When you're thinking about a career path that may suit you, you'll always want to evaluate the money that you can earn in that career. While money might not be what motivates you the most, it's still something that is important. The salary itself is something to consider, but you should also assess how often you may have to work overtime. Working overtime isn't just an opportunity to get the job done — it's also a chance to earn more money for you and your family. If the field of intelligence analysis interests you, you might be happy to know that it may provide an opportunity to frequently work overtime. Here are some scenarios in which this is possible.
During An Active Operation
If you work for an agency that frequently runs operations, you may eventually work your way up to providing support in real time. This means that you may be evaluating information that field agents provide as the operation takes place. Not all operations occur during regular business hours, of course — an operation that begins in the afternoon may run late into the evening. Staying at your place of work to assist during an active operation may provide you with an opportunity to earn overtime pay.
During An Interrogation
Depending on the type of agency you work for, you might find yourself conducting or sitting in on interrogations. Or, you might be tasked with verifying information that a source has divulged during an interrogation. Interrogation sessions can be lengthy, with a subject refusing to talk for a long period of time and then eventually sharing small bits of information. You aren't apt to end an interrogation simply because it's the end of your customary workday. Instead, you may speak to the subject well beyond regular business hours, leading to overtime pay.
During Work-Related Travel
Intelligence analysts often get a chance to travel for work, given that different operations take place not only across the state and country but may also take place abroad. If travel is of interest to you, you'll have lots of opportunities to work on operations that are important to your agency. Of course, travel also presents the chance to earn overtime pay. Different agencies structure their overtime pay in different ways, but one scenario may be that you work your normal workday, and then join your colleagues to travel elsewhere. You may end up being paid for your time because you're traveling outside of your usual workday hours.
For more information on intelligence analyst jobs, contact an intelligence agency.