Guide to Writing an Effective Intelligence Analyst Resume

Updated 25 May 2023

Intelligence analysts contribute to a country's national security and economic well-being by collecting, assessing and interpreting intelligence information. Their resumes reflect multiple skills, qualifications and experiences that highlight their suitability as candidates for intelligence analyst roles. Knowing what to include on a resume when applying for these positions can help you secure interviews and create a favourable impression with potential employers. In this article, we discuss what an intelligence analyst resume is, list what to include in each section of your resume and provide a template and example to assist you in creating your own.

What is an intelligence analyst resume?

An intelligence analyst resume is a document that covers an intelligence professional's employment background by highlighting their skills, qualifications and experience to explain why they might be an excellent choice to fill the position. The resume helps show why the candidate is suitable and helps them secure an interview. Some hiring managers also use a resume for reference during the interview.

Components to include in an intelligence analyst resume

The following are the important sections of your resume that a hiring manager often uses to familiarise themselves with you as a potential candidate:

Contact information

Including your contact information in the header of your resume can help the employer schedule an interview with you. It often helps to include your email address and your telephone number, as these are usually the primary ways a hiring manager might contact you. Including your home address is often optional, but you may want to include your city and state, especially if you're thinking about relocating.

Professional summary

Your professional summary is a short paragraph of approximately three lines that lists your top achievements and accomplishments as an intelligence analyst and highlights your education. You can write the information in a way that emphasises what benefits you can bring to the organisation. An accurate, appealing summary can attract the attention of a hiring manager and motivate them to keep reading the rest of your resume.

Resume objective

If you're applying for an analyst position but have minimal experience in the intelligence field, consider using a resume objective instead of a professional summary. A resume objective focuses on your skills and how they align with the requirements listed in the job description. A resume objective is often ideal for new graduates or someone changing careers from a job that has different job requirements. Mentioning any strong, transferable skills may help you present yourself as an ideal candidate.

Previous roles and responsibilities

When considering an intelligence analyst candidate's resume, a hiring manager may check for previous roles in intelligence analysis or other positions that relate to the analyst position. Employers often want to see transferable skills. Some of the roles that offer a good background for moving into intelligence analysis include those in areas, such as the following:

Data analysis: The ability to sort and analyse data from various sources is often a fundamental part of working in intelligence.
Law enforcement: Familiarity with police procedures, such as criminal background checks and the criminal justice system, is helpful for working in intelligence.
International relations: Working internationally creates familiarity with other cultures, languages and the political and social climate in a way that's useful for working in intelligence.

Skills for an intelligence resume

Listing all your relevant skills can highlight your suitability as a candidate. To further strengthen the fact that you may be a good fit, consider highlighting the skills that the job listing calls for first, then follow up with the rest. Presenting your skills in a single paragraph separated by pipes can reduce the number of pages required for your resume.

Here are some of the common keywords that may help you describe your skills and improve your chances of getting an intelligence analyst position:

all-source analysis
threat assessments
inter-agency collaboration
problem-solving
research and analysis
intelligence systems/databases
reporting/briefing
military or defence operations
personal integrity
honesty
discretion
aptitude for analysis
naturally enquiring mind
communicates well
follows procedures
teamwork.

Academic credentials

A recruiter may assess your resume for the minimum academic qualification, which is usually a bachelor's degree. Gaining an undergraduate degree communicates your commitment to developing your intellectual abilities and establishes a base of knowledge.

Some organisations may require you to have a degree in one of the following subjects:

political science
national security
international studies, international affairs or international relations
data science and analysis
geographic information systems
history
science (like biology, chemistry and geology)
criminal justice
engineering
mathematics.

Keywords to include on a resume for an analyst position

An effective analyst's resume typically contains the keywords used in the job advert to make it easier for the hiring manager to identify the candidate as having strong potential. You can analyse the job listing to identify the phrases, skills and traits frequently mentioned and consider including them. These are some keywords often related to this position:

Problem solver

Intelligence analysts use problem-solving skills to assess situations and make decisions independently. They may strive to look for unique ways to find information, especially when they exhaust their regular sources. Being able to troubleshoot issues with data is also an important element for an intelligence analyst.

Analytical thinker

Analytical thinking skills link closely to monitoring, investigating and deciphering data. The ability to assess an issue and develop practical solutions takes good analytical capacity. Applying critical thinking to the data they review helps intelligence professionals to present perceptive hypotheses.

Confidentiality

Intelligence analysts regularly work with sensitive information. Employers look for analysts who understand and adhere to the strict confidentiality typically required by this position. Showing experience in a previous job that required confidentiality is often a good addition to an intelligence analyst's resume.

Negative Vetting Level 2

Working in a government intelligence position may require security clearance to ensure you possess the personal character traits of honesty, trustworthiness, resilience, tolerance, loyalty and maturity to have access to top-secret information. In many cases, the candidate goes through thorough background checks before gaining security clearance.

Military experience

Former military experience can be an advantage to list on your resume. Experience in the military gives you insight into the political issues within certain regions. Military candidates may have training in the acquisition or analysis of intelligence and bring that experience to the analyst position.

Threat assessment

Threat assessment is analysing a situation to assess the level of danger. Intelligence analysts often observe potentially dangerous situations and make quick, accurate decisions. This level of intuition may take years to develop. Employers may give preference to someone with experience in this area.

Resume template for an intelligence analyst

You can use the following template when creating your resume for an intelligence analyst position:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City], [State]

Professional Summary
[Two or three sentences to highlight your years of experience, education, applicable skills or achievements and certifications as an intelligence analyst.]

Experience

[Job title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City] | [State]

[Job duty] (Strong verb) + what you did (extra detail) + reason, outcome or measurable results.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

[Job title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City] | [State]

[Job duty] (Strong verb) + what you did (extra detail) + reason, outcome or measurable results.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

Skills

Education
[Degree and major], [Name of school, institution or university]

Optional

[Certification name], [Host organisation] | [Year completed or expiration date]

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Resume example for an intelligence analyst position

This is an example of a resume for an intelligence analyst position that can help you create your own:

Ryan Keepaney, BSc (Computer Science)

(014) 675-4902 | rkeepaney@email.com | Sydney

Professional Summary
I am a highly proficient intelligence analyst with over 11 years of experience determining external threats for government agencies. I am seeking a senior intelligence analyst position with the opportunity to train entry-level employees in the latest forms of cybercrime. I have a strong desire to enhance national security to combat the threat of cyber-terrorism in the political arena.

Senior Intelligence Analyst | 2018-current
Lavarock Security Agency | Sydney

Researched and developed presentations concerning emerging threats and recommendations to safeguard confidential records
Instituted customised login process for all government employees, trained managers to use the system, run reports and monitor activity
Consulted with cyber security analysts to recognise and rectify online security issues and detect areas of vulnerability
Built intelligence portfolios, identifying potential targets and agents through various sources
Developing relationships with customers to better understand their intelligence requirements.

Operations Analyst | 2016-2018
Safely Online Agency | Sydney

Installed and upgraded software applications on computer systems
Configured programming languages to secure data on the internal network
Compiled troubleshooting activity reports weekly for submission to management.