We interviewed M extensively between 2019 and 2021 about his career as a spy during the cold war. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. During the long days spent at the office, there is always room to have some fun. Family Life Many jobs in the FBI require mandatory travel. A career with the FBI can have a profound effect on family life. A lot of being a spy is terribly mundane. Throughout an investigation, FBI agents may interview victims, witnesses and suspects, work alongside other law enforcement officials, analyze documents and execute search warrants. From the perspective of the East Germans, M was indeed a traitor. Guerra is a former realtor, real-estate salesperson, associate broker and real-estate education instructor. In other words, his interrogators seemed to lack proof. Years later, when M got access to his BVD file, he found that at the time of his marriage, the service decided M would not be given a special present as he had been declaring too many expenses. Possible income is a major consideration when choosing any career path. Another advantage of being an insurance agent is that you also dont have to work at nighttime. For decades in fact, CIA field agents have operated unseen and unknown in parts of the world antagonistic to the U.S. Vital to U.S. security interests, field work carried out by CIA field agents can also be dangerous. Their meetings always took place behind the Iron Curtain and the two East Germans showed their appreciation for Ms work on numerous occasions. You are ordered to undress completely. Our research has found that agents and double agents desire a relationship with their handlers that involves trust and gratitude, not just one based on financial compensation. Consequently, insurance agents dont have a high social standing and you may also get many snarky comments when you tell people about your profession. Stars on the CIA memorial wall are unnamed, though, and the accompanying "Book of Honor" doesn't list some officers. Common areas of investigation include computer hacking, finance and accounting fraud, illegal gambling, terrorism and human trafficking. When he became engaged to his future wife, M confided during an intimate dinner at a restaurant that he was working as an agent against the Stasi. For professional staff positions, the FBI typically looks for a bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience. When I joined a long time ago, we were encouraged not even to tell your partner. Changes in the needs of the government can result in agents being transferred, and not always to a desirable location. If you ever get a client you cant handle, or you hit a creative block, your colleagues have your back. While M spoke eagerly of the excitement and disillusionment he felt as a result of his spying career, he initially was reluctant to talk about this traumatising mock arrest. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Police and Detectives, American Psychological Association: STress in the Workplace, "Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach, 5ht Edition"; David Barlow, Mark Durand; 2009. Through his career in several European, African and Asian countries, M acquired many international contacts and was able easily to obtain information that was of interest to intelligence services. Gerber showed a keen interest in Ms background, such as the year he had spent at an American high school and a rather unusual topic for a casual conversation among strangers Israeli nuclear developments in the Negev desert. More and more now, the secret service looks at people who have established themselves in other careers and are looking for a change. As well as a frequent commentator on espionage, Ferguson is currently helping to promote the hit US TV series The Blacklist, starring James Spader as a master criminal turned FBI informer. They told him he was in the Untersuchungshaftanstalt (pre-trial detention center) Berlin-Hohenschnhausen, a notorious site during the cold war under the control of the Ministry of State Security (Stasi). Quite often, you will sell insurance products to influential people who are in leading positions in their companies. Situations such as trying to extract an organized crime ringleader from a house or attempting to rescue a kidnapped child put you in volatile positions that could leave you injured or even dead. More is known, however, about the frequently tough conditions under which CIA spies must work. Compared to being a freelancer you have benefits like a steady income, paid holidays and an adequate retirement plan. Specializing in secret field operations against the enemy the OSS gifted its heir, the CIA, with an ability to covertly place agents within many hostile nations. Creative agencies are not for everybody. It can be hard to receive recognition when the Account Manager, or the Executive Team, is taking credit for the sleepless nights that you sacrificed. The full names of Wolfgang and Heinz also appear in publications by the Stasi archives in Berlin, and a man said to be Koch even appears in a photograph in a book on the history of the Stasi. This desire can be explained by the often-hostile environment an agent operates in, which involves distrust, fear, danger and social isolation. No gunshots, no bomb explosion, no Stasi dungeon. As an insurance agent, you can avoid all those issues and this can greatly improve your overall quality of life. The Hohenschnhausen Memorial in Berlin, a former Stasi prison. With these new resources, M managed to