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Topic summary

Posted by 9yards
 - Feb 03, 2009, 07:58 PM
Receiving treatment for a diagnosed condition should not have any impact on your application with NSA or CIA.  If anything, it shows that you are proactive in identifying and addressing medical conditions, something too many Americans ignore.  The bigger question is whether someone whose brain chemistry places them under clinical levels of depressive stress would enjoy a job in either of these agencies.  Similar to law enforcement, jobs in the intelligence community are psychologically punishing.  What does your therapist think?  If your therapist encourages you to go for it, then by all means go for it.  That's the sort of insight therapists get paid to know, right?
Posted by poly
 - Jan 18, 2009, 08:35 PM
Does anyone know what are the chances for someone to get the job at the CIA after they have received their COE and done the poly, med., background check, etc.?

Thanks
Posted by Orlando
 - Jul 23, 2005, 01:58 AM
jennewilloughby,

So you passed the poly with CMs? Was it difficult? I will be taking the lifestyle poly in the future and still deciding whether or not to use CMs. Did you have any problems? Did you follow it the TLBTLDT?SOme of my friends who took and were sucessfull told me not to even try and beat it. I hear so many conflicting stories. Would be great to here from you since you were sucessful; that is, as much as you can so you don't give away who you are. Thanks!    
 
 
Posted by NSAreject
 - May 18, 2005, 07:21 PM
jenne,

  I would certainly give the CIA a try, and maybe the
NSA.  I am sure the CIA has the same depression
related issues with its employees (alcohol has always
been a problem).   Just be aware, that a denial by either
agency, could affect your chances at the other agency.
Posted by jennewilloughby
 - May 18, 2005, 04:03 PM
Thanks for responding- and don't worry it isn't my real name :)
So this whole CIA thing is for clandestine service, not IA . . . do you still think they will be cool about depression in the past? and meds?  No one seems to tell me what the "physical" requirements are . . .
Any ideas?
Posted by opp
 - May 18, 2005, 01:59 AM
I also had an interview, the interviewer was very nice but it doesn't mean that the polygrapher will be. Hang in there and don't quit your job until you have been hired. Before the interview, there was a security brief and the person said that we should not try to beat the poly by using CM because they will detect it. Good luck!
Posted by NSAreject
 - May 17, 2005, 08:31 PM
Jenne,

  Yes, I had a similar situation, being an ex-NSA
employee, and suffering from depression (and related
issues), after losing my Mother.  NSA put me into
adjudication limbo, as one adjudicator said that I still
had issues (which wasn't true).  I "passed" my CI poly
(big joke), and got cleared through the CIA very
quickly.  My feeling is, and what I have heard, is that
the CIA is more forgiving (reasonable).  The DoD
would certainly clear you, since you sought help and are
taking medication.  They would see it as a positive
step in your life, while NSA would probably see it, as
a "red flag".  Also, since NSA seems to attract people
with disfunctional backgrounds (not meaning you),
depression is rampant; it is said that NSA keeps the
drug companies in business  :)  I remember one mass
email (which I couldn't believe), stating that some
woman was suffering from major-depression, without
psychotic single-episode, and was asking for leave
donations, because she had been on sick leave for six
months and had used up her sick leave bank donations.

P.S. I hope you didn't use your real name...
Posted by polypasser1231
 - May 17, 2005, 07:52 PM
Yes, I was invited to one of the CIA's information sessions for invitees only. They gave use a briefing about the agency, then went through a security briefing (detailing what was part of the background investigation). They then split us up into career fields and conducted individual interviews. In my case, they told each one of us that we were not competing against each other, that they had an opening for all of us. About three weeks after the interview, I received a Fed-Ex'd package containing a Conditional Offer of Employment and all of the security paperwork to complete. They then will schedule you for a poly, psych/med eval, etc.

And everything you get from them will be marked in a "discrete" manner, so as not to tip off the mail-carrier. :)

Hope this helps.
Posted by jennewilloughby
 - May 17, 2005, 07:42 PM
Alright- I have a few questions.  I am very under way with NSA processing, having successfully completed the polygraph, etc (thank you antipolygraph.org!  i couldn't have done it without you!  not that i lied exactly, but ot was easy they immediately thought i was a "Screamer" i think she might have even used that word, talked about how my parents had brought me up right to know that lying was bad, etc.), I am waiting on the psych eval results.  I was also just invited to a CIA "information session" to be followed by an interview- this is after a phone interview and a written application full of essays/short answers, etc.  Has anyone been to one of these invitees-only information sessions?  What is it like?
Also, while I am not currently suffering from depression, I have in the past and am still on medications.  i also was hospitalized a number of years ago for depression.  NSA has been doing significant investigations, gathering all records, etc., but I am worried that they will write me off . . . in which case, should I bother with the CIA?  Has anyone with a history of mental illness made it into one of these agencies?
Thanks-