Video Gallery

Hi there. I’m Lily, and I’m a chemistry graduate at MI5’s Technology Graduate Development Programme, or TGDP. Let me tell you – I never thought that I could do something like this. But while at uni, I realised I didn’t really want to have a chemistry-focused career. I started looking for jobs where I could use the core skills I picked up doing my degree, but in a totally different way.

Then I found MI5’s TGDP. And let me tell you literally, in the first two weeks, MI5 caught me up to scratch with everything. They’ve been so supportive, and I’m being taught some, literally incredible things. They even paid for me to get formal qualifications relevant to my new job role. And with so many different opportunities around, I really can’t picture myself getting bored here.

As for right now? Let’s just say I’m part of some vital projects that have real-world impact. I’m not just making money for some people I’ve never met before. I’m helping MI5 protect lives, while also getting to work on some pretty cool technology. It’s amazing.

Our auditors don’t just assess financial controls.

They assess covert surveillance, counter terrorism, agent running, international travel, emerging technologies and cyber threats.

The UK’s entire intelligence community.

So when you join us, you’ll have a huge scope and an even bigger impact.

It’s all yours to audit. 

Find out more about joining Internal Audit and Consultancy at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. Apply today.

VO: Authoritative woman in her 30’s. London accent.

Duration: 1 min 30 secs

This is Procurement. But not always as you know it. This is where you put your skills to the test. This is the core of our operations. From Thames House to Vauxhall to Cheltenham, and beyond. Here, what you’ll buy won’t always be ordinary. But even the ordinary could be used in a unique way. Across Technology, Estates, Supply Chain, specialist teams and more. You’ll give us the edge. New products. Unique requirements. It’s complex. It’s challenging. It’s flexible. It’s the tools we need to protect our nation from harm. Be smart. Be innovative. Influence and improve. This is where we work together to do something meaningful. This is where you take your career to the next level. This is the career package of a lifetime. Always with one mission at heart. To keep the country safe. This is Procurement at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.

Covert Technical Operations Specialist

Ever since secondary school, I've enjoyed tackling new technology projects in my spare time. So studying computer science at university was a no-brainer for me.

And my passion for digging deeper into technology and exploring the edge of what's possible were two of the reasons I wanted to join MI5.

I haven't been disappointed. Life as a Covert Technical Operations Specialist is fast-moving and exciting; the technology in incredibly advanced.

And it has to be. Historically, the agency intercepted physical documents. Now we're conducting operations to access the computers and devices used by terrorists planning attacks, and always within our legal remit.

I have to explore and explain the risks. The technology terrorists are using is constantly changing. From SMS just five years ago they are now using a range of platforms to communicate and share information. Some use sophisticated encryption, so we have to think differently.

It means there's a lot of variety - you genuinely don't know what you're going to be working on each day.

It can get quite intense and sometimes I need to work odd hours, but I love my job and I get great training, as well as a good work/life balance.

And I know that what I'm doing has a real impact on keeping the country safe from terrorists, spies and other groups who want to harm the nation.

Director of Protective Security 

Female Voiceover:
My career with the security service has been absolutely fascinating. I joined in the mid 80’s and started as an investigator in the counter espionage team. After four years or so, I moved onto counter terrorism, that post was really challenging and I worked on some major international investigations. 

Female Voiceover:
Soon afterwards, I got what I have to say was an unexpected promotion to middle management, and I started to deal with policy issues. I ran a training team and managed various project – one where I created a new training facility and another where I mapped it requirements for the services investigation work.

Female Voiceover:
In 2004 I was promoted to the senior management group and became programme director for a major IT change programme. I was in charge of teams containing anything from ten to a hundred people: these included technical specialists, contractors and other members of staff. I learned an awful lot about getting the best out of others and meeting tough goals. 

Female Voiceover:
I was appointed to the services management board in 2008 as director of HR and security. This was a really exciting time for me, because the service’s priorities included managing rapid growth and developing a new people strategy to ensure the organisation’s long term effectiveness. 

Female Voiceover:
I spent 2010 delivering a joint cost saving agenda for all three security and intelligence agencies: that's MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. And after that I took on my current role as the director of the centre for the protection of national infrastructure. Here i've been involved in a wide variety of work including countering cyber security threats, and preparations for the olympics.

Intelligence Analyst

Male Voiceover:
I joined MI5 as an intelligence analyst about 6 years ago. Before that, I worked in academia and briefly in market research in the private sector.

Male Voiceover:
The role is all about problem solving and quantitative analysis – it's not just about number crunching or reporting data. I know that my conclusions can have an impact on the safety and security of our country.

