Spy Games

Everybody who has been near a television, billboard or pretty much any reflective surface in the past few months, will likely have seen plenty of publicity for the latest big-budget James Bond film. And if you’re anything like me you’ve probably always quite fancied the life of the international super spy. Fast cars, faster women, travel, adventure and excitement. What’s not to like? Unfortunately for a whole generation of men and boys, getting into MI6 or the CIA was a little more complicated than simply filling in an application form. The general rule was the job chose you. On the recommendation of a mentor or superior you would receive a tap on the shoulder and be invited to try out. For me and countless others, that shoulder tap never came.

Nolan fancies the life of the international super spy

“Just like many other recruiters, covert agencies are turning to the internet to bring in fresh blood”
-Leonard Nolan

But as the war for talent rages on, even the covert agencies have to change tack. Just like many other recruiters they are turning to the internet to bring in fresh blood. Both the CIA and MI6 are now actively inviting applications through their websites and using interactive tools to help potential applicants test their suitability. So, despite the sneaking suspicion that the 007 movies are not an entirely accurate depiction of life as a spy, I decided to give them a go. Who knows, maybe I’d find I was suited to being a covert operative after all?

I started with the CIA. Firing up the Agency’s online personality quiz I was presented with a slightly underwhelming series of screens, each disappointingly dispelling a popular misconception about working for the Service. It looks like I won’t be getting that car with mounted machine guns after all. Along with the fantasy-puncturing facts, users are posed a number of questions. Asked to choose my favorite form of transport from a list that ranged from horse and buggy to an amphibious sports car, I naturally opted for the latter. Old dreams die hard. Following queries require you to select a preferred super power, pick a perfect holiday and describe how you think other people see you. Upon completion I was informed that my personality type was ‘curious adventurer.’ While that sounds like someone more suited to working on a children’s TV show than at the sharp end of intelligence gathering, I was nonetheless informed that the CIA has room for all types and directed to the careers page.

Moving across the Atlantic to see how I would fare On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the initial signs were far more encouraging. A buff colored folder on a digital representation of a desk contained my cover story. I had two minutes to familiarize myself with this before being asked a number of tough questions related to its contents. Interestingly, the questions weren’t just a straight test of memory, but required a little lateral thinking. For example, the cover story told me that I was a vegetarian while a question instructed me to pick a favorite meal from a list that included only one meat free option. The whole quiz was excellently presented and thoroughly immersive, momentarily convincing me that I was deep undercover, rather than sat at my desk with my morning coffee

Though both of these online tests are only intended as a bit of fun, they offer a great example of how interactive technology can be used to engage and attract potential employees. It’s not hard to see such tests being tailored to any number of professions. But most exciting for me was that I scored an impressive eight out of eight on the MI6 test. Perhaps if I wasn’t so long in the tooth and soft in the midriff, I might have had a chance in espionage.