Don't mistake ads for nonchalence: MI5 and 6 remain deadly serious

THERE are few jobs that inspire the imagination more. But what is it really like working for one of the intelligence agencies? And who calls the shots?

- By Michael Knowles

British spy chiefs have used recent recruitment campaigns to demystify the organisations and shift the perception away from suave, white, Oxbridge-educated men.

In one, an MI5 officer — anonymised of course - says she fears her role as a counter-terrorism expert will keep her mum up at night. Officers are limited to who they can tell about their job. Very often the only people who know are their partner and parents.

But in a bid to entice recruits, MI5 states: “You are not allowed to take your work home with you, so when you leave the office, you really are leaving your work behind you.”

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