Useful Skills for FBI Special Agents
There is a whole lot more to being an FBI agent than raiding drug dealer's houses and resolving hostage situations. In order to become one of the FBI's finest and climb the promotional ladder, you must develop certain skills that will help you resolve ongoing investigations as well as keep you and your partner safe from any potential dangers.
Since many federal agents spend a great deal of their time listening to victims or witnesses, interrogating suspects, building evidence for key cases, making snap-judgments, and analyzing key data, it would be prudent to acquire certain skills which would enable agents to perform at an optimal level. Some of these skills may not be necessary for admission into the FBI training academy or even to submit an application, but they may come in handy at one point in time or another and will look good on your resume. One critical skill to seek after is being able to speak a foreign language. Most states in the U.S. are racially diverse and filled with large amounts of people who speak different languages, which is why the Federal Bureau of Investigation highly favors candidates who can speak more than just the English language.
What You Can Do:
- Strongly consider learning a foreign language, either through college courses or even products such as the Rosetta Stone
- Develop your memory so you can easily recall current laws, names of people, & important details
- Learn how to use a computer at an advanced level
- Be proficient at using Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint
- Take an advanced math or engineering class to develop critical thinking skills
- Take a public speaking or communications class to improve social skills
- Improve basic communication such as speech, listening, & writing skills
- Take some Jiu-Jitsu classes and learn basic disabling techniques
- Learn the basics about firearms and practice your aim
- Learn how to drive defensively
- Learn basic first-aid & CPR