Male Voiceover:
Being an intelligence analyst means thinking creatively, identifying ways my analysis can add value to an investigation, and using my judgment to determine the best way forward.

Male Voiceover: 
When one of our intelligence officers comes to me with a problem, I sit down with them to help get to the bottom of what they want to know in the context of the investigation. Once i’ve established this, I can then analyse the data and make an assessment.

Male Voiceover:
I’ve worked on a diverse range of investigations and operations since i’ve been here, all with their own challenges. Sometimes we work to tight deadlines and under pressure, so I might have to turn around an assessment in a matter of minutes.  Other work might be more strategic and I might have a few weeks to work on a project or develop a new analysis tool. The variety is a genuine plus. 

Male Voiceover: 
It can be a fast pace environment, so it helps that everyone is very supportive – from my managers to my fellow analysts. We all have our own areas of expertise – but we’ll happily put what we’re doing to one side to help eachother out on higher priority investigations or operations. It's not really something i’ve experienced in other jobs, but it's one of the things I most like about working here.

Male Voiceover: 
I also like the satisfaction you get when you reach a turning point in an investigation and you know it's because of assessments and connections your team has made.
Recently I saw on tv that the police had made some arrests on a long running counter-terrorism investigation. It was great knowing i was involved, even though I couldn't share it with anyone outside the office.

Administrative Officers

Announcer:

A film showing a list of roles and tasks that an admin officer would perform to support counter-terrorism, HR and Finance, Operations and Data Analysis, Information Management and Communications and Legal.

Narrator:

Administrative assistants are at the very heart of MI5.

You'll support vital projects, and work across a range of exciting departments.

Day-to-day, you'll demonstrate and develop a range of administrative skills.

With excellent organisational skills, you'll be responsible for booking travel, ordering office essentials and managing information.

You could be organising critical meetings, so you'll become an essential point of contact.

And as a great communicator, you'll answer phone calls and respond to queries.

You could also be greeting both internal and external visitors, so it's really important you're discreet.

You'll need to be motivated, proactive and have an eye for detail.

It's an important job, but you can't take your work home with you.

And because we work flexibly, you'll have a good work-life balance.

You'll quickly settle into our supportive environment, and feel valued by everyone.

After all, you'll be at the heart of MI5.

Behind everything we do, there's you.

Who We Are

Announcer: 

A film containing footage of a police emergency, images of convicted terrorists, evidence gathering, a diverse group of graduates, and images of the UK and its people. Caution: flashing images.

Narrator:

So what is MI5 and what do we do?

We are the nation's Security Service.

Our mission is to keep the country safe.

Everything we do is to protect the public from harm.

It takes every sort of person with every sort of skill to deal with the difficult work we have to do.

That's why we need graduates from all kinds of backgrounds to join us.

Together we keep the country safe now and in the future.

This is why we exist.

This is who we are.

The Developed Vetting Process. Sometimes called DV.
It’s something we do together.

Everyone in the UK intelligence services goes through it.
It’s thorough and it takes some time.

Our job is to understand whether Britain’s secrets will be safe with you.
To do this, we need to build an open and honest relationship with you.
And really get to know you as a whole person.

We understand that everyone is different. Nobody’s story is the same.
It’s our different perspectives and lived experiences that make us a stronger team. But a big part of keeping you and our organisation safe, is identifying and managing any risks that could make our secrets vulnerable.

When it comes to your vetting interview, we’re professional, discreet and compassionate.
Because you deserve nothing less.

We’re looking to understand you and your story in your own words. Everything that makes you who you are today.

We’ll want to hear about your early years. To where you are now.

Your hobbies, your mental health and your relationships.

We’ll want to know where you have been on holiday. Whether you’ve used drugs or drink alcohol.
We’ll ask you about your friends, your family, your finances, and everything in between.

We understand that some of these topics may feel intrusive. And they may well make you feel uncomfortable.
We’re trained to have these conversations, and we’ll work hard to create a safe space for you to tell us what we need to know.

It isn’t like a standard job interview.
There are no right or wrong answers.

All you need to do is be honest and be yourself.

You can ask us any questions and learn more about the responsibilities that come with having a DV clearance. To make sure it’s the right fit for you.

We take data protection seriously. You can be confident that we will keep your vetting information safe and secure, and access will be restricted to only those who need to know.

If your clearance is granted, this will be the beginning of a constructive relationship with vetting.
We’ll keep working with you to manage your clearance.

To protect your secrets and ours. From whatever the future may bring.
MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.

