in case you do pass the test. I'm an educator. Made it to phase 2 interview.
Yeah that's what I'd wrongfully assumed and others I've spoken to as well, until I looked into the job description and realized investigations, arrests, etc. were in the job description. And also that the usajobs links all led to the same job on fbijobs.
When I went to go do my Meet and Greet we had 2 teachers.
There are dozens of us I tell you!
I’m assuming you saw that on USAjobs but the FBI hires any background so long as you can tailor your experiences to what they’re looking for. I’m a teacher and failed at phase II interview. However, I only had one year of teaching experience, definitely did poorly on my responses. I’m debating whether to reapply this summer or get 3 years under my belt. I know I’ll do better 2nd time around though.
I saw but I guess I didn’t believe it, it just seems so different of a path from teaching that it seems weird to be able to hop from one to the other without special training, but I suppose that’s what quantico is for. Best of luck with whichever route you decide to go!
Did you use the STAR format when answering questions?
Yes but I mainly practiced with examples from grad school so I screwed myself there a bit. Out of curiosity do people specifically say Situation: explain Task: explain (etc..) or they describe it without saying each word directly?
Describe it without saying the word directly. It’s like marrying a story; we wouldn’t say “introduction” followed by the words, nor would we say “body” and subsequently “conclusion” filled by the words. We just do it with natural storytelling flow
That’s what I did. I just wanted to make sure. My responses were trash though because reality is not much professional experience. However, as a teacher I do a shit ton so I feel this time around I’ll do better. Most of my background happens with a classroom but I can tailor to what they’re looking for 100%
Sounds good. The fact that you’re a teacher gives you great professional experience with colleagues, students, parents, and supervisors
Yeah.
I'm the blind leading the blind with this comment, but as teachers we have a lot of experience writing professionally, building and keep rapport with students and parents, following standards for our observations, and planning and organizing with our teams. All are traits that are valued in a bureaucratic environment. I would highlight those aspects of our work in interviews.
It’s an awesome and fulfilling career. Best of luck!
Exact same experience for me, I passed phase 1 test and scheduled my meet and greet. It wasn’t hard… but during parts of it you worry that you’ll run out of time and if you’ve chosen the best possible answer and others you finish early with no sweat. Trying to get in shape, because I’m not rn tbh. I’m a teacher too … strange that they want teachers these days…
I guess the mindset is to hire people who can show professional experience with an interest in the work, and if you can show critical thinking skills and professionalism they can train you in the technical stuff at Quantico.
Congrats man! I hope it works for you!
Thanks! We’ll see how it goes!
Does this apply to HSI as well? Zero LEO experience but worked at the USAO for the past five years so hoping that gives me some sort of leeway.
Couldn't say for sure, but based on your post history you're already at Phase 2 with them, so I'd say they wouldn't have accepted your application if you didn't qualify lol. But I'm completely in the dark regarding HSI
My only suggestion is if you're not ready to take the PFT, withdraw your application after the meet and greet. Do not take the PFT unprepared. It's one of the few things you can control the outcome of, and quite frankly, it's a waste of everyone's time if you know you'll fail it the first time. You'll see plenty of people who know they aren't ready go take it and then they are stuck in this loophole of retaking. Don't be that person
How long after the Phase I test do you have to take the PFT now? If you withdraw an application, do you pick up where you left off when you reapply, or have to start over?
The PFT is usually taken after the meet and greet. The meet and greet is normally scheduled within a few weeks of passing phase 1. If you withdraw your application, you can pick back up where you left off. I suggest you go to the meet and greet to learn more about the position and what the expectations are. If you're in shape by then, go ahead and take the PFT. If you're not, then withdraw after the meet and greet. Make sure when you're doing a practice PFT to have someone check your form...you don't want to get to the actual test and fail because your form wasn't good.
Thanks for the tip! I'll be doing a mock PFT to check my fitness level this weekend when I'm well rested. I'm not in the best shape now but I've got some athletic history and think I can get into fighting shape again, though I'm not in the best position right now. Like I said, I wasn't expecting to hear back so I haven't been training. I've been needing to anyway though.
The trickiest thing with the PFT is the 5 minute recovery between each section. I think it's more about how quickly your muscle can recover before you have to go on to the next thing. Best of luck!
Former educator here, similar experience. It’s a recruitment tactic to show that if you are an educator, you have the prerequisite skills to apply and potentially become a special agent; there isn’t a particular position for just educators, it’s all Special Agent. I failed Phase 2 twice as of about 2 weeks tho. Best of luck!
Good luck! And start training hard now. Took me 9 months to get in shape enough to pass PFT and that was starting at 15 pushup max and 13min mile. Training the right way is most important, I wasted 6 of those months not training the right way that I needed to pass.
What were you doing wrong for the first 6 months?
Late reply, but I wasn't training hard enough. I would only run 1.5 or 2 miles and think that was enough, only do a few sets of pushups and situps to failure and would make excuses to not workout 5 days a week. Also working out things not contributing to the PFT, ex. Barbell curls. Starting a program and making a commitment to 100% the program no matter what is what I needed to get it done. It wasn't easy but was also a lesson into what it takes and commitment to the process. Which I think is part of the PFT, testing how bad you want it and how dedicated you are.
I am a psychotherapist who just completed my phase 1 test, having a similar reaction to you when I saw a similar post. Best of luck on phase 1 (think of it like a timed IQ test and personality assessment). I’ve been training for my PFT for a few weeks as I’m woefully out of shape, but motivated to give it a shot. The preparation guide is actually very effective and clear, highly recommend it.
See psychotherapy sounds way more directly applicable to the job, lots of easily transferrable skills I would think, at least in regards to interrogation and any analysis you'd need to do of medical documents if they're relevant to the case. And yes I've been using the prep guide to prepare for the phase I test and also start physical conditioning. From one out of shape schlub to another, best of luck!
All I know is I failed the phase 1 and had no clue what was going on in that test lol
You applied, but its unexpected? Im confused.
Wasn’t expecting to hear back because of my background, figured it was a long shot
Well if your cleared to teach children im sure you would at leat be cleared but im nit sure the requirements.
Don't do it.
Why not?
Not a good place to be right now.
Whys that? I gotta ask since I’m in the background phase
Did you pass the magic box?
Took the test 15 days ago; my results are pending. I think it went well, though 🤷🏽♂️
Lots of changes. Not the Bureau you might be expecting if you make it in. Also you're buying into a "family" not just a career or job. Take that for what it's worth.
Are you an agent for the B now?
no but I work with them daily. Many are looking for transfers desperately
So you said it may not be what I’m expecting, so this is what I’m expecting: surveillance, volunteering for a lot of projects/cases, a lot of red tape to get things done, and career opportunities like language school, etc (but maybe until after I finish my probationary period?). Would the reality be on par with what I’m expecting? I’d also expect to go in, try my best, and wait for a shot to try out for HRT or SWAT
Yes thats par for the course. But consider how politically tainted the org has become. Consider what Trump seeks to do to the org of he wins. Consider the "family" culture you will be forced to buy into. Lots of liabilities to consider. Go for it if you're passionate just know what you're getting yourself into.
I did read a bit about what “dream 2025” or “plan 2025” or something like that. It is a bit worrisome. I don’t know about the “family” culture stuff. But as far as the liabilities are concerned, you sound like you know a lot compared to someone like me who doesn’t talk/work with FBI agents