An interview with an analyst at the CIA’s Directorate of Intelligence

Every officer has a unique path to the Agency, explains a CIA notice posted on the Agency’s Web site. CIA.gov recently sat down with Anne, a military analyst in the Directorate of Intelligence (DI), to learn more about her journey to CIA and her experiences over the last decade.

Tell us about your path to CIA.

I joined the Agency in 2002 as a co-op student. I was recruited at a career fair when I was pursuing my undergraduate degree at Pennsylvania State University. At the time, I had aspirations of being an interpreter for the United Nations or perhaps joining the Foreign Service, but my experience as an Agency intern opened my eyes to the opportunities a career at CIA would afford me. I got to do awesome things as an intern — such as writing actual analysis for the policymakers and members of the Intelligence Community, and giving briefings at the State Department — so I figured that I would be able to have more of these experiences as a full-time employee. I wanted to seize that opportunity, so I converted to a full-time Agency employee after I completed my undergraduate degree.

Describe your experiences as an analyst in the DI.

For most of my career, I worked security issues in the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America. I’ve participated in intelligence exchanges and served as an Agency liaison to the U.S. military. I also worked in an administrative capacity in the DI and the Directors Area to help broaden my skillset as an intelligence officer.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I’ve been able to have a wide range of experiences — from briefing senior U.S. officials to travelling to countries that I never imagined seeing — and I haven’t had to switch employers to do it!  I like the stability of being with the Agency and growing as a professional and as a person, but also being able to go outside of my comfort zone and take on assignments, rotations and accounts that make me a more well-rounded analyst. There is nothing like opening the paper or turning on the news and hearing about national security issues that I’ve worked on. It feels good to know that my work is actually making a difference by helping the President and policymakers make decisions that keep our country safe.