Summer Diversity Internship – MI5, SIS, GCHQ London, England
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About the job
Job summary
About Us
GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 are the UK’s Intelligence Services. We work together to safeguard Britain’s people, interests and businesses from various threats at home, overseas and online, including cyber-attacks, espionage, terrorism, and organised crime. Through the ingenuity of our people, we gather secret intelligence and work closely with our partners in the UK and overseas to detect threats and work out ways to stop them.
GCHQ is the UK’s Intelligence and Cyber agency, keeping the UK digital homeland safe and prosperous. We focus on five main areas: Cyber Security, Counter Terrorism, Strategic Advantage, Serious and Organised Crime and Supporting Defence.
MI5 keeps the country safe from serious threats like terrorism and attempts by states to harm the UK, its people and way of life. We carry out investigations by obtaining, analysing and assessing intelligence, and then work with a range of partners, including MI6 and GCHQ to disrupt these threats.
MI6 also known as SIS works secretly around the world to make the UK a safer and more prosperous place. We do this by gathering intelligence and working with foreign partners to combat terrorism and the spread of weapons to help support global stability.
The Summer Intelligence Internship represents one of the many things that GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 are doing to increase diversity among our teams. Individuals from ethnic minority and socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds are currently under-represented in our teams, and we want to encourage people from these backgrounds, who might not necessarily see GCHQ, MI5 or MI6 as a potential employer, to join us for a 10 to 11-week Internship and see what life with us is really like.
Job description
Date of Internship:
GCHQ: 01 July 2024 to 06 September 2024 (10 weeks)
MI5/MI6: 17 June 2024 to 30 August 2024 (11 weeks)
Eligibility: For the 2023/2024 academic year, you’ll need to be in your penultimate or final year of university, from a Black, Asian or ethnic minority background, and from a socially or economically disadvantaged background.
The Role:
As an intern at GCHQ, you will be working in one of our intelligence mission teams. Our Intelligence Data Analyst teams work in a rapidly changing technological environment, problem solving every day. We use bespoke technology, finding information from different places, including a high volume of data generated by many internet-connected devices. If you do have specialist skills such as cyber, data science, or coding experience, you may get the opportunity to use and develop these skills on the internship. However, these are not required and are not an essential part of the role.
On the MI5 internship you’ll be placed in one of our investigative teams where you will experience what life as an intelligence officer is like. You’ll work closely with your development partner and as part of the wider team, learning how live investigations are run. You will also spend time shadowing people in different roles and departments who are crucial to the intelligence officer role, gaining exposure to a variety of different areas across MI5.
At MI6, you will be working with a dedicated internship manager for the duration of the 11-week course to ensure you have a varied experience within one of our exciting mission teams during your internship. You will be introduced to all sorts of operations, whether that be from a data perspective, a requirements perspective, or others but more importantly you’ll see the human side of how we operate in all strands of our work. You will also be given the opportunity to see and experience our training via a short residential trip that makes up part of your course.
Whether you’re using technology at GCHQ to detect threats in the real world or online, supporting MI5 to protect the UK from threats to national security, or helping MI6 mitigate threats emanating from overseas, you’ll see how frontline operations are run.
Whichever agency you choose, you’ll piece together intelligence and identify possible threats. With training from the start and support from mentors, managers, and development partners, you’ll gain new skills and develop your abilities. And as part of a cohort of fellow interns, you’ll gain unique insights into the intelligence agencies – while sharing your own, because everyone's perspectives contribute to making our operations a success.
Person specification
About You
You’ll need to be in your penultimate or final year of university, from a Black, Asian or ethnic minority background, and from a socially or economically disadvantaged background.
If you’re eligible, you’ll need to choose the agency that’s right for you.
GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 all look for naturally inquisitive team players with real enthusiasm. At GCHQ you'll be a team player, enjoy making sense of complex information and doing challenging puzzles and work collaboratively to have a tangible impact on keeping the country safe. At MI5, you’ll need to be a problem solver who enjoys working collaboratively. Plus, you’ll have an appetite for learning and developing. MI6 are internationally focused, so you’ll have an interest in the world, different cultures, and want to know how people tick. Whichever agency you choose, you’ll share our values – integrity, respect, creativity, and the desire to have a positive impact on the UK.
