F.B.I.: Looking for a Few Good Agents

Law enforcement is a hard career path to follow, yet it has been the one Thomas Carey has been following even before graduating from Bates. From the smaller responsibilities of walking the beat in Lewiston to supervising all the FBI Agents of western Massachusetts, Carey has advanced far in the field. Currently, Carey is the Supervisory Special Agent for Financial Institution Fraud (FIF) investigations in the FBI office of Boston, which mostly is concerned with bank fraud.

Before the FBI, Carey joined the Lewiston police in 1972 while still a college student. "Professor Sylvester was a member of the City of Lewiston's Police Commission," remembers Carey, "and the PD needed five student volunteers as summer vacation replacements." After working a good ten years with the Lewiston police, Carey decided he wanted to see what else was out there in the field, and he applied to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "The quality...[and] the uniqueness of the work led me to the FBI," he explains.

After being sworn in as a Special Agent, Carey's first position was on the Auto Theft Task Force in Boston. Since then, Carey has worked on various investigations including kidnapping and bank robberies in North Dakota; counterintelligence in Washington, D.C.; and terrorist incidents such as Pan Am 103 and the Lebanese hostage situation. Likewise, he has instructed at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia and has and supervised organized and violent crime investigations in Massachusetts. "My assignments in the FBI have been quite varied," admits Carey. "[I've] been promoted and received different assignments based on the needs of the FBI."

"To some people," Carey states, "having to move away from family and friends, the travel, [and] the hours can be tough." While all this is true, getting into the FBI itself is no easy task. Like the military, candidates must pass certain physical and physical fitness tests, background checks, and then be selected out of a pool of applicants. Once accepted, recruits spend 16 intensive weeks at the FBI Academy, training in firearms, self-defense, and academics. For Carey, it was all worthwhile. "[It's a] fascinating job, presenting tremendous opportunities for fulfillment and helping your country with something that matters."

Carey recommends getting a little background experience before applying to the FBI. "The reality is," he advises, "that over and above three years of work experience, an advanced degree is essential, although not mandatory." He states, "without it, an applicant won't be competitive." The FBI offers an Honors Internship program, which selects 100 students nationally each year for summer positions. Carey recommends Law Enforcement Magazine  put out by the FBI, and the FBI's web page at http://www.fbi.gov for more information on available jobs. "It is a tough, long road to becoming an FBI Agent," says Carey. The bureau receives over 75,000 applications for only several hundred available positions. "Don't get discouraged, but by the same token, plan for your life in case you don't get the chance."