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USC marketing class helps CIA recruitment
Looking to hire recent graduates, Central Intelligence Agency turns to university students nationwide for help developing ad campaigns. The economic downturn increases the jobs' appeal.
By Larry Gordon
March 29, 2009
It's not all cloak-and-dagger anymore. These days, the Central Intelligence Agency is using marketing classes at USC and elsewhere to create public recruitment campaigns on college campuses.
The timing during such a deep recession helps sell the agency as an attractive employer, say USC students involved in advertising a CIA recruiting event at their school next month. After all, a well-paid, secure government job, even one touched by controversy, may appeal to soon-to-be college graduates who might never have considered a spy career in better economic times.
Marketing instructor"All we hear today is about the bad economy and how this is basically the worst time to graduate. But the CIA is very interested in hiring graduating seniors and is targeting USC students," said Allison Kosty, a political science major who is in a class of USC students working on the CIA campaign. "So that's a huge bonus for us."
She and 26 classmates are part of a five-year-old program that has joined the CIA with students in marketing courses at 30 universities throughout the country.
The agency wants help selling itself to bright young candidates, especially those who speak such key languages as Mandarin and Farsi or who studied economics or computer engineering. The schools -- USC, Michigan State and the University of New Mexico for the current semester -- say they want their students to gain real-world marketing experience, whether for soft drinks or clandestine operations.
Therese Wilbur, an assistant professor of marketing who teaches the USC course and ran a similar project for the FBI last year, said CIA officers visited her class twice this semester and asked for a campaign that taps into USC's ethnic diversity and does not wrap itself too tightly in the flag.
Wilbur, who managed international brands for toy-maker Mattel Inc. before she began teaching in 2006, said the campaign tries to appeal both to students' interest in an intriguing, well-rewarded career and to their altruism.
The student marketers say they know they may face criticism that the CIA failed in intelligence-gathering missions before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the U.S. invasion of Iraq and that its past practices are much-debated. Still, Wilbur said, no student objected to assisting the CIA in finding high-quality recruits to help keep the country safe.
In the class, a preliminary suggestion for a slogan urged potential recruits to "Discover the Truth" about the CIA. That was jettisoned after some students in a test survey didn't understand it and others suggested that such a search might turn up information discouraging to applicants.
Instead, the class settled on a slogan that invites people to "Discover the CIA. Be Part of Something Bigger," imposed over a colorful world map in the campaign's graphics.
Class member Sunny Nguyen, a fine arts major, said she was struck by the assignment's significance. "By joining the CIA, you can make a difference globally," she said. "And your life holds a different sort of meaning."
USC is the first Southern California campus to participate in the CIA's collegiate marketing program. Other schools have included UC Berkeley, San Jose State, Georgia State, the University of Pittsburgh and Morehouse College, according to CIA spokesman George Little.
Schools are chosen for their marketing curricula as well as a broadly diverse student population. "We are looking constantly for diverse pools of applicants given the critical nature of our mission," said Little, who added that the agency especially values language skills, overseas experience and candidates from families who are first- or second-generation Americans. U.S. citizenship, however, is a requirement.
Last year, the CIA recruited at about 1,000 U.S. campuses, with the marketing classes a small part of those efforts, he said. About 120,000 people, college-age and older, applied for CIA jobs last year and the numbers are running higher this recessionary year.
Overall, the agency is continuing a hiring surge that began after the 2001 attacks, but Little said the number of hirings is classified. CIA starting salaries range from about $50,000 to $90,000, with bonuses for some language fluencies.
The student-designed marketing programs are arranged through EdVenture Partners, an organization based in Orinda, just east of Berkeley, that serves as a middleman between colleges and such clients as Honda and the country of Morocco. The classes receive $2,500 to cover such costs as posters, table rentals and pizza for focus groups, but reap no reward aside from bragging rights on their resumes, officials said.
Wilbur's upper-division marketing class, which operates like an actual advertising agency with one big account per semester, did not know in advance whom its client would be. So students quickly had to dispel their own CIA stereotypes of a James Bond life with hot cars and cool gadgets or a secretive existence with no family contact allowed.
Jeffrey Kelly, an architecture major and advertising minor who is one of the campaign coordinators, said another common myth, soon belied by their own efforts, was "that you don't apply to the CIA but that the CIA finds you."
At a recent session in a Hoffman Hall classroom, group leaders discussed deadlines for announcements in campus publications, colors for a banner, the name of a website and how to ensure that USC police are aware of the recruiting event, which is scheduled for midday April 7 on a central campus lawn area.