Our operations are hugely varied, which is why increasing diversity in our agencies is needed more than ever before. Having a diverse workforce is vital to ensure we have diverse insights, innovative ideas and different skills to keep the country safe. We need a range of backgrounds and perspectives in order to be successful and to provide our teams with a safe space to learn and thrive. More importantly, a diverse organisation makes for an enjoyable, fulfilling working environment. And you could be exactly who we need to help us achieve our mission.
For more information on the internship eligibility criteria, please visit our Summer Intelligence Internship page.
Training and Development
No matter your experience or background, you’ll get lots of dedicated support when you join. With an induction and your own development partner, you’ll quickly get to grips with the role and have access to help and guidance whenever you need it. So, you won’t be on your own – you’ll be a part of a community dedicated to your development. You will get all the training you need to use our systems as well as on-the-job support to help you make a direct impact on national security. There will also be opportunity to learn about the breadth of our work with talks and visits from different teams across the organisation.
Benefits
Rewards and Benefits
The GCHQ internship will run from Monday 01 July 2024 through to Friday 06 September 2024 in Cheltenham and you’ll receive a salary of £4,165. The MI6 and MI5 internships will run from Monday 17 June 2024 through to Friday 30 August 2024 in London and you’ll receive a salary of £5,701.
- If needed accommodation will be provided for free for the duration of your internship in all locations, close to local amenities (this will be a single en-suite room in a flat with a fully equipped shared kitchen).
- Five days’ annual leave.
- Have access to organisation-wide events where you can learn and network with people from across the business.
- At GCHQ we’ll cover the costs of your travel expenses at the start and end of your internship.
Equal Opportunities
At MI5, MI6 and GCHQ diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website:
https://www.MI5.gov.uk/careers/diversity
https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/life-at-gchq/diversity-inclusion.html
https://www.MI6.gov.uk/explore-careers.html
We’re Disability Confident
We are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview where practicable; this is known as ‘Offer of an Interview’. To secure an interview for this vacancy, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:
For GCHQ
- Initial application form – You will be asked a series of questions relating to this vacancy. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be directed to the initial application form.
- Full application form – You will need to meet our technical aptitude criteria.
- Online exercise – You will be required to achieve the pass mark for this exercise.
For MI5/MI6
- Initial application form – You will be asked a series of questions relating to this vacancy. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be directed to the initial application form.
- Full application form – You will be required to pass an application form sift.
- Online exercise (SJT) – You will be required to reach the pass mark set.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
What to Expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
For GCHQ
- Initial application form – You’ll be asked to provide some basic personal details and answer eligibility questions.
- Full application form – You’ll be asked to provide your education details and work history and to answer some questions exploring your strengths and skills in relation to the internship including technical aptitude.
- Online exercise – You’ll be asked to complete an online exercise which will give you an insight into the type of work our Analysts do.
- Final interview – You’ll be asked questions about your motivation for applying for the internship as well as questions looking at your strengths and skills.
For MI5/MI6
- Initial application form - You’ll be asked to provide some basic personal details and answer eligibility questions.
- Full application form – You’ll be asked to provide your education details and work history and to answer some questions exploring your strengths and skills in relation to the internship.
- Situational Judgement Test – You will be required to reach the pass mark set.
On successful completion of these stages:
- Half Day Online Assessment Centre – this consists of an interview, a roleplay and a written report (MI5).
- Online Interviews and Roleplay (MI6).
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process in order to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final internship offer.
Before You Apply
To work at the agencies, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.
https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/how-to-apply.html
https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/applying-for-jobs
https://www.sis.gov.uk/apply-now.html
These roles require the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.
https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/how-to-apply.html
https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/applying-for-jobs
https://www.sis.gov.uk/apply-now.html
Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.
For MI5 and MI6 this role is based in Central London, for GCHQ the role is based in Cheltenham. If needed, accommodation will be provided for free for the duration of your internship in all locations, close to local amenities.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.
Right to Withdraw Statement:
Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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