Ms spying career began in the second half of the 1960s when the Dutch security service, the BVD (Binnenlandse Veiligheidsdienst) the predecessor of the present-day AIVD (Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst) recruited him. Most creatives are allowed the liberty to wear what they want. When he became engaged to his future wife, M confided during an intimate dinner at a restaurant that he was working as an agent against the Stasi. It is also clear, however, that traumatic memories from that period continue to be a considerable burden to him. M felt used and alone when his career ended. From the perspective of the East Germans, M was indeed a traitor. Why the Stasi subjected M to such a harsh and intimidating interrogation has remained a puzzle. Then, during a subsequent meeting, Wolfgang said out of the blue: You dont like brown eyes, do you? M was shocked. It just hadn't come across my radar at all. I had interesting contacts. They have to operate every day so that people who dont have a car can get from A to B. Rather poor since you may have to sell products you dont believe in. Thus, if you want to make really good money, you should become a doctor or lawyer instead. I've realized that there are three main drawbacks to being a real estate agent in this day . It can be hard to receive recognition when the Account Manager, or the Executive Team, is taking credit for the sleepless nights that you sacrificed. The full names of Wolfgang and Heinz also appear in publications by the Stasi archives in Berlin, and a man said to be Koch even appears in a photograph in a book on the history of the Stasi. Think of creative things to be afraid of: hypochondria, Russians, vast government conspiracies. And many details in Ms story about the modus operandi of the three services he dealt with can be confirmed from other sources. CIA operations officers must also be able to obtain security clearances. Free weekends and holidays are quite common. Sure, not all insurance products make sense and whether one kind of insurance is suitable for you also depends on your individual circumstances. So a good operational officer will have six or seven, possibly more, covers and there are specialist departments within those intelligence services whose job it is to maintain those covers. Creative agencies allow you the luxury to bounce ideas off colleagues. M could easily make such trips behind the Iron Curtain without raising suspicions. Associate professor of international history, Utrecht University. In fact, there are hundreds if not thousands of insurance products you can sell in many different niches like car insurance, health insurance, life insurance and so on. Ms Dutch handlers correctly interpreted this approach as a recruiting attempt by the Stasi, and encouraged him to respond favourably. We see the varying degrees of gratitude and recognition that the Dutch security service, the CIA and the Stasi showed for Ms work, from personal attention and verbal expressions of gratitude to material gifts. As you can see, there are definitely many advantages of becoming an insurance agent. The United States has always maintained spies in one form or another and under one organization or another since the Revolutionary War. Keep insisting that as a foreigner you devoted yourself to the good cause, to socialism. The Career Bliss website says the average salary for CIA special agents is $61,000 annually. People all over the world are idolizing creative agencies. Insurance companies may also set pretty ambitious goals for you which you have to meet. His former CIA handler (who M managed to get back in touch with in recent years) advised him in an email: Let it go, man, let it go. But this was clearly to no avail. Now advances in technology mean maintaining people's covers has become a specialist area and it is a much more sophisticated operation. The agency life can be quite dynamic since you are facing a lot of different tasks every day. M told us he barely managed to control his emotions: I could no longer trust anyone I had to be constantly alert and wary To remain in this position over such a long period of time requires much stamina There is a line of appreciation, trust, but also of abandonment You are being used as a pawn by something amorphous, by an entity that you cannot enter. After they have taken you in, they examine you. While some agents possess certain skills and experiences that might not seem relatable to tactical situations, like being a certified public accountant or having law experience, all agents are armed and trained for tactical combat. By 1985, M was a seasoned double agent and seemingly getting on very well with his Stasi handlers, Wolfgang and Heinz. This is a disadvantage that doesn't affect everyone equally. There are six separate categories of CIA clandestine service officer in addition to field operations officers, and all work as covert or undercover operatives. Especially big insurance companies are more eager to employ people who hold a degree and if you want to maximize your chances to get a job in this field, you may have to spend many years in college and also have to spend lots of money on tuition and other expenses related to college education. Agencies pay creatives on average $40,000 to $60,000, which is more than most freelancers earn. Criminal investigator 4. In the US it is slightly different because they see themselves as semi-military and put themselves in danger in a way that British officers don't. But the episode planted a seed of doubt in Ms mind about whether the Stasi was on to him. If you're working CIA clandestine service overseas, for example, you'll receive housing as well as additional overseas service pay. Starting late doesnt mean you work less. Top sellers have been known to earn anywhere from $100,000 a year all the way up to $1 million. Not only will you be able to have regular workweeks as an insurance agent, but you will also have free weekends and holidays. He also communicated with them through dead drops (pre-arranged sites where both parties could leave messages, money or documentation) and written or oral messages. They prove that he had also been a Stasi agent. I was a double agent after all, I was also a traitor. Changes in the needs of the government can result in agents being transferred, and not always to a desirable location. Creative agencies are a part of a bigger community of advertising and communication professionals. As an insurance agent, you will also be able to work for many different insurance companies and can also sell many different products. The Pay Scale of a Veterans Service Officer. Decreased blog hits because no one knows what youre talking about. No, they will approach you You are appreciated for your efforts, but [these services] remain a dark cloud that you cannot enter. You have potential for great advancement. Quite often, you will sell insurance products to influential people who are in leading positions in their companies. Every creative is familiar with the nagging worries about a potential creative block. This lack of cooperation on the part of the AIVD intensified Ms feelings of bitterness. As an insurance agent, you will also have to work in a classical office job. Decent work-life balance for call center agents. Use Asana to define and schedule tasks, assign tasks to co-workers and check them when done. More is known, however, about the frequently tough conditions under which CIA spies must work. In other words, his interrogators seemed to lack proof. Opportunities are almost endless in this regard and this means that you will be free to specialize in the field you are interested in most. Instead, they have to work outdoors even during periods of rain and snow and this can be quite annoying. Many other people dont have this luxury and will have to work during the evenings. With these new resources, M managed to trace the full names of what he believes to be his handlers, Wolfgang Koch and Heinz Ntzelmann. The operation, codenamed RACKETEER by the CIA, used the Personality Assessment System designed by the agencys former star psychologist John Gittinger. The CIA warned its agents that too many informants were being killed or turned, the NYT reported. Intelligence collector 3. In most cases, a CIA field agent operating clandestinely is a spy and subject to detention,. And then suddenly, all this ended, and I was sitting at home. Realtors can work independently. M was forced to undergo a degrading and extremely painful cavity inspection, before being taken still naked to an interrogation room. (Source: PayScale). While popular media tends to portray CIA spies living a glamorous life, the job is always potentially dangerous and frequently arduous. All that has changed since the 1990s. Not only can this be quite interesting, but it also gives you the opportunity to really develop your people skills and to get to know how the human psyche really works. While some clients are nice, others can really annoy you and you may have to stay polite even though those people might not deserve it. CIA operations officers, though, serve on the front lines of what the CIA blandly calls "human intelligence collection." Without a doubt, it was also his bitter feelings that made him eager to share his fascinating life story with us. In the end, you need to decide if the huge learn effects are worth less leisure time and more night shifts. His two long-time Stasi handlers were known to him as Wolfgang and Heinz. If this trend continues, you may suffer from pretty poor job prospects and may become unemployed soon. I didn't even know the difference between MI5 or MI6. Working at an advertising agency also presents risks that you should take into consideration before making your decision. According to M, only treason within the CIA could explain it that a mole within the American intelligence service had betrayed him as a double agent to the Soviet KGB. Consequently, if you are a family guy but still want to start a serious business career, working in the insurance sector can be a great way to go for you. Also make sure to check out the following articles: Advantages and disadvantages of working as a politician, Advantages and disadvantages of working as an air traffic controller, Advantages and disadvantages of working as a painter, https://www.statista.com/statistics/194232/number-of-us-insurance-brokers-and-service-employees/, https://www.statista.com/statistics/422878/annual-median-salary-financial-insurance-real-estate-united-kingdom-uk/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_insurance_agent. The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Even though the medal from the chief of the HVA flattered my ego, it also contributed to mixed feelings. Its important to underline just how rare it is for a former secret service agent to open up and talk on the record about their experiences. Contract - they can be entitled to compensation on termination of the contract even if they breached the agreement. I was recruited by the secret service during the cold war. To get more content and advice like this direct to your inbox, sign up for our weekly update and careers ebook. There are still some issues with a career in the insurance sector which I want to show you in the following chapter. He holds a master's degree in management and a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies. In turn, you may not be happy with your work at all since you know that you consult people in a misleading way instead of offering the products that would really fit best for their individual circumstances. CIA agents operating in Afghanistan have reported working in mountainous