How Do You Become An FBI Profiler?
When you teach forensic psychology, the question students ask the most is how do I become a profiler? This question also appears on the frequently asked questions section of the FBI website. Given the popularity of the CBS drama criminal minds, the profiler question is going to be asked more than ever. The aim of this how-to page, therefore, is to explore whether becoming a criminal profiler is a realistic career aspiration. • Know that the FBI doesn’t actually have employees with the job title profiler. Special agents at the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) at Quantico, Virginia do, however, construct profiles of unknown offenders. They also provide case management advice, threat assessments and interviewing strategies to law enforcement agencies both home and abroad. • Pay your dues. You cannot simply apply to the FBI and immediately become a NCAVC agent. A basic requirement is three years service as a FBI special agent. However, such is the competition for p
• Know that the FBI doesn’t actually have employees with the job title profiler. Special agents at the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) at Quantico, Virginia do, however, construct profiles of unknown offenders. They also provide case management advice, threat assessments and interviewing strategies to law enforcement agencies both home and abroad. • Pay your dues. You cannot simply apply to the FBI and immediately become a NCAVC agent. A basic requirement is three years service as a FBI special agent. However, such is the competition for places, successful candidates tend to have up to 10 years of service behind them along with experience investigating violent and sexual crimes and abductions. • Get your education. An advanced degree in a Behavioral or Forensic Science is often listed as preferred qualification. • Find alternate paths. It is possible to work at the NCAVC without being a special agent. These professional support positions include Intelligence R
