How To Become a Homeland Security Agent

Updated February 27, 2023

If a career that involves leadership, problem-solving and serving your country appeals to you, then you might consider becoming a homeland security agent. As a homeland security agent, you can help safeguard and protect the United States and assist civilians during emergency situations. To become a homeland security agent, it's important to understand what kind of education, background and work experience you need to qualify. In this article, we explore what homeland security agents do, share important skills to help you advance in your career and list the steps you can take to become a homeland security agent.

What is a homeland security agent?

A homeland security agent is someone who protects the safety and freedoms of the United States. Homeland security agents may spend their careers in administration, intelligence or fieldwork. They can also work for a variety of agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, including the:

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB)
United States Coast Guard
U.S. Secret Service
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

What does a homeland security agent do?

Homeland security agents can work in a wide range of specialized fields and roles that work together to keep the United States safe. Depending on what agency you work for in the Department of Homeland Security, this could include helping secure the country's borders, airports, seaports or waterways. Common areas homeland security agents may specialize in include:

Law enforcement: Homeland security agents who focus on law enforcement may have a role in protecting the president, vice president, their families, heads of the state or other designated individuals. Law enforcement roles can also include securing the nation's borders, providing interagency law enforcement training, enforcing economic transportation and providing infrastructure security.
Immigration and travel security: Homeland security agents who focus on immigration and travel security protect the nation's transportation systems and oversee immigration to the United States.
Mission support: Homeland security agents who focus on mission support can have careers in a variety of fields, such as human resources, procurement, intelligence, civil rights, fraud detection, healthcare, science and technology, training and more.
Prevention and response: Homeland security agents who focus on prevention and response protect the public, environment and United States economic and security interests from terrorist attacks and natural disasters.

Important skills for homeland security agents

Here are some of the most important homeland security agent skills that can help you advance in your career:

Critical thinking: Homeland security agents must have excellent critical thinking skills to accurately assess situations, solve problems, develop plans and analyze results.
Communication: Homeland security agents must be skilled active listeners to gather intelligence during interviews or surveillance. They also require strong communication skills to issue clear commands in the field.
Empathy: Homeland security agents work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. Showing empathy and understanding can help these professionals deescalate tense situations and communicate effectively with civilians and other team members.
Leadership: Strong leadership skills allow homeland security agents to take necessary control in high-stress situations. This can provide reassurance to civilians during emergencies.
Perceptiveness: Having a strong sense of perceptiveness aids homeland security agents in making accurate judgments based on real-time observations. It can also help them detect potential threats and take preventative measures. This skill can help deescalate situations and save lives.

Requirements for becoming a homeland security agent

Homeland security agents often have access to classified information that the general public does not in order to protect the United States from varied threats, such as espionage, criminal enterprises and terrorism. Because of this, the Department of Homeland Security established a set of minimum requirements that homeland security agents must meet before being hired. Although each individual agency housed under the Department of Homeland Security may have additional requirements, the minimum requirements for all agencies include:

Being a U.S. citizen
Passing a criminal background check
Passing a drug screening
Qualifying for secret or top-secret security clearance
Passing a polygraph examination
Maintaining a high degree of physical fitness
Receiving a competitive score on a version of the civil service exam
Being between the ages of 21 and 37 years old

How to become a homeland security agent

You can follow these steps to begin your career as a homeland security agent:

1. Complete a bachelor's degree

While a degree is not always necessary to become a homeland security agent, it can provide you with a better chance of obtaining the job you want. Completing a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice can help you succeed in the hiring process. Other fields of study you may be interested in include:

Homeland security
Psychology
Forensics
Criminology

After completing a bachelor's degree, you can consider pursuing a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice or a related higher-level degree. Though it isn't required, getting a master's degree can help you set yourself apart from other candidates who may only have a bachelor's.

2. Gain practical experience

Try to gain experience handling evidence, conducting investigations and analyzing data during or after graduating from college. These skills can help you become a stronger candidate and prepare you for your homeland security agent duties. To gain this kind of experience, you can complete an internship at a local law enforcement agency, enroll in police officer training or complete a military training program in your area.

Many applicants for the Department of Homeland Security have prior training and experience in law enforcement, often as a police officer or a corrections officer, so this can offer a good foundation to get started. Alternatively, the Department of Homeland Security offers paid and unpaid internships in specific departments, including health and science, intelligence and analysis and law enforcement.

3. Create a detailed resume

Before you can apply for jobs as a homeland security agent, you need to create a detailed resume that highlights your education and work experience. While most resumes are usually one or two pages long, resumes for federal positions often include much more detail and are often between four and six pages long.

In addition to listing prior work experience, education, extra-curricular activities and accomplishments, the Department of Homeland Security may also ask you to include information such as:

Citizenship status
Federal salary grade
Security clearance

Be thorough when completing your resume to make sure it lists each of the items required depending on the specific agency and role you are applying for. Taking the time to prepare a well-constructed resume can help you in the application and interview process.

4. Apply for a job

Begin your job search by finding open positions listed on the Department of Homeland Security's website. Use the search tools to filter the positions by agency, job category and type of work, such as full-time or part-time positions.

Once you have selected a job to apply for, review the required qualifications and training to make sure you have highlighted them on your resume. Then, proceed by submitting your resume, cover letter and any additional documents the Department of Homeland Security may request for the specific role.

The Department of Homeland Security may also ask you to answer a set of questions to determine your skills, abilities and qualifications. Give honest and thorough answers to make sure the human resources specialist has all the information they need when they receive your application. This can help speed up your application process and give you a better chance of being contacted for an interview.

5. Interview for the position

After you submit your application, a human resources specialist from the Department of Homeland Security may contact you to set up an interview. You can prepare by following some interview tips, including:

Researching common interview questions: Use a search engine to research common interview questions for homeland security agents. Then, recruit a friend or family member to help you practice answering the interview questions. This can help you answer the questions clearly and succinctly in your actual interview.
Planning your interview attire the night before: Choose an outfit that is professional, clean and wrinkle-free. Planning your attire the night before can give you extra time the next day and help you feel more confident and prepared.
Printing out hard copies of your resume: Even if you already sent a digital copy of your resume along with your application, it's still a good idea to print out at least five hard copies. During your interview, refer to your resume to highlight your accomplishments, skills and previous work experience. This can help you guide the conversation during your interview.

6. Pass several rounds of review

After your initial interview, you can expect several additional rounds of review, which may include background, criminal and security clearance checks. This screening can take up to three months to complete, so try to be patient. Once you pass the security clearance checks, the Department of Homeland Security can approve you for hiring. If you are selected for a homeland security agent role, the hiring manager or human resources specialist may contact you with your official start date.

7. Complete training

Once you've accepted your first homeland security agent job, your orientation and training may begin. You can expect to be paid during your training, which can take approximately 22 weeks to complete and involve courses tailored to your specific role and agency within the Department of Homeland Security. After you have completed your training period, you can begin working as a homeland security agent.