environments in all weather and among people ready to turn them in for the right price. How China combined authoritarianism with capitalism to create a new communism, What my 20 years in Afghanistan taught me about the Taliban and how the west consistently underestimates them, Embracing uncertainty: what Kenyan herders can teach us about living in a volatile world. This can be problematic, especially if you just dont look trustworthy at all and are just not born with a sympathetic aura. Operations officer 2. We at Filestage are looking forward to your comments. But it is emotionally crushing for officers in the secret services and you can never really share that guilt with anybody. You are ordered to undress completely. In turn, if you have contact with those people, you may be able to switch fields in case you are no longer interested in working as an insurance agent. CIA field agents are federal government employees and earn pay and benefits commensurate with their positions. Despite perceptions, working for the secret service is not a very dangerous job. All body openings are being inspected rather roughly. In the end, however, he told us about it in great detail something he had never done before, not even to his wife of many years. At a meeting in East Berlin shortly after his marriage, Wolfgang and Heinz asked M if he would appreciate a Frauenbesuch (a female visitor) on a particular evening. A new book written by . The lobby of the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Yet M said he felt strangely reassured because these accusations were not specific they were meant to provoke him. By then, he had already become familiarised with the practice of espionage, including its basic techniques, during his military service. To hear about new Insights articles, join the hundreds of thousands of people who value The Conversations evidence-based news. A strange detail is that Wolf apparently put strawberry jam in his tea. There are a bunch of great marketing agency tools out there that help you to handle several creative projects simultaneously. What other pros and cons do you see? People talk to each other on a regular basis and if someone tells his or her friends about your mistakes, those people will be less eager to buy insurance products from you. It was very much like a [John] le Carr novel. At an agency, all of that is taken care of for you. In turn, this means that train drivers will also have to work during those hours and so do many other people. Knowing someone else was imprisoned, tortured or killed because you didn't do your job properly is a terrible burden. The Federal Bureau of Investigation: New Agent Training. If you are eager to learn, an advertising agency is the perfect place for you. This treatment is still ongoing. Decent since you will enjoy free weekends and holidays and will not have to work many extra hours. After seeing the evidence he provided to us, we believe his account of working against the Stasi is credible. The case of M is illuminating because it allows for comparisons between the behaviour of three different secret services towards the same agent. If you go to the secret service website, which is the starting point for anybody thinking of joining, you will see they ask for proven experience in another field. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. M has fond memories of the time he spent with his two Stasi companions, who addressed him with the informal du [you] in German: They were good at giving presents. All this time he would have to pay attention to every detail, however small, and make sure that he didnt betray himself as a double agent by a careless remark or gesture. This desire can be explained by the often-hostile environment an agent operates in, which involves distrust, fear, danger and social isolation. A CIA spy must be skilled at combining what the agency calls "people and street smarts" to not only cultivate sources but also avoid capture. Realtors may be able to make good off-market deals. If you are really good at what you are doing, you will also be able to climb the corporate ladder pretty soon. Kiplinger: Should You Work for Uncle Sam? Roles that require regular training can negatively affect your family life, particularly if you're gone for long periods of time or have to leave on short notice. CIA clandestine service officers serve globally, both in the so-called war against terrorism as well as in nations unfriendly to the U.S. [The separation from my handlers] was really a turning point. Potential approaches of KGB officers were preceded by psychological assessments that could estimate their willingness to collaborate. Either way, the interrogation ended suddenly and bizarrely. Especially on days where you will not have client meetings, there will often not be the need to commute to the office. He also spent seven years as an airline operations manager. While it can be lonely, you arent always in danger and a lot of the work is mundane former intelligence officer, Harry Ferguson, on a career in the secret service. I can forget people's names two minutes after being introduced to them, but I retain a lot of seemingly unimportant details which can be terribly important when dealing with a mass of paperwork on your desk or when you are out in the field trying to remember what your brief was. In fact, good insurance products are crucial so that people are covered in case of emergency. To sleep in and to start late is possible in most agencies. In fact, most insurance agents are not independent and will have to sell the products that are most lucrative for the companies they work for. I think the HVA wanted to find out: How far will this agent go? It concerned his transfer to the CIA in 1981. Insurance agents have a low social status, Insurance agents can help their loved ones, You will not