A similar event at New York University in 2005 was canceled after protests, but Little said that had been the only disruption in the student marketing program. The USC students say they have encountered no criticism on campus and don't expect any organized protests at a school that has a substantial number of conservative-leaning students.
Some political activists on campus say that they are not thrilled to host the CIA but that no one wants to stop students from exploring jobs and possibly helping to improve the nation's espionage.
The Rev. Frank Wulf, pastor at United University Church and a campus chaplain active in antiwar protests, said the CIA has the right to recruit on campus. Still, he has concerns "that military, CIA and FBI recruiters use this time of economic crisis to present themselves when students don't have the opportunity to make as independent a choice."
As a result of working on the campaign, some of Wilbur's students say they too may apply for CIA jobs. But as if already inculcated in spy culture, they say they can't publicly acknowledge that.
"No comment," said one young man who was clearly mulling it. "I'd rather not say."
[email protected]
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A press release from USC said that this spring 2009 semester, students at USC will have the rare opportunity to participate in a semester-long internship with CIA.
LOS ANGELES, March 12 (Xinhua) -- To most outsiders, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the U.S. remains a myth. But a recent program between CIA and University of Southern California (USC) reveals that CIA is taking advantage of the present bad economy when most of the companies are not hiring to target university graduates to join its service, with its clandestine service in particular.
In an e-mail sent to the local newspapers, including Chinese language newspapers, Allison Kosty from USC said: "I am wondering if you are currently working on any features pieces, or are interested in highlighting USC's partnership with the CIA in an upcoming issue?"
"While most companies are not currently hiring, the CIA is actively recruiting recent college graduates and seeking Imprint Agency's marketing expertise," Kosty said in the e-mail.
A press release from USC said that this spring 2009 semester, students at USC will have the rare opportunity to participate in a semester-long internship with CIA. As part of the CIA Collegiate Marketing and Recruitment Program, students will have the chance to develop and execute their own marketing campaign to promote internship and career opportunities with the CIA to qualified candidates.
According to the press release, students will participate in the program through a Marketing course at USC, one of three schools nationwide working with the CIA. During the semester, students will create a working marketing agency to research, develop, implement, and evaluate a campaign. Students will receive a 2,500-dollar budget to bring their campaign plans to life.
"The goal of the campaign is to seek qualified diversity applicants and increase awareness and consideration of the CIA's National Clandestine Service as a potential career opportunity. By positively marketing the CIA, USC students will help dispel negative perceptions and common myths associated with the international agency," the press release said.
The press release said the targets of the campaign are "students possessing critical skills including language and area studies. While all majors are considered, the CIA is particularly interested in African, Asian, Near and Middle Eastern studies, International Business, Law, Telecommunications and Computer Technology majors. Students with international travel experience and those who have recently served in the military are also being considered. Critical languages for the National Clandestine Service include Arabic, Dari, Kurdish, Farsi, Urdu, Turkish, Mandarin (Chinese) and Cantonese, Indonesian, Korean and Russian."
According to the press release, by partnering with USC, the CIA is able to collaborate with local students who are in their target market to develop creative strategies and effectively reach potential applicants.
USC is a very ethnically diversified university in the U.S., which enrolls more foreign students than any other American universities, according to the annual Open Door report published by the Institute of International Education in the U.S.
The diversified student population makes USC very attractive for the CIA to enroll its new members, especially CIA agents working in different foreign countries. Every year, CIA also sets up recruitment stations at USC and other universities at job fairs to recruit new members.
CIA has openly stated that the enrollment campaign at universities is targeting students with foreign language skills and different ethnic background to work for the Clandestine Service.
The CIA website says the CIA's Clandestine Service is the front- line source of clandestine information on critical international developments, from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction to military and political issues. The mission often requires clandestine service officers to live and work overseas, making a true commitment to the Agency. This is more than just a job - it's a way of life that challenges the deepest resources of personal intelligence, self-reliance and responsibility.
The CIA website describes the Clandestine life in detail by saying that Operations Officers and Collection Management Officers spend a significant portion of their time abroad. Typically, Operations Officers will serve 60 percent to 70 percent of their careers overseas, while Collection Management Officers will be overseas for 30 percent to 40 percent of their careers. Staff Operations Officers, although based in the Washington, D.C. area, travel overseas on a temporary basis. Language Officers also are primarily based in Washington, though short-term and some long-term foreign travel opportunities are available.
It says that officers in each of these careers are under cover. By the very nature of this clandestine business, officers can expect limited external recognition for themselves and their families. Instead, the agency has its own internal promotions, awards and medals, and makes every effort to recognize the accomplishments of its personnel.
