Last month the Security and Intelligence Service said it was seeking ordinary people who are fluent in foreign languages, particularly Russian and Chinese.
More than 2,800 people have applied for employment at the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo), after the agency posted job announcements seeking individuals fluent in foreign languages to work as intelligence officers.
As the agency posted the job announcements and adverts in April, it said they were seeking ‘ordinary people’ to fill the positions.
The agency took a unique approach to the application process, asking people to send their applications by post. The aim was to avoid leaving the applicants’ digital footprints online, according to the security agency.
Applicants were also asked to include a USB memory stick containing video of themselves analysing their own behaviour in an unsuccessful social situation. One of the key characteristics of people being suitable for surveillance work is an ability to critically examine their own actions, according to the agency.
Supo’s intelligence chief Pekka Hiltunen said the agency had succeeded in reaching ordinary Finns who wouldn’t usually apply for intelligence jobs.
“We were pleased to discover that many of the Finns who expressed interest had backgrounds that are not usually seen in security agency recruitment,” Hiltunen wrote in an agency column on Monday.
Supo plans to continue processing the applications and accompanying videos, as the recruitment process is just beginning. Some applicants will be selected for further evaluation and training.