Job title: Investigative Manager

London attack

“When I first heard about the Westminster Bridge attack, my first thought was what’s going on and whether I needed to make myself available. My team were among those sent to work on the investigation. We put the wheels in motion very quickly, pulling in the people needed, organising rotas and sorting out our personal lives so we could run the investigation 24/7. For me, I went home, fed the dogs, packed an overnight bag and came back to the office.”

Pure adrenaline

“In those first few days following the attack, our main priority was determining whether there was a chance of another attack happening quickly. So we had to gather intelligence and information as quickly as possible. You’re running on pure adrenaline, everyone is. A particularly critical time was the shift hand-over, combing over things in minute detail so nothing’s missed. The threat that something like this could happen is always there, and we’re always working against it, but the public don’t get to see what we do.”

Support

“Whatever your role across MI5, it’s never about personal recognition. It’s about feeling that sense of achievement when your team has helped to keep the country safe. Because you can’t shout about what you do, you find yourself turning to those around you. That’s why the people here really do become your support network. It’s this feeling of being in it together that’s so rewarding.”

Handling pressure

“When facing these kinds of situations, you’ve got to keep a cool head under pressure. It’s about being methodical, pragmatic and rational. Just getting on with the job at hand. While it does sound like a lot of pressure, the people around you get you through it. At the end of the day, this is your job – you know what you’re doing.”

Switching off

“Switching off is important and it’s the people around you that help with this. I’ve actually got my team down to the gym here before, doing a few circuits together to relieve stress and temporarily remove ourselves from the work. You also genuinely can’t take work home with you. Not even your notes. It means when you leave the office, your work stops too.”

Job title: Business Enabler

People First

“Personally, MI5 itself was the reason why I applied. I wanted to be part of an organisation that protects people, and looks after its own people incredibly well. So I knew that MI5 was for me. However, I wasn’t really interested in an investigative role so when I heard about this corporate role, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Now, I support the wider business and do something that really matters.”

Perfect Balance

“I knew that MI5 had a great reputation – I’d read about their awards for diversity and inclusion and the brilliant work-life balance because you can’t take work home with you. It was this combination that really appealed to me. One thing I was concerned about during the application process was what I could and couldn’t say to people. I remember ringing up the recruitment team to ask a question and wouldn’t even tell them my name! But there’s a whole team here dedicated to helping you with your ‘cover’.”

Tailor Made

“It was a little daunting at first not knowing exactly what I’d be doing on a day-to-day basis, but what’s great is having the freedom to make the role what you want it to be. I’m able to tailor it to my interests, and there’s scope to get involved with lots of different projects. I work with teams across MI5, so it’s a very outward-facing role with exposure to a huge variety of departments and people. I support them all in different ways – from making sure information is properly protected, to boosting efficiencies.”

Socialising

“Yes, the work we do is very serious. But we do have fun, and I enjoy socialising with everyone. There’s always someone to talk to, and always someone who’ll listen. People are approachable and open. You rely on one another, and form close friendships. I actually look forward to coming in every day.”

Open Doors

“It’s why I’m doing this role that motivates me. I get to see the impact I’m having, not just on my team, but across the whole organisation. You’re the cog that keeps everything moving. What keeps me here? The fact that there are so many doors open to me. If I want to try something new, I can. It means I don’t have to leave MI5 if I want to explore a different career path.”

Job title: Service Desk Team Leader

Unrivalled Development

“I used to work in logistics where - if you wanted any training - you had to pay for it yourself. But at MI5, you are given the chance to develop your skills in anything from IT and leadership, to technical training and investigative techniques. There’s also the opportunity to be sponsored for formal qualifications. You just can’t beat that.”

Surprisingly Normal

“Before I joined, I was really worried about the interview process. I honestly expected everyone to be really intimidating. But they quickly put me at ease, and I realised I didn’t need to be nervous. The people interviewing me were completely normal – just like everyone here.”

Appreciative

“You might earn more in the commercial world, but I found it unrewarding. You were seen as a support function. But IT is at the heart of MI5, and there is an understanding of how crucial our work is. There’s definitely a feeling of mutual respect.”

Motivated

“Our mission - keeping the country safe - gives you a purpose, a drive. It’s incredibly important. So everyone is very motivated - and they really care. Everything’s done to a really high standard because we’re all focused on the same goal.”

The Best Secret

“Apart from my partner and parents, no one knows what I do. When I go to a party and everyone’s talking about their work, I can’t say a word. At first, it took a bit of getting used to, but it’s surprising how quickly it becomes normal. I just remember it’s a vital part of the job. And inside, I’m incredibly proud to be keeping the country safe.”