NCS Language Officer
The Work of a Nation. The Center of Intelligence.
Job Description
This job is a critical portion of the NCS (National Clandestine Service). The NCS is a division inside the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). Not only does the Language officer perform translation, interpretation and support for a variety of NCS clandestine operations but they also provide keen in-depth cultural insight. The officers are not only well-versed in a language but the cultures and customs that the language is used in.
Travel, Dangers, and Adavntages
There are many dangers of working for the CIA and specifically the NCS. The constant threat of a security breach or national crisis is always looming over the entire CIA. A job with in the CIA means travel. Not exactly in the style of James Bond and many jobs are in the United States. Though, most jobs do require some amount of travel. Eleanor, a senior officer at the CIA, says this about the travel, "The CIA has some fantastic opportunities to see the world from a unique perspective. Despite all the conflict that fuels the reason for this job, I am constantly reminded that the world is a beautiful place. If you’re the kind of person who finds yourself homesick for some distant corner of the world, this is the job for you." Others concluded the same, the travel is a burden (airports and luggage) but the locales were exotic and exquisite. The biggest advantage to the job is the people you get to know. Brad said this about the job, "Our work takes us to all types of places overseas. I’ve been to high-class events with the country’s elite. I’ve also interacted with the more humble parts." There are many dangers, many advantages, but even more travel yet every single one of the agents said it was well worth it.
Pictures of the Central Intelligance Agency
Education & Training
- Harvard University: Harvard offers fields of concentration in Linguistics, Germanic Languages and Literature, Slavic Languages and Literature (including Russian, Polish, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, and Ukrainian), Romance Languages and Literature (offering courses and degrees in French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese), Near Eastern Languages and Culture (including classes in Arabic and Hebrew).
- Columbia University: This New York City university has departments and programs in French, German, East Asian Languages and Cultures, Italian, Japanese, Middle East and Asian Languages, Swedish, Slavic Languages, and Spanish and Portuguese.
- Bachelor's Degree
- Fluency (or near-fluency) in one of these languages Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Korean, Pashto, Persian/Farsi, Russian and Somali
- Strong interest in international affairs
- Sound grip on English writing, oral, and reading