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Kim: The process to become an FBI special agent is standard, by design. But once new agents leave Quantico, no two will have truly identical job descriptions.

When FBI employees pledge to uphold the U.S. Constitution and protect the American people, they promise to do so wherever—and however—needed. And, as you’ll hear our guest describe it, this often means wearing multiple hats.

On this My Mission episode of Inside the FBI, we’ll meet Special Agent Siobhan Johnson, a public affairs officer with the Bureau’s Chicago Field Office who splits her time between telling the FBI’s story and using her interviewing skills to support investigations.

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Siobhan Johnson: A day in the life of “Siobhan Johnson, special agent” is unusual. Some days, I'm wearing my public affairs hat and I'm planning those publicity strategies, helping people understand what it is we're actually doing here at the FBI, because transparency really is key.

But other days, I'm wearing that special-agent hat and I'm helping people go out and do interviews, but not the news type—the type where you're actually trying to do something investigative—or I might be at the range working on my shooting skills because you have to keep those skills up no matter what additional role that you take on, on top of being a special agent.

No two days look the same. You’re really just living in the moment based on what the country needs of you that day.

***

Johnson: When I went to Quantico, I was 25 years old. I did not know what to expect.

All you see on TV and in movies are everyone joining the Academy, and they’re standing up tall, and they’re business professionals. You don't get to hear about their insecurities. You don't really stop to think that every person there on that screen is playing the role of a person who is real. You know, they have their own real concerns. And they're joining this this daunted institution.

***

Johnson: I think one of the biggest misconceptions that I'm always running into is that people think that, to work at the FBI, you have to be a certain type of person. You have to be big, strong, usually a guy, law enforcement or military background—those typical things that you might see in the media.

But the truth is that it takes all kinds of people here.

Not everybody has a criminology or criminal justice background. We're not all attorneys or accountants. Really, we have people from all types of backgrounds and all different interests.

I was an East Asian studies major, specifically Japanese. I also have a ballet minor because, you know, we all have those divergent skills, and that’s really what makes us all the stronger.

So we've had driving instructors and we've had science teachers and geologists. We have special agents with all types of backgrounds because you never know what that thing is that you're going to need to crack that case.

***

Johnson: If you feel like you have a heart that needs to take care of people, if you feel that your mind is up to a challenge, if it means that the end goal is making the world a better place, call your recruiter. Reach out to us.

Every place in the United States has a recruiting coordinator assigned to them. You can go to our website and find it.

Talk to somebody to find out what your spot is here at the FBI. Because if you're willing to take a chance on us, we're willing to take a chance on you.

***

Johnson: Back when I was about six years old, a movie came out. This movie has two women working together to get through the FBI Academy and become agents.

Me and my sister used to watch this nonstop over the summer, and we would pretend to be little FBI agents running around the house, stopping crimes and doing everything that we would see in the movie. So, when I was six, that was the goal.

And I thought, “okay—let's keep this in the back of my mind forever.”

I eventually got a career book as part of a middle-school activity. It also said that special agents had to be 5’4 inches tall. And anyone who knows me knows that I will never, ever be any taller than 4’11 on a good day. So, I gave up the dream, but I thought, “I'll be a something in that general arena.”

So, I grew up, I went to college, studied East Asian studies and security and intelligence studies. And everyone in my graduate program was applying to all of the alphabet agencies that you might find in D.C. And the FBI was still at the top of my list. So, I went online to see, "Well, what do they maybe have for me?"

Lo and behold, they didn't have any height requirement listed.

So, I went through the process, and they called me back. I was overjoyed.

***

When I came in for my first in-person interview, I put on my tallest heels and I walked on my tiptoes all the way in.

I completed all the tests and, on my way out, I said, “Hey, is there a height requirement still?”

And they looked at me like I was crazy and said, "No.”

So, I relaxed and I walked out at my at my typical height. I continued through the process, went to Quantico, and—amazingly—I actually became the special agent that I had wanted to be when I was a little girl.

***

Kim: That was Siobhan Johnson, a special agent and public affairs officer in our Chicago Field Office. You can visit fbi.gov to learn more about how our field offices support our mission and help keep Americans safe. You can also visit fbi.gov/mymission to hear other FBI personnel reflect on their unique missions within the Bureau.

This has been another production of Inside the FBI. You can follow us on your favorite podcast player. You can also subscribe to email alerts about new episodes at fbi.gov/podcasts.

I’m Kim from the FBI’s Office of Public Affairs. Thanks for tuning in.

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