What is a desk officer and how to become one

Key steps to become a desk officer

1. Explore desk officer education requirements

   Most common desk officer degrees

   Bachelor's

   61.4 %

   Master's

   18.5 %

   Associate

   8.2 %

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2. Start to develop specific desk officer skills

   Skills	Percentages
   Intelligence Community	17.27%
   Government Agencies	10.08%
   Policy Issues	9.26%
   National Security	8.76%
   HUMINT	8.32%

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3. Complete relevant desk officer training and internships

   Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New desk officers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a desk officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real desk officer resumes.

4. Research desk officer duties and responsibilities

   • Manage and track status of requests for information and responses between multiple offices in NSA and request originators.
   • Utilize JWICS, SIPRNET M3, and DoD PERNET databases to research backgrounds and develop leads for counterintelligence and counterterrorism operations.
   • Manage confidential information and documentation, including financial data, and credit card information and payroll checks.
   • Educate both incoming USAID and other USG staff about USAID's programs in Afghanistan.

5. Prepare your desk officer resume

   When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your desk officer resume.

   You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a desk officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

   Choose From 10+ Customizable Desk Officer Resume templates

   Build a professional Desk Officer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Desk Officer resume.
   

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6. Apply for desk officer jobs

   Now it's time to start searching for a desk officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

   1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
   2. Consult your professional network
   3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
   4. Watch out for job scams