Summer Diversity Intelligence Internship Ref. 2625

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Intelligence
Cheltenham, London
GCHQ: £4,274 Assistance with accommodation will also be available. MI5/MI6: £5,444 Assistance with accommodation will also be available.

Please note, to apply for this internship,you’ll need to be in your penultimate or final year of university, from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background, and from a socially or economically disadvantaged background.

MI5, MI6 and GCHQ are the UK’s Intelligence agencies. We protect the UK from threats to national security, such as terrorism, cyber-crime and the spread of weapons. Through the ingenuity of our people, we gather secret intelligence and work closely with our partners in the UK and overseas to detect threats and work out ways to stop them.   

The Role                                                

Whether you’re supporting MI5 to protect the UK from threats to national security, helping MI6 mitigate threats emanating from overseas and promote the UK’s prosperity, or using technology at GCHQ to detect threats in the real world or online, you’ll see how frontline operations are run. 

Whichever agency you choose, you’ll piece together intelligence and identify possible threats. With training from the start and support from mentors, managers, and development partners, you’ll gain new skills and develop your abilities. As part of a cohort of fellow interns, you’ll gain unique insights into the intelligence agencies – while sharing your own, because everyone's perspectives contribute to making our operations a success. 

Our operations are hugely varied, which is why increasing the diversity of our people is needed more than ever before. We need a range of backgrounds and perspectives in order to be successful. You could be exactly who we need to help us achieve our mission. The Summer Diversity Intelligence Internship represents one of the many things that MI5, MI6 and GCHQ are doing to increase diversity amongst our teams. Individuals from ethnic minority and socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds are currently under-represented in our teams, and we’d therefore like to encourage people from these backgrounds, who might not necessarily see MI5, MI6 or GCHQ as a potential employer, to join us for an 11-week Internship and see what life with us is really like. 

About You

You’ll need to be in your penultimate or final year of university, from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background, and from a socially or economically disadvantaged background. For more information on the internship eligibility criteria, please visit our Summer Diversity Intelligence Internship page at https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/opportunities/internships. The additional standard eligibility criteria is detailed below. 

If you’re eligible, you’ll need to choose the agency that’s right for you. MI5, MI6 and GCHQ all look for naturally inquisitive team players with real enthusiasm. At MI5, you’ll need to be a problem solver who enjoys working collaboratively. Plus, you’ll have an appetite for learning and developing. MI6 are internationally focused, so you’ll have an interest in the world, different cultures, and want to know how people tick. At GCHQ, you’ll be a team-player, keen to use data and work collaboratively to have a tangible impact on keeping the country safe. Whichever agency you choose, you’ll share our values – integrity, respect, creativity, and the desire to have a positive impact on the UK. 

Training and Development  

No matter your experience or background, you’ll get lots of dedicated support when you join. With an induction and your own development partner, you’ll quickly get to grips with the role and have access to help and guidance whenever you need it. So, you won’t be on your own – you’ll be a part of a community dedicated to your development. You will get all the training you need to use our systems as well as on-the-job support to help you make a direct impact on national security. There will also be an opportunity to learn about the breadth of our work with talks and visits from different teams across the organisation. 

Benefits 

The internship will run from Monday 19th June 2023, through to Friday 01st September 2023. If you need it, accommodation will be provided for the duration of your internship. You’ll benefit from a competitive salary and five days annual leave. In addition, you’ll be free to enjoy organisation-wide events where you can learn and network with people from across the business.   

Culture and Working Environment   

As part of our team, you’ll discover an inclusive workplace that’s welcoming, supportive and encouraging. You’ll be part of an organisation where people want to support one another and make a difference. Aside from fostering an open culture, we have a range of affinity groups. For example:    

•    Ethnic Minority and gender equality networks  
•    Groups supporting wellbeing, mental health, neurodiversity and disability   
•    Faith/No Faith communities for staff to come together   
•    LGBTQ+ support networks  
  
You’ll also find a variety of sports, activity, interest and social groups to help you settle in and connect with people with similar interests.   

Before You Apply  

To work at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, you need to be a British citizen. We do have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.  

Honesty and integrity are really important if you want to work at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. Take some time to read about the vetting process and make sure you meet the criteria in the vetting pages of the ‘How to Apply’ section. The process can take some time, but this is just because it’s thorough. Giving misleading information and omitting or concealing information during the recruitment and vetting process is viewed very seriously.  

Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application.  

Equal Opportunities  

At MI5, MI6 and GCHQ diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce.  

We’re Disability Confident  

MI5, MI6 and GCHQ are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme.  This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.  Being Disability Confident, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview where practicable; this is known as ‘Offer of an Interview’. To secure an interview for this vacancy, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:   

For GCHQ

  • Initial application form – You will be asked a series of questions relating to this vacancy. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be directed to the initial application form.
  • Full application form – you will need to meet our technical aptitude criteria.
  • Online exercise – you will need to meet the pass mark for this exercise.

For MI5/MI6 

  • Initial application form – You will be asked a series of questions relating to this vacancy. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be directed to the initial application form.
  • Full application form – You will be required to pass an application form sift.
  • Online exercise (SJT) – You will be required to reach the pass mark set.

Eligibility Criteria  

To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen. One of your parents must be a British Citizen or must have the nationality or citizenship from our approved list of countries https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/applying-for-jobs. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you will nonetheless be considered. https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/applying-for-jobs. Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for seven out of the last ten years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. You can apply at the age of 17 years, if successful you will not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday. Discretion is vital. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member. Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside of the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. Further information on our eligibility criteria can be found on the Applying section.  

What to Expect  

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:  

For GCHQ

  • Initial application form – You’ll be asked to provide some basic personal details and answer eligibility questions.
  • Full application form – You’ll be asked to provide your education details and work history and to answer some questions exploring your strengths and skills in relation to the internship including technical aptitude.
  • Online exercise – You’ll be asked to complete an online exercise which will give you an insight into the type of work our Analysts do.
  • Final interview – You’ll be asked questions about your motivation for applying for the internship as well as questions looking at your strengths and skills.

For MI5/MI6 

  • Initial application form - You’ll be asked to provide some basic personal details and answer eligibility questions.
  • Full application form – You’ll be asked to provide your education details and work history and to answer some questions exploring your strengths and skills in relation to the internship.
  • Situational Judgement Test – You will be required to reach the pass mark set.

On successful completion of these stages: 

  • Half Day Online Assessment Centre – this consists of an interview, a roleplay and a written report. (MI5)
  • Online Interviews and Role play (MI6)

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process in order to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final internship offer.  

Our Vetting  

To work in this role, you will need the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community has to go through and it can take some time. As part of the DV process you will be asked to fill in a detailed questionnaire and attend an interview with a vetting officer. In your interview the vetting officer will have a thorough, compassionate and honest discussion with you about you as a person and your life experiences, to ensure holding a DV clearance is right for you. You don’t need to do any preparation for your vetting interview, just be honest and be yourself. All applicants for DV are treated impartially and consistently, irrespective of gender, race, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics.   

Right to Withdraw Statement:   

Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

This Program / Vacancy is closed to applications.