USC marketing class helps CIA recruitment
Looking to hire recent graduates, Central Intelligence Agency turns to university students nationwide for help developing ad campaigns. The economic downturn increases the jobs' appeal.
By Larry Gordon
March 29, 2009
It's not all cloak-and-dagger anymore. These days, the Central Intelligence Agency is using marketing classes at USC and elsewhere to create public recruitment campaigns on college campuses.
The timing during such a deep recession helps sell the agency as an attractive employer, say USC students involved in advertising a CIA recruiting event at their school next month. After all, a well-paid, secure government job, even one touched by controversy, may appeal to soon-to-be college graduates who might never have considered a spy career in better economic times.
Marketing instructor"All we hear today is about the bad economy and how this is basically the worst time to graduate. But the CIA is very interested in hiring graduating seniors and is targeting USC students," said Allison Kosty, a political science major who is in a class of USC students working on the CIA campaign. "So that's a huge bonus for us."
She and 26 classmates are part of a five-year-old program that has joined the CIA with students in marketing courses at 30 universities throughout the country.
The agency wants help selling itself to bright young candidates, especially those who speak such key languages as Mandarin and Farsi or who studied economics or computer engineering. The schools -- USC, Michigan State and the University of New Mexico for the current semester -- say they want their students to gain real-world marketing experience, whether for soft drinks or clandestine operations.
Therese Wilbur, an assistant professor of marketing who teaches the USC course and ran a similar project for the FBI last year, said CIA officers visited her class twice this semester and asked for a campaign that taps into USC's ethnic diversity and does not wrap itself too tightly in the flag.
Wilbur, who managed international brands for toy-maker Mattel Inc. before she began teaching in 2006, said the campaign tries to appeal both to students' interest in an intriguing, well-rewarded career and to their altruism.
The student marketers say they know they may face criticism that the CIA failed in intelligence-gathering missions before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the U.S. invasion of Iraq and that its past practices are much-debated. Still, Wilbur said, no student objected to assisting the CIA in finding high-quality recruits to help keep the country safe.
In the class, a preliminary suggestion for a slogan urged potential recruits to "Discover the Truth" about the CIA. That was jettisoned after some students in a test survey didn't understand it and others suggested that such a search might turn up information discouraging to applicants.
Instead, the class settled on a slogan that invites people to "Discover the CIA. Be Part of Something Bigger," imposed over a colorful world map in the campaign's graphics.
Class member Sunny Nguyen, a fine arts major, said she was struck by the assignment's significance. "By joining the CIA, you can make a difference globally," she said. "And your life holds a different sort of meaning."
USC is the first Southern California campus to participate in the CIA's collegiate marketing program. Other schools have included UC Berkeley, San Jose State, Georgia State, the University of Pittsburgh and Morehouse College, according to CIA spokesman George Little.
Schools are chosen for their marketing curricula as well as a broadly diverse student population. "We are looking constantly for diverse pools of applicants given the critical nature of our mission," said Little, who added that the agency especially values language skills, overseas experience and candidates from families who are first- or second-generation Americans. U.S. citizenship, however, is a requirement.
Last year, the CIA recruited at about 1,000 U.S. campuses, with the marketing classes a small part of those efforts, he said. About 120,000 people, college-age and older, applied for CIA jobs last year and the numbers are running higher this recessionary year.
Overall, the agency is continuing a hiring surge that began after the 2001 attacks, but Little said the number of hirings is classified. CIA starting salaries range from about $50,000 to $90,000, with bonuses for some language fluencies.
The student-designed marketing programs are arranged through EdVenture Partners, an organization based in Orinda, just east of Berkeley, that serves as a middleman between colleges and such clients as Honda and the country of Morocco. The classes receive $2,500 to cover such costs as posters, table rentals and pizza for focus groups, but reap no reward aside from bragging rights on their resumes, officials said.
Wilbur's upper-division marketing class, which operates like an actual advertising agency with one big account per semester, did not know in advance whom its client would be. So students quickly had to dispel their own CIA stereotypes of a James Bond life with hot cars and cool gadgets or a secretive existence with no family contact allowed.
Jeffrey Kelly, an architecture major and advertising minor who is one of the campaign coordinators, said another common myth, soon belied by their own efforts, was "that you don't apply to the CIA but that the CIA finds you."
At a recent session in a Hoffman Hall classroom, group leaders discussed deadlines for announcements in campus publications, colors for a banner, the name of a website and how to ensure that USC police are aware of the recruiting event, which is scheduled for midday April 7 on a central campus lawn area.
