Operational Officer Profiles
Isobel
Click here to listen to Isobel's words - spoken by an actor
I joined SIS about ten years ago. I was actually already married with kids at the time, so I suppose my profile was a little different, but I never saw this as a disadvantage - and it means that SIS got me without the breaks for maternity leave!
If I'm honest I didn't really know what to expect, but it's amazing how much you can learn in a short space of time. My first job after training was a combination of agent-running and reporting in a team of four. I found this was something I really enjoyed, but then September 11 happened and I moved immediately into our counter-terrorist department to help out at that really busy time.
After that I had a posting in Asia, which was again case officer work. We all moved out there - me, my husband and our children - and spent three years immersed in a different culture, working and travelling, my kids at the international school.
Since we got back to the UK, I've moved into our Middle East department and I'm currently working a four-day week so as to have a bit of flexibility with the kids' timetables. My main role now is operational planning, which presents all sorts of challenges but is really absorbing work.
What I love about working for SIS is the range and diversity of the issues that you get to work on and the calibre of your colleagues. I've worked in a few other organisations and I've never felt that there is the same buzz anywhere else.
Hannah
I joined SIS after completing a masters degree in Middle Eastern History. I spent my first six months on case officer training in the UK, which was a great opportunity to get to know SIS and make some life-long friends, who have been a continual support throughout my career.
I entered SIS as a Targeting Officer looking at terrorist targets and helping to plan counter-terrorism operations in Africa. This involved a lot of work with other government departments, lots of short trips to Africa and some agent contact.
This was a challenging first job, but really rewarding. I enjoyed the fast pace, variety and feeling of playing a part, albeit small, in helping to protect lives.
After 18 months in London I spent 6 months on language training before going on a posting in the Balkans. I worked primarily as a Case Officer, but also did some work with regional partners. I spent my posting unaccompanied because my partner could not take a break from his career, but he either came out to visit me or I popped back to the UK for short visits. We racked up the air miles, but succeeded in seeing each other about every six weeks.
During my posting I obtained my first promotion. When I returned to the UK, my partner's job had relocated out of London. So I chose to take a part-time position to allow me to spend a bit more time with him. I plan to return to full-time work when my partner returns to work in London.
