What does ncis do

You know your TV show is popular when big-time, bankable Hollywood stars make guest appearances. This is what real-life NCIS agents have to say.

Agents do many of the same things as police detectives, but with a focus on the Navy and Marine Corps. They also investigate crimes affecting either military service. NCIS agents perform a variety of tasks in the course of their job that range dramatically depending on what stage they're in during an investigation.

A few common job duties for NCIS agents include:. If you're interested in working for NCIS, you'll need a highly specific education and specialized skills and qualities. Follow these steps to join this prestigious organization:. You can obtain citizenship even if you were born in another country after meeting certain criteria like living in the United States for a specific period of time, passing a test assessing your understanding of United States civics and applying for citizenship.

Many of a NCIS agent's duties require superior physical strength and mental aptitude. To become an NCIS agent, you must meet certain criteria to perform the duties of the job:. All NCIS agents must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

The agency does not require a specific major or degree field, but many aspiring agents complete degrees in fields like criminal justice, political science or a related field, as these are often most useful to the applicant once accepted into NCIS. After ensuring you meet the base requirements for NCIS, you can submit a formal application for employment to the agency. The application process can be lengthy. It begins with a written application and initial screening.

If accepted with a conditional offer, you'll undergo additional testing and interviewing procedures to ensure you're the best person for the job. If NCIS accepts your application and gives you a conditional offer, you'll undergo an intensive background check, usually including a drug test and polygraph examination.

Since NCIS agents have high-level security clearances, the agency seeks to ensure that all agents given access to privileged information are appropriately trustworthy. Obtaining a Top Secret security clearance often takes a substantial amount of time and includes paperwork, interviews and character references from friends and colleagues. After receiving the necessary training and skills assessment at this course, you'll get your first assignment, move and begin your work as a NCIS agent.

Learn more about working as a NCIS agent by reviewing the answers to these frequently asked questions:. The government pays NCIS agents based on a graded scale that increases with years of experience. The application process from start to finish can take anywhere from six months to over a year depending on a variety of factors like the need for additional testing, obtaining the appropriate supporting documents for background checks and completing other tasks and procedures.

NCIS suggests applying prior to your 36th birthday if interested in becoming an NCIS agent to ensure you're accepted before your 37th birthday, which is the cutoff age for applicants. Federal employees must submit a Notification of Personnel Action with their application. Candidates who pass all phases of the application process, including an assessment by the Review Board, are placed into the hiring pool.

This is not a guarantee of employment; jobs are filled from the hiring pool, but special agent jobs are highly competitive. Any candidate's chances of being hired depends upon the skills and experience of others in the hiring pool.

When potential candidates are few and job openings are high, or in mission-critical times that necessitate hiring quickly, jobs are sometimes filled through a direct-hire authority DHA process authorized by the Office of Personnel Management OPM.

Instead of going into the applicant pool, jobs can be filled immediately after a candidate has met all the requirements. Since this is an average of all reported NCIS special agent salaries, it does not accurately reflect the salary of a newly hired, early career NCIS special agent. By Chron Contributor Updated August 09, Related Articles.