get rich as an insurance agent. You can avoid working at nighttime. Since you will be able to make decent money as an insurance agent, you will also be able to save and invest some money and this may protect you from old-age poverty and the related unpleasant consequences. In fact, you will have a huge advantage in the job market if you have good contacts to people who work in many different companies since they can tell you when positions are going to be vacated and you can therefore apply before other people do and will have much better chances to get the job. Many jobs in the FBI require mandatory travel. Sometimes it gets to the point where creatives are working nights to try and meet tight deadlines. I have to assume you mean is there a Disadvantage to being an Military Intelligence Servicemember as opposed to being in the Intelligence business as a civilian. Here's a list of 10 jobs that are similar to CIA agents: 1. We shook hands, M told us. Indeed, she told us she could see for herself how M was always completely exhausted when he came back home from these meetings, having spent several days in the company of Wolfgang and Heinz. This puts a lot of pressure on a creative. Control - it can be difficult to control the agent's activities and to make sure they continually work hard on your behalf. Chances are that you will get much more responsibility soon and this will often also translate into a higher salary. The existing literature on intelligence history allows us to confirm parts of Ms story or assess the likelihood of certain episodes by comparing them with other known cases. Real estate agents can set their own schedules. When you start off as a young recruit, you think, 'Fine, that suits me.' You have the potential to earn good money as an insurance agent. Andreas Vogel / Alamy Stock Photo. You will not need to rely on other insurance agents that may try to sell you shady insurance products. Agents working for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, for example, make $151,000 annually. In this article we at Filestage are going to discuss the pros and cons of working as a creative at an advertising agency. Because of their undercover nature, CIA clandestine service officers receive little public recognition for their sometimes heroic service. I believe the process of earning the CIA is relatively easy for these reasons: 1. Job Satisfaction. Good work-life balance. The requirements for special agents are considerably more stringent. You can see nice flats and houses during work. Creative agencies offer relatively safe jobs. Little Public Recognition CIA clandestine service. The mock arrest and meeting with Wolf were unsettling for M, as he often said during our interviews. Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo / Alamy Stock Photo, in an episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship, Associate Lecturer, Creative Writing and Literature. Easy to find - agents are easier to recruit than experienced sales executives with specialist knowledge. Later, in West Germany, through a stranger who approached M in the street, Herr Gerber sent him his regards and asked for a meeting in East Berlin. There will be a certain level of stress and pressure to sell that comes with the job. In some ways, this is the most brute force act of cyberaggression out there: you're not altering. This is not how they should treat people that have worked for them for so many years. However, if you have good people skills and your clients will trust you blindly, you will have good chances to succeed as an insurance agent and can make much more than people working in a fast food restaurant and many other people out there. His obsessive interest in spies, agents and treason is striking. As a young man during the Nazi period, Wolf had lived in exile in Russia, where this is a common habit. You will not have to work on weekends or holidays. ], they snap. Ms story is convincing, even though not all details can be verified, as is often the case in intelligence history. Keeping together such a large and complex system requires an equally complex set of rules, regulations and red tape. Working on commission, they earn part of a property's sale price. Earn Good Money. Feeling discouraged? He currently owns and operates a vending business. Can invent something cool, have a legacy. In most cases, a CIA field agent operating clandestinely is a spy and subject to detention, arrest and even harsh punishment when captured by an unfriendly nation. You do not have any colleagues in espionage, he said. We visited nightclubs or a museum in Leipzig, we went for rides In Budapest we went to those hot baths on [Margaret Island].. In early 1985, it appeared that the Stasi may have uncovered his deception and his true loyalty to the west. The day has clearly left a deep impression on him: I was mentally put off-balance, I couldnt wrap my mind around it. Benefits for CIA field agents include paid time off and federal health and life insurance as well as pensions. That could estimate their willingness to collaborate a young man during the cold War headquarters in Langley Virginia! Agents working for the secret service during the Nazi period, Wolf had lived in exile in,. Who dont have a car can get from a to B clandestine service officers little. 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Was indeed a traitor star psychologist John Gittinger to mixed feelings services dealt! Also have to sell that comes with the practice of espionage, he said need to rely on other agents! Able to work on weekends or holidays was forced to undergo a and... Nature, CIA clandestine service officers receive little public recognition for their sometimes heroic.! Contributed to mixed feelings not need to rely on other insurance agents too.

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