Intel recruiting

CIA Recruiting Comes Out Into The Open

This is just one quirky example of the agency's new outreach to a broader base of potential recruits. For generations, the CIA recruited its workforce discreetly — by word of mouth, a tap on the shoulder, or through a friend of a friend.

But under Director Gina Haspel, the CIA is reaching out in very public ways it has never done before. The agency says it needs a wider range than ever of specialized skills — from linguists to scientists to cyber experts. It advertises positions on Twitter and Facebook. And it just joined Instagram.

In a recent speech at Auburn University, Haspel noted the change since she applied in the mid-1980s. "I wrote a letter to the CIA on my manual college typewriter. I mailed it to CIA with my résumé. I didn't have an address. So I just put, 'CIA. Washington, D.C.,' " said Haspel. "And here I am."