How to Become an FBI Missing Persons Agent
Missing persons agent is not a job title at the FBI. Some FBI special agents, however, do handle these cases, especially those involving missing or abducted children, through the bureau's Criminal Investigative Division. The FBI's Crimes Against Children program deploys Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams to assist state and local law enforcement authorities. The teams consist of agents from the Crimes Against Children program who have extensive experience in abduction cases.
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Instructions
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Becoming an FBI Agent
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Learn about the qualifications for becoming an FBI special agent. Go to FBI.gov for more information. To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen, between 23 and 37 years of age, and have at least a four-year degree from an accredited college or university. Although the FBI does not require background in specific areas, degrees in law or accounting traditionally have been favored fields. A degree in any area that develops analytical and writing skills also could be appropriate for a prospective FBI agent. Law enforcement experience is a definite plus, especially for someone interested in missing persons work. Local and state law enforcement agencies are often the first contacted in missing persons or abduction cases.
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Complete the bureau's online application. You can apply only through the FBI's field office that covers your home or place of education or employment. If the FBI considers you a competitive candidate, it will schedule you for testing, which occurs in two phases. The first phase is a battery of written tests. If you pass that phase, you go to the next phase, which consists of another written test and an interview by a panel of special agents.
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Pass both phases of testing and you are eligible for the next stage in the process: the conditional appointment letter. If the bureau decides you are a qualified candidate, you will receive the letter, which makes a conditional job offer and schedules you for the next steps of the process. These steps are the physical fitness test, an extensive background check and a thorough medical examination. Pass all phases of the application process, you will be scheduled for an agent class at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Special agent trainees undergo 21 weeks of training at the academy.
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You must complete all required training at the FBI Academy to graduate and be sworn in as a special agent. After graduation, you will receive your first assignment. This will be to one of the bureau's 56 field offices, located across the United States. You will be given a chance to rank your preferred locations and areas of interest, such as missing persons or child abduction. The FBI has 10 CARD teams nationwide, with two teams each in the Northeastern, Southeastern, North Central, South Central, and Western United States.
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Tips & Warnings
Although you can rank your preferred assignments, remember that the FBI's staffing needs take priority and assignments are subject to the bureau's needs.
The FBI application and screening process for special agents is extremely competitive; only a fraction of applicants become agents.
