FBI to target IT workers during historic hiring blitz

The FBI has launched a major hiring initiative aimed at filling more than 3,000 professional and special agent jobs left vacant due to retirements and attrition, the bureau announced this week.

The FBI said on Monday that it expects to fill more than 2,100 professional staff positions throughout its field offices and headquarters divisions. The vacancies include fields such as engineering, finance, human resources, information technology, nursing and records management. The bureau also plans to hire 850 new special agents.

"The FBI has posted these new positions to meet current and expected vacancies primarily due to retirements and attrition," spokeswoman Denise Ballew said Wednesday. The hiring blitz is one of the largest in the FBI's 101-year history.

The bureau's recruitment strategies will include enhanced targeting for critically skilled professionals, specifically those fluent in at least one of several foreign languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Pashto, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese, Ballew said. The bureau also will target individuals with skills in information technology, engineering, intelligence, law, military and physical sciences, she added.

To speed the process, the FBI also plans to hold a mega career invitational, where all selected candidates will gather at designated locations for interviews. Those who are selected for positions will be immediately scheduled for polygraphs, drug screenings and employment briefings, the bureau said.

All open positions, which are posted on the new FBI Jobs Web site, will close Jan. 16. The bureau expects to have all positions filled and employees on board by Sept. 30.