MI5 Job Applications might take another dip for a while

[Bob Dalek]

MI5 wages: Always super-low. So, they employ rubbish, Al Qaeda nutters, or James Bond wannabes (with milk bottle bottom specs, acne and no friends).

[Dante]

All of their salaries are marketed well below the going rate - SIS are the same.

They were offering <35k for a Network Security specialist earlier this year.

Their argument is that they don't want to attract people who's primary focus is money, money, money... No wonder they don't get the best people.

That said though, i think once you've been in a while you get looked after, and can also command a premium when you come out.

[OwlHoot]

MI5 pay around £23K for a Data Analyst.

Absolutely pathetic wage.

£23K ?! That would barely pay for my fags and booze.

Assuming it's not a starting salary for a trainee grade, and soon upped to something realistic, I'd say it must be a "second wage earner" salary, and consequently they're angling for older people with a partner who earns the real salary.

[minestrone]

One thing I detest about spooks is the way they can hack into banks and telcos databases to get a lead on a super looking GUI.

Can they not just get the DBA login and write a select statement on toad like the rest of us?

[NotAllThere]

Yeah, but you get access to all that information, and get your head fried.

[Zeon]

MI5 pay around £23K for a Data Analyst.

Absolutely pathetic wage.

[NotAllThere]

..Must sting a bit if you get your head fried though....

Not for long.

[cailin maith]

Just watched it. V good episode. Next week looks good too.

and one link for you... www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer

Thank you - I might give it a blast tonight!

[Moscow Mule]

I missed spooks again last night

Forgot all about it

Just watched it. V good episode. Next week looks good too.

and one link for you... www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer

[cailin maith]

I missed spooks again last night

Forgot all about it

[Churchill]

Indeed.

It died the death when the Russians were found to be rather better at it than our lot...

Who'd want to be a Giant Alien Lizard anyway?

I'm sure it's a bit of a bugger when you go undercover!

[minestrone]

I think all that 'a tap on the shoulder at Oxbridge' stuff is over. You can actually just apply now.

[Purple Dalek]

It's a tough life in MI5...

Must sting a bit if you get your head fried though.

And that was in the 1st series...

What kind of person applies for a job in the civil service? I thought most came from the job centre and for places like MI5 is why they have recruitment officers at the universities, to grab young impressionable minds before they know what real work is like.

[Liability]

Anyone see next week's episode of Spooks (the one they show on BBC 3 at 10:30pm) ?

Apparently a couple of years ago the real MI5 had something of a recruitment crisis after one episode involving an unfortunate incident with a chip fryer, and now another of the regulars has flaked out in a pool of blood.

In case anyone following it missed this episode, I won't spoil the suspense by revealing any details. But I suspect that the person who turned out in the end to be the mole in fact wasn't and that Renaissance was a double (or triple? ) bluff.

Was a good episode surprised they got rid of that character that got killed.

[OwlHoot]

Anyone see next week's episode of Spooks (the one they show on BBC 3 at 10:30pm) ?

Apparently a couple of years ago the real MI5 had something of a recruitment crisis after one episode involving an unfortunate incident with a chip fryer, and now another of the regulars has flaked out in a pool of blood.

In case anyone following it missed this episode, I won't spoil the suspense by revealing any details. But I suspect that the person who turned out in the end to be the mole in fact wasn't and that Renaissance was a double (or triple? ) bluff.