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Web Glitch Blocks Applicants For FBI's 2,950 Job Openings

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 6, 2009

Updated: 01/06/2009 05:07 pm

The FBI wants to hire thousands of new employees, but none in Tampa or Central Florida.

And if you want to apply the agency's computer servers have other ideas.

The federal law enforcement agency has launched what it describes as "one of the largest hiring blitzes in our 100-year history," hoping to hire more than 2,100 professional staff employees and 850 special agents.

There are no openings for professional staff in the Tampa office, which covers 18 Central Florida offices, said Tampa FBI spokesman Dave Couvertier. Agents are hired nationwide, and anyone hired as an agent can expect to be transferred to another part of the country, Couvertier said.

And anyone going to the FBI's online jobs page - www.fbijobs.gov - and clicking on an application today got this message:

"Thank you for your interest in the FBI positions. We are expanding the capacity of our servers and expect them to be available soon. Please check back after 3 p.m."

It was not immediately known why the computer servers weren't working.

After 3 p.m., this message appeared: "Notice to applicants, Based on the overwhelming response to our FBI Agent position the server is currently unavailable and will be repaired shortly. Please try your request again later."

Later, Internet visitors were redirected to another federal government jobs Web site, www.jobsearch.usa. That site lists specific jobs, but the link to apply for FBI jobs was broken.

The following message was displayed: "There was an error processing your request, please try again."

Among the hires the FBI is looking to make are experts in information technology.

The agency also says it is looking to fill jobs in the following categories:

• Finance and accounting

• Security

• Intelligence analysis

• Compliance and quality assurance

• Training and education

• Records management

• Fingerprint examination

• Nursing and counseling

• Physical surveillance

• Electrical engineering

• Physical, natural and social sciences

• Administrative and clerical processes

• Automotive mechanics

• Management and program analysis

Couvertier said the agency also is looking for agents who are fluent in these languages: Somali, Swahili and Tamil, Punjabi, Pashto and Vietnamese.

"We are looking for personnel that want to apply that have military or high-level tactical experience and background" such as Delta Force or SEALS, Couvertier said. These agents would be part of the national hostage rescue team.

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