Intel recruitment

French spy agency tells graduates they’re not cut out for espionage

French intelligence chiefs were delighted when 400 candidates responded to a recruitment campaign to find a new generation of spies this year.

The mood turned to dismay, however, when examiners read candidates’ answers to what were considered simple questions. The supposedly high-flying graduates applying for the secret service jobs proved to be more like Inspector Clouseau than James Bond.

Their grasp of geopolitics was as limited as their knowledge of espionage, according to a report published on the website of the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure, or DGSE. Even their spelling was awry, the report noted, adding that only 12 of the 14 posts on offer had been filled, with the other two left vacant for want of suitable candidates.