CIA Cover Letter Sample & Writing Tips

Text Format

[Today’s Date]

Jennifer Ewbank
Head of the Directorate of Digital Innovation
Central Intelligence Agency
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C. 20505

Dear Director Ewbank,

As a small child living in Manhattan during September 11th, 2001, I grew up surrounded by countless people devastated by the attacks on our nation. My close childhood friend lost her father that day. Consequently, I’ve always identified closely with the CIA’s mission to prevent national security threats. Having channeled my computer science skills towards protecting information and people over the course of my career, working for the CIA would allow me to take my 7+ years of cybersecurity expertise to a global level.

I’m writing to apply for both the positions of Cyber Operations Officer and Cyber Threat Analyst. First, the Cyber Operations Officer position would allow me to scale up my current work to positively impact more Americans. In my current role as Director of Cybersecurity at XYZ Banking, I manage both long-term cybersecurity measures and more acute tasks — such as running our Computer Incident Response Team. In this role, I have experience managing a cross-functional team of hardware engineers, behaviorists, and defensive security experts.

Alternatively, I see the Cyber Threat Analyst position as a growth opportunity to deeply research all areas of cybersecurity. The extensive writing experience I’ve refined at XYZ Banking — through the writing of training materials, department risk assessments, and state-of-security reports — will allow me to be successful in the Cyber Threat Analyst role.

Having minored in International Studies at University of Pennsylvania, I bring an understanding of international affairs along with my cybersecurity expertise. Additionally, as a member of the 1st place team in the Google CTF 2019, I’m adept at collaborating on a team and problem-solving in high-pressure situations. Having attended 14 international conferences as well as continuing to attend monthly workshops on topics from systems evaluations to digital forensics and data recovery, I continually update my cybersecurity knowledge. Therefore, my unique mix of international affairs and cybersecurity experience, strong motivation to learn, and leadership abilities make me well-suited to uphold the CIA’s mission to keep our country safe. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Robin McKay

How to write a CIA cover letter

Learning how to put together a cover letter for the specific job(s) you want will help you land more interviews.

The Central Intelligence Agency offers many different job opportunities: from barbers to intelligence analysts to clandestine operatives. While the exact statistics aren’t made public, there can be thousands of applicants for hundreds of positions, making the CIA recruitment process incredibly competitive.

Additionally, because the CIA’s work directly impacts the security of the nation, the application process is long and intensive to ensure they hire the right people. This application process typically consists of:

An online application
Testing (intelligence tests, personality assessments) and interviews
Full background investigation (SF-86)
Polygraph interview
Medical, psychological, and security evaluations

Follow our three tips to write a CIA cover letter that will get your application to the next step in the hiring process:

1. Follow the CIA cover letter directions carefully

While LinkedIn and other sites have CIA job postings and application tips, the best place to find job openings is the official CIA website. You’ll also have to apply through their career portal once you’re ready to submit your application.

Given that the application process can take an average of one year, the CIA recommends you apply for multiple jobs at once (up to four). However, you’re only allowed one cover letter for all positions.

Rather than writing a generic cover letter, specifically address each position. Following the below CIA cover letter prompt will help you to do this:

CIA Cover Letter Prompt

Using our webform, provide a one-paragraph response to each of the following questions focusing on each item that pertains to you and the specific jobs to which you are applying.

1. Describe why you want to work for the CIA and specifically address each of the jobs to which you are applying.

Start with broad strokes: why do you want to work for the CIA as an institution? Show how your life’s personal mission relates to their mission. While you may want to get more personal to explain your motivations for working at the CIA, keep it professional.

Next, address why you want each position by incorporating specific information from the job descriptions.

Then, use the middle of your CIA cover letter to address the second part of the CIA prompt:

2. Describe what differentiates you from other applicants and how your background makes you a qualified candidate.

Note that many of the other candidates will have similar qualifications to you (e.g. degrees or GPA earned). While you still need to explicitly state these qualifications, use your unique experience or accomplishments (e.g. awards won or specific topic researched during your advanced degree) to differentiate yourself.

2. Be succinct

While there are no character limits for a CIA cover letter, try to stick to the “one paragraph per question” guideline.

To keep your answers short while addressing each job, try to find and emphasize the hard and soft skills that all the jobs you’re applying for share. Addressing every job in your letter will likely be easier if you apply for roles within the same directorate, although this isn’t required.

No matter the job, be sure to highlight these key soft skills that will help you land work in the CIA:

Communication
Teamwork
Leadership

However, don’t worry about fitting every little detail into your cover letter.

Some information may fit elsewhere in your application, like in your well-written resume. Depending on the particular roles you’re applying for, you’ll also need to submit supplemental documents (e.g. Writing Sample – Analytic, Qualifications Supplement).

3. Explain how you identify with the CIA’s mission

The CIA’s mission to uphold the security of the United States using intelligence collection is central to everything that they do. Consequently, working for the CIA is often called “a lifestyle” and “a career” rather than a job.

Your cover letter must emphasize how the CIA’s mission and vision are important to you. As these values will be tested throughout the application process and — if you’re hired — throughout your tenure as a CIA officer, your reasons for joining the CIA can’t be superficial.

To demonstrate how you identify with the CIA’s mission, you may want to discuss:

How an international or national security incident impacted you
Your previous service, such as working in a federal position or serving in the armed forces
What intrigued you about participating in a CIA student program
How living as a naturalized US citizen, child of new immigrants, or as a US expat abroad has affirmed your identity and values as an American while giving you international experience (especially as the Agency strives for increasing diversity in its workforce)