Real stories: Q&A with our community

Whatever route brought them here – a graduate scheme, an internship, or a completely different career path – everyone at the UK Intelligence Agencies started somewhere. We chatted with a few of them to understand what it's really like to build a career at the agencies, and what they've learned along the way.

I’m Sam and I’m a Graduate Business Analyst in Tech and Product. I initially joined on a Summer Internship in 2022.

I’m Ali, a Business Enabler working in one of the HR teams at MI5.

I’m Charlie, a Graduate Data Engineer. I work on data pipelines and data standards, ensuring that we get the most from the data we have.

And I’m Taylor, a Maths and Cryptography Intern. I joined the Maths internship programme, then applied for a Maths role at GCHQ starting in 2023. I now do research into protocols.

Sam: The skills that helped me are being able to break down a problem into chunks to solve, communicating clearly, and working well with people from different disciplines.

Ali: When I first found out I’d be interviewing candidates, I was honestly a bit nervous as it was completely new to me. What helped was my open mindset and willingness to learn. The organisation’s comprehensive induction programme teaches you everything you need, no matter your starting point.

Charlie: To have success early on, I’d suggest being proactive with opportunities. If there’s an aspect of the organisation you’re interested in, just reach out. There are fantastic shadowing opportunities, you just have to ask. As a grad, I’ve had success arranging chats with teams I wanted to do placements with.

Taylor: I had a good amount of Python experience before starting which helped me feel more grounded, but don’t worry if you haven’t coded before, there’s plenty of support. I also introduced myself to lots of people early on, building a network has really helped my early career.

Sam: AI skills, without a doubt. Not getting it to do the work for me, but using it to understand problems better, help organise my life, give me advice, etc. I love the quote that says: “Your job won’t be taken by AI, just someone who can use AI better than you!"

Ali: Organisation, definitely. I didn’t realise how much time management would be involved. Now I start each day by creating a clear to-do list and ticking things off as I go. It helps me stay on track, especially when juggling interviews and project work.

Charlie: Communication is the skill I use most, though I wouldn't say that’s unexpected, as great communication is effectively the backbone of any role. So, I’d actually say my chess skills. My team have a chess board and there’s a game going on most days, I have taken part in a few and have definitely lost more than a few.

Taylor: Communicating and explaining ideas within my team and to other teams is a large part of the job. Also, it might sound silly, but I expected there to be lots of people smarter than me when I joined. But we’re all human, with strengths and weaknesses, and I feel supported whenever I feel imposter syndrome.

Sam: I’ve learnt to work smarter, not harder. More hours does not automatically mean better output. Setting clear limits and goals to work towards will help reduce time spent studying/working for its own sake. I’d also recommend getting the hardest work done at the earliest opportunity – you’ll thank yourself at deadline time.

Ali: I’ve grown in confidence and improved my communication skills. There’s also a strong focus on development, with access to an internal training academy offering a wide range of courses to help you progress and prepare for future roles.

Charlie: I’ve grown in my tech skills and as a person, through courses, hackathons, and trips. As a grad, 20% of our weekly hours can go towards personal learning, which includes personal passion projects. 

Taylor: I’ve become more outspoken and confident speaking up in meetings, sharing my thoughts and asking questions, which has helped me learn and grow.

Sam: The purpose behind everything we do, and the fact everyone shares it. I’ve stayed to finish out the grad scheme and I plan to stay on. Obviously, I wouldn’t want to leave guaranteed employment in the current market… but I’m staying mainly because of the purpose and culture. Oh, and I love the lunches as well!

Ali: What motivates me most is the mission. Even in a corporate role, everything supports MI5’s wider work. HR plays a key part in bringing in the next generation of intelligence professionals, which is really rewarding. The challenge is that there are lots of security procedures to follow, but there’s always guidance and support available.

Charlie: I’ve enjoyed making important decisions on the data and tasks I work on. I think it’s rare to have so much autonomy early in my career. Being solely responsible motivates me to do my best, which sometimes means problem-solving rabbit holes at 4.45pm on a Friday, but honestly, I love that part. The challenge is getting everything I want to do done around my schedule; meetings, grad talks, and trips take up more time than you expect.

Taylor: I love working with other people and helping them out. I think having hard-to-find bugs in my code is one of my least favourite parts of the job, but I’m grateful to have a supportive team who are always willing to give me ideas on how to troubleshoot.

Sam: That senior members working in tech would be all male! There are a lot, but there’s also some really inspiring women in senior roles too.

Ali: The collaboration! Across all three intelligence organisations, there’s a genuine belief we work better together. While we can’t talk about our work outside, inside it really does feel like a supportive community. You quickly build strong relationships, and there’s even dedicated wellbeing support available if you need it.

Charlie: I didn't expect everyone to be so open about what they do. If someone asks me about my work, I can talk freely and show them what I am doing. I was quite surprised by that, but I think once you are in the door people are very happy to share and chat.

Taylor: How much I’m learning all the time, and how encouraged that is. I enjoying trying new things even if it takes me longer than someone more experienced and my line management sets expectations well.

Sam: Take advantage of the opportunities offered by your university – work experience, trips, talks. If you’re proactive now, then you’ll have no problem getting stuck into work later. Engage with your university’s careers service, even after you’ve left. And say yes to as much as possible – if you don't have much else on your CV besides a degree, this is how you can stand out.

Ali: Start preparing for interviews early. Build a bank of examples you can adapt to different questions. Using a structure like STAR helps you give clear answers that are easier for assessors to follow and score.

Charlie: Start a project that forces you to learn something new (even if it’s something small) and be able to explain why – what you gain from it, what problem you’re solving, and what made you want to start. Doing this gives you a good base for answering any interview questions. 

Taylor: Think about why you want the job and be able to show your passion in your application. If you’re applying for a maths role, are there any extracurricular maths things at university that you can be doing to either help show your love for maths, or to show competency evidence?

Sam: Variety
Ali: Rewarding
Charlie: Invigorating
Taylor: Enriching