[DSS-137]

Just dropped by to check the forums and found this one sitting there! There are a number of things that I noticed while reading through and I'll try to address whatever I can...

• Hard on families

  My opinion here is that if you have children prior to joining DS, then your spouse and kids should ALL be excited about life abroad or you're in for a number of additional challenges. The normal challenges of life abroad can stress a relationship between you and your spouse on their own, so bringing unwilling children into the equation is going to add stress on all facets of life abroad. The same challenges that ruin marriages within DS can strengthen others. (I could go on and on about this...)

• Good for a single guy/gal

  If that single guy/gal is open to travel abroad, then this could be the best job in the world.

• Hired out of school

  The old rule (Probably still valid though) with regard to applying for DS, was that you had to be within 9 months of your graduation date when you started the application process. This opens the door for a number of applicants... however, the knowledge, skills, and abilities of those applicants will be brought to the front of process during the BEX. DS looks to a wide variety of people to fulfill its mission, and won't limit its applicants to prior LE/Military types... That being said, there are a number of hurdles during the application process that draw on some LE/Military trains of thought. If a 22 year-old with limited experience can see the hurdle (Question ;)) developing and handle it accordingly, then DS may want those folks as agents. At the same time, DS hires 37 year-olds with loads of LE/Military experience as well. Bottom line: If you meet the minimum requirements on the DS job announcement and you want the job, then apply and focus on what YOU bring to the table. Don't worry what others bring, just be confident that in the end you'll be surrounded by people from all walks of life.

• "Real LE work" (Switchback, we're on the same page, no worries!)

  DS has its hands in a few different cookie jars. We do protection, we serve abroad, and we conduct investigations. Because we're a relatively small outfit spread across the world, we find ourselves short-handed on a daily basis. That is good and bad at the same time. Bad because you can quickly get yanked off of an investigation so that you can go work some 6 hour protective detail. Good because you can quickly get yanked off of an investi.... you get the idea. The job is ALWAYS changing and we are usually asked to be flexible and serve as a jack of all trades (Master of none). If you love the investigations work, then pursue field office assignments. If it's protection, then volunteer for details and do an assignment on the Secretary's Detail. If it's serving abroad, then take an assignment overseas that others aren't jumping at... You can steer your career in a certain direction and be pretty successful at limiting the interruptions the further you get with DS.

• Differences between DS and other FLE jobs

  DS is small and we travel a lot. If you aren't excited about all 3 of our main missions (Investigations, protection, working abroad), then I wouldn't even think about applying.

I lost my train of thought a number of times during this, so please bear with me for the stream of consciousness writing.

Let me know if you have any questions... I'll be sure to ask someone else that knows the answers :D...