Wendy Osborne, 35, works for the FBI.
She has a COOL JOB as Special Agent.

Two words to describe my job — “exciting and challenging.”

Her Gig:
Osborne is a FBI Special Agent. "After obtaining my undergraduate degree, I developed a friendship with a Special Agent with Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco (ATF). ATF is another federal law enforcement agency. I became increasingly interested in his job. I loved to hear about the various assignments and cases he was working and decided to try it for myself," she said. In June 1990, she took the written examination with the FBI. After approximately 9 months, she was finally accepted and reported to the FBI training academy at Quantico, Virginia.

A Day in the Life of:
There is no such thing as a typical day for an FBI Special Agent. Everyday is different. One day you could be testifying in federal court, the next day you could be conducting a search warrant and gathering evidence, the next day you could be executing an arrest warrant, and the next day you could be in the office getting caught up on all the paperwork....As bank robberies occur, FBI Special Agents respond. This is definitely not a 9-to-5 career. FBI Special Agents are required to work a minimum of 10 hours a day. Basically, 50 hours a week. The usual hours are Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., with two hours of overtime everyday.

Career Path:
After college, Osborne began her professional career as a Sales Representative for Westinghouse in Chicago, Illinois. (She sold electrical components.) "I was making good money, had a company car and a generous expense account, however I knew something was missing. After approximately 4 years, I decided to make a change," she said. She then went through all the FBI screening and training and was hired.

The FBI has a paid summer honors internship and is open to all full-time college students who are U.S. citizens and have at least a 3.0/4.0 GPA, Osborne said.

High Five:
"The best part of my job is the variety. With over 250 federal violations, there is always something going on. Everyday is something different."

Down Low:
"The most difficult part of the job is the long hours. FBI Special Agents are required to be on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We carry pagers and cell phones with us at all times."

Wishlist:
"Arresting one of the FBI's 10 top fugitives..."

Words from the Wise:
"My advice to individuals interested in a career with the FBI is to make yourself diverse. Learn to speak a foreign language fluently. Take up a trade or develop a skill which would make you different from everyone else. Obtain an advanced college degree and gain some supervisory work experience."

Education:
Osborne is 35 years old and has been a Special Agent with the FBI for the past 10 years. She has a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management and a Master of Arts degree in Political Science.

Paying the Bills:
Starting salary for an FBI Special Agent is approximately $48,000 per year. You receive yearly salary increases. A senior grade Special Agent with 12 years in the FBI makes approximately $87,000 per year. You could make more, depending on where you live because of locality pay.

For More Information:
FBI