FBI seeking diversity among applicants at upcoming recruitment event in Knoxville

Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel document bullet holes at the Armed Forces Career Center off Lee Highway on Friday, July 17, 2015. A shooting spree that began there on Thursday, July 16 led to the deaths of four Marines and a Navy sailor.
Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel document bullet holes at the Armed Forces Career Center off Lee Highway on Friday, July 17, 2015. A shooting spree that began there on Thursday, July 16 led to the deaths of four Marines and a Navy sailor.

If you have a heart for public service and you're itching for a lifestyle change, consider a new job title - FBI special agent.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is hosting a recruitment event Aug. 16 at its Knoxville field office as part of an effort to attract skilled and diverse talent to better reflect the communities it serves. Those in attendance will hear from guest speakers about what the bureau has to offer and learn about the myriad employment opportunities available.

Although the FBI is a law enforcement agency, special agent Jason Pack said it takes all kinds to do the work they do.

"We recruit from all walks of life," he said. "There are people working there with all types of skills. We just want the people who are the best in their fields to come work for us."

Even with political turmoil ongoing in the nation's capital, he said the men and women of the FBI are focused on doing their work as well as ever.

"We just let the people in Washington take care of the stuff in Washington, and the people who are out in the field every day, serving and protecting folks, that's what they do and that's what they're going to keep doing," he said.

David Bukowski, once an officer in the Chattanooga Police Department and now a special agent in Knoxville, said he's seen that work firsthand and been exposed to a wealth of experiences in the process. He was a patrol officer in Chattanooga for five years before joining the FBI and being transferred to McAllen, Texas.

"It's been a great career for me. I have no regrets," he said. "I was out of my comfort zone several times and I've been exposed to so much more than I think I would have otherwise."

"Very rarely does an agent come back home initially. You're going to go wherever the bureau needs you. McAllen is a very busy place for drug and violent crimes. My skill set fit that, having come from a law enforcement background."

Now Bukowski works as the applicant coordinator for the FBI's Knoxville division, and he said his goal is to find the next generation of agents. Diversity recruitment events such as the one scheduled for August hopefully will ensure that the bureau's rank and file looks like the rest of the country, he said.

"I always tell people it's a great job. You never know what the day is going to bring, you're working with great people. There's just endless opportunity for whatever you want to do," he said. "You do have to have a heart for service because we're about serving other people.

"It's not like TV FBI. This is real-life FBI. Things aren't resolved in 45 minutes. Things can take days, weeks, months or even years to resolve."

The event is invitation-only, but anyone who meets the base requirements can apply online at fbi.jobs.gov to receive an invitation. Applicants must be 23-36 years old, have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and have three or more years of work experience, among other things.

A job summary and information about non-agent FBI career opportunities also are available online.

Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731. Follow him on Twitter @emmettgienapp.

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