trace the full names of what he believes to be his handlers, Wolfgang Koch and Heinz Ntzelmann. In the end, however, he told us about it in great detail something he had never done before, not even to his wife of many years. While you might take this for granted, it is actually a luxury since many other people have to work during those times. A meeting was simply cancelled, and the door on his spying career slammed shut. In the end, with a bit of luck, M managed to find help at an institution that specialises in the treatment of war veterans. Series one of US crime thriller The Blacklist is available on Blu-ray and DVD now. His two long-time Stasi handlers were known to him as Wolfgang and Heinz. Others are known for their competitive kickball teams. This episode coincided with his approaching the AIVD about receiving access to his file. Creative agencies help you build strong friendships with colleagues through different activities. M clearly enjoyed the role he played behind the scenes during the cold war and the excitement that came with it a common phenomenon in the intelligence world. You do not have any colleagues in espionage, he said. nibusinessinfo.co.uk He told us: The BVD abandoned me completely after all those years that I had risked my life This document came to play a role in his dealings with the Dutch service after his spying career had ended. Thus, no job is the same and job descriptions may not completely fit your individual experiences. Many jobs in the FBI require mandatory travel. The idea is that you get as many reasonably intelligent and varied men and women into the job as possible. Sales methods - an agent might not sell your product or service in the way that you would like. Traumatic memories that come back to haunt people many years later are a common phenomenon for war veterans. All body openings are being inspected rather roughly. Being a real estate agent is a great deal for many investorsbut not everyone. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I just said: "Yeah, sure." Most importantly, recent correspondence between M and the Dutch AIVD about access to his file shows that he had been their agent. Bedford Street In fact, good insurance products are crucial so that people are covered in case of emergency. 6) Decent Earning Potential. #2. When it comes to insurance, many people out there also dont have any idea whats important and what they have to pay attention to. You think about becoming an insurance agent but are not sure whether this profession is the right way to go for you? Instead, you can use your own common sense and your knowledge from your job to make the right decisions in this regard. What does he accept? FBI agents are well trained and carry firearms, but they are also put in harm's way whenever they are investigating crimes. The Top 100 Advertising Blogs and their Best Posts. He added: You become totally demoralised. Instead, they have to work outdoors even during periods of rain and snow and this can be quite annoying. You don't necessarily have to work full-time. Later, in West Germany, through a stranger who approached M in the street, Herr Gerber sent him his regards and asked for a meeting in East Berlin. This surprised him. M was tasked by the CIA to analyse the behaviour of his East German handlers using these techniques. Each agency has a different personality, a different culture. The existing literature on intelligence history allows us to confirm parts of Ms story or assess the likelihood of certain episodes by comparing them with other known cases. As you can see from the previous discussion, there are many advantages and disadvantages to working as an insurance agent. However, I will not take any responsibility for incorrect information and will not be liable for any negative consequences that might occur due to the reliance on this information. Intelligence collector 3. As an insurance agent, you will also have to work in a classical office job. Most companies fire the sales staff or end the contract if a person repeatedly fails to achieve a target. Now advances in technology mean maintaining people's covers has become a specialist area and it is a much more sophisticated operation. A real estate agent refers to an individual that represents real estate sellers or buyers. M has avidly documented everything that happened to him, including correspondence, some of it fairly recent, with the three services. A typical art director in advertising agency works long hours. In some ways, this is the most brute force act of cyberaggression out there: you're not altering. If the client wants a project done that you dont particularly care about, you still need to get it done. CIA field agents operate in both friendly as well as hostile nations. Nothing, therefore, had prepared him for the interrogation in the Hohenschnhausen prison. Be on such a high intellectual plane that you forget to bathe, brush your teeth, wash your clothes, etc. As an insurance agent, you can avoid those issues, at least if you are financially responsible and dont waste your money on things you actually dont need instead of investing it in senseful investment projects. Special agents must be open to transfers to different field offices and locations, both domestic and international, at all times. The Insights team generates long-form journalism and is working with academics from different backgrounds who have been engaged in projects to tackle societal and scientific challenges.

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