Graduate Careers

MI5 protects the UK from threats to national security, such as terrorism and espionage. How? By gathering intelligence and working closely with our partners, we detect such threats and work out ways to stop them.

Opportunities with MI5

For graduates, there's our Intelligence Officer Development Programme, which covers the first four years of an Intelligence Officer's career. It's designed to teach you about investigations and give you the skills to run them. Graduates can also join our Intelligence and Data Analyst Development Programme: a structured two-year programme where you'll analyse and interpret data that's vital to our investigations. Then, there's our Technology Graduate Development Programme; another structured programme that equips you to work in our pioneering IT function. For graduates looking for a rewarding career in corporate services, there's the role of Business Enabler. Finally, graduates can also join as Russian or Mandarin analysts.

Working here

A career at MI5 is like no other. Not only is it rewarding and unique, but the variety here is like nowhere else. It is this variety that means most people stay at MI5, as they're able to fulfil all their career ambitions here without ever having to leave. As an Investors in People accredited employer, we're committed to helping everyone develop throughout their career. We also offer an excellent range of benefits to recognise and reward their vital contribution. Acknowledging our staff is an important part of our success.

To find out more, please visit our careers site.

At MI5, diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking, and those with disabilities or neurodiverse conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce.

What we are looking for

Whatever role or area interests you, you'll need ingenuity, attention to detail, and a gift for communication and solving problems. However, beyond that, we don't recruit a particular 'type' of person.

Our unique work relies on people with unique perspectives, so we welcome applications from everyone - regardless of age, experience, cultural background, or sexual orientation. We're also a Disability Confident employer, which means we're committed to ensuring a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role will be offered an interview.

To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen. One of your parents must be a British Citizen or must have the nationality or citizenship from our approved list of countries. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you will nonetheless be considered. Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for seven out of the last ten years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. You can apply at the age of 17 years and 6 months; if successful, you will not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday. Discretion is vital. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member. Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside of the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. Further information on our eligibility criteria can be found on the Applying section.

Any

Additional job details

Location: London, Manchester, Northern Ireland

Contract, dates, and working times: Full-time

How to apply

Click Apply to start your application now. This job will be available on Prospects until 30 September 2025.

Don't forget to mention Prospects to employers when you contact them.

MI5 protects the UK from threats to national security, such as terrorism and espionage. How? By gathering and assessing intelligence, then working closely with a range of partners, including MI6 and GCHQ, to detect such threats and find innovative ways to stop them.

What are our opportunities?

For graduates, there's our Intelligence Officer Development Programme, which covers the first four years of an Intelligence Officer's career. It's designed to teach you about investigations and give you the skills to run them. Graduates can also join our Intelligence and Data Analyst Development Programme: a structured two-year programme where you'll analyse and interpret data that's vital to our investigations. Then, there's our Technology Graduate Development Programme ran jointly with MI6; another structured programme that equips you to work in our pioneering IT function. For graduates looking for a rewarding career in corporate services, there's the role of Business Enabler, where you will provide vital support to functions like recruitment, finance, vetting, and HR. Finally, graduates can also join as Russian or Mandarin analysts.

To find out more about our opportunities, why not go to our website where you can also sign up for job alerts.

What makes MI5 different?

A career at MI5 is like no other. Not only is it rewarding and unique, but the variety here means you will continuously develop. It is this variety that enables our people to gain a unique breadth of skills and insights, all within a supportive and inclusive environment. We also offer an excellent range of benefits to recognise and reward the vital contribution our people make to national security.

What are we looking for?

In short, good communication skills, attention to detail, and a flair for solving problems. However, beyond that, we don't recruit a particular 'type' of person.

Our unique work relies on people with unique perspectives, so we welcome applications from everyone - regardless of age, experience, cultural background, or sexual orientation. As Disability Confident Leaders, we want you to feel supported throughout the recruitment process, so we offer reasonable adjustments to ensure those with disabilities, long-term health, or neurodivergent conditions can perform at their best. We're also committed to ensuring a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role will be offered an interview.

To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen or hold dual British nationality. Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for seven out of the last ten years. You can apply at the age of 17 years; if successful, you will not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday. For full eligibility details, please visit our website.

Join us, and you'll find there's huge scope to develop both personally and professionally. Many of our roles are totally unique and, from day one, you'll have access to specific training to bring you up to speed. As an established Investor in People (IIP), we not only offer extensive learning and development for your role, but also encourage you to explore new opportunities, supported by appropriate training. That means you can build a long, rewarding, and varied career. From a personal development plan, mentors, and work placements to links with academia, industry, and professional partners, we'll give you all the opportunities you need to succeed.

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