A similar event at New York University in 2005 was canceled after protests, but Little said that had been the only disruption in the student marketing program. The USC students say they have encountered no criticism on campus and don't expect any organized protests at a school that has a substantial number of conservative-leaning students.
Some political activists on campus say that they are not thrilled to host the CIA but that no one wants to stop students from exploring jobs and possibly helping to improve the nation's espionage.
The Rev. Frank Wulf, pastor at United University Church and a campus chaplain active in antiwar protests, said the CIA has the right to recruit on campus. Still, he has concerns "that military, CIA and FBI recruiters use this time of economic crisis to present themselves when students don't have the opportunity to make as independent a choice."
As a result of working on the campaign, some of Wilbur's students say they too may apply for CIA jobs. But as if already inculcated in spy culture, they say they can't publicly acknowledge that.
"No comment," said one young man who was clearly mulling it. "I'd rather not say."
[email protected]
------------------------
------------------------
A press release from USC said that this spring 2009 semester, students at USC will have the rare opportunity to participate in a semester-long internship with CIA.
LOS ANGELES, March 12 (Xinhua) -- To most outsiders, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the U.S. remains a myth. But a recent program between CIA and University of Southern California (USC) reveals that CIA is taking advantage of the present bad economy when most of the companies are not hiring to target university graduates to join its service, with its clandestine service in particular.
In an e-mail sent to the local newspapers, including Chinese language newspapers, Allison Kosty from USC said: "I am wondering if you are currently working on any features pieces, or are interested in highlighting USC's partnership with the CIA in an upcoming issue?"
"While most companies are not currently hiring, the CIA is actively recruiting recent college graduates and seeking Imprint Agency's marketing expertise," Kosty said in the e-mail.
A press release from USC said that this spring 2009 semester, students at USC will have the rare opportunity to participate in a semester-long internship with CIA. As part of the CIA Collegiate Marketing and Recruitment Program, students will have the chance to develop and execute their own marketing campaign to promote internship and career opportunities with the CIA to qualified candidates.
According to the press release, students will participate in the program through a Marketing course at USC, one of three schools nationwide working with the CIA. During the semester, students will create a working marketing agency to research, develop, implement, and evaluate a campaign. Students will receive a 2,500-dollar budget to bring their campaign plans to life.
"The goal of the campaign is to seek qualified diversity applicants and increase awareness and consideration of the CIA's National Clandestine Service as a potential career opportunity. By positively marketing the CIA, USC students will help dispel negative perceptions and common myths associated with the international agency," the press release said.
The press release said the targets of the campaign are "students possessing critical skills including language and area studies. While all majors are considered, the CIA is particularly interested in African, Asian, Near and Middle Eastern studies, International Business, Law, Telecommunications and Computer Technology majors. Students with international travel experience and those who have recently served in the military are also being considered. Critical languages for the National Clandestine Service include Arabic, Dari, Kurdish, Farsi, Urdu, Turkish, Mandarin (Chinese) and Cantonese, Indonesian, Korean and Russian."
According to the press release, by partnering with USC, the CIA is able to collaborate with local students who are in their target market to develop creative strategies and effectively reach potential applicants.
USC is a very ethnically diversified university in the U.S., which enrolls more foreign students than any other American universities, according to the annual Open Door report published by the Institute of International Education in the U.S.
The diversified student population makes USC very attractive for the CIA to enroll its new members, especially CIA agents working in different foreign countries. Every year, CIA also sets up recruitment stations at USC and other universities at job fairs to recruit new members.
CIA has openly stated that the enrollment campaign at universities is targeting students with foreign language skills and different ethnic background to work for the Clandestine Service.
The CIA website says the CIA's Clandestine Service is the front- line source of clandestine information on critical international developments, from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction to military and political issues. The mission often requires clandestine service officers to live and work overseas, making a true commitment to the Agency. This is more than just a job - it's a way of life that challenges the deepest resources of personal intelligence, self-reliance and responsibility.
The CIA website describes the Clandestine life in detail by saying that Operations Officers and Collection Management Officers spend a significant portion of their time abroad. Typically, Operations Officers will serve 60 percent to 70 percent of their careers overseas, while Collection Management Officers will be overseas for 30 percent to 40 percent of their careers. Staff Operations Officers, although based in the Washington, D.C. area, travel overseas on a temporary basis. Language Officers also are primarily based in Washington, though short-term and some long-term foreign travel opportunities are available.
It says that officers in each of these careers are under cover. By the very nature of this clandestine business, officers can expect limited external recognition for themselves and their families. Instead, the agency has its own internal promotions, awards and medals, and makes every effort to recognize the accomplishments of its personnel.
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