Skills I never knew I would need as an intelligence analyst
It's just a lot of reading and writing, right?
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When I first became a terrorism analyst in 2008, my job revolved around doing three things really well: critical thinking, intelligence writing, and briefing. Four if you include mainlining coffee and five if you really want to count developing a uniquely dark, sarcastic sense of humor. We can quibble about semantics later.
Since those early years, I’ve needed to develop and deploy a diverse set of skills that 2008 me would never have considered germane to being an intelligence analyst. Probably because 2008 me had the benefit of working in a large federal bureaucracy with complex structures and workflows to support every aspect of my job, allowing me to truly focus on doing three(ish) things really well.
But not every public or private sector intelligence function has that kind of support - in fact, I haven’t seen it replicated outside of the federal government. Meaning a large number of analysts in this profession need to broaden their list of responsibilities beyond the core analytic function, sometimes even becoming a “one stop shop” for the entire intelligence cycle.
I’ve spoken to individuals interested in getting involved in the world of intelligence analysis, and one question I always get is some version of this: “What skills do I need to do the job well?”
Speaking as 2023 me, the answer looks a lot different than it did a few decades ago. And that’s a good thing. Because the constant need to learn and leverage new skills is one of the things I like most about the profession.
While not an exhaustive list, I’ve attempted to compile a few skills that I’ve needed to deploy throughout my intelligence career to demonstrate that it’s really not as straightforward as you might think. Some the things I currently have stashed in my toolkit might surprise you.
Graphic design: Slide decks, one pagers, templates, memos - intelligence needs a delivery vehicle, and often the look and feel of that is up to the analyst. Not every intel team is going to have access to a dedicated design resource. I’ve found that getting comfortable with layouts, color schemes, and other visual elements will go a long way in helping your team or analytic portfolio gain new audiences and establish a professional brand.
Videography: I’ve needed to deliver assessments in video format, both on and behind the screen. It’s a great way to get the message across to audiences short on time, working on mobile devices, or with a preference for listening vs. reading. To do so, I’ve needed to learn the basics of different recording platforms, editing tools, and dissemination vehicles. Not stuff my teachers covered in analyst school.
Data analysis: Full disclosure - this is a skill I flex infrequently. While qualitative analysis has a foundational utility in helping to inform decision makers, I’ve found that being able to add a quantitative element often tells a more robust and sophisticated story. To do so, I’ve needed to get comfortable with reading charts and graphs, manipulating data sets, and creating data-driven visuals.
Coding: Different coding elements help an analyst explore and manipulate large datasets to find trends, anomalies, or other signals to inform their assessment. I’ve used SQL a handful of times and am always surprised (and delighted!) this skill has crept into my workflow.
Vendor management: Whether it’s hiring temporary help to augment your team, commissioning a research project, adding an intelligence platform, or onboarding a new OSINT pipeline, there will be ample opportunity to interact with a host of intelligence-adjacent contractors and vendors. I’ve needed to get savvy about creating bids for work, negotiating contracts, facilitating budget conversations, establishing evaluation criteria, holding a quarterly business review, and managing remote workers.
Program management: It helps to have a structured approach to building a new intelligence portfolio or program. I’ve found that some of the best practices from program management are applicable in intelligence and help organize workflows, like creating a design document or charter at the outset of new work, visually tracking key milestones, and developing metrics for what success looks like.
Consulting: Maybe a better word for this is “sales,” but I’ve often had to take on this role when finding new stakeholders for my analysis. It requires thoughtfully selecting departments or decision-makers who might have a use for intelligence, understanding their needs and the decisions they have on their plate, and then pitching them about why analysis can be helpful vs. a hinderance. While I haven’t won every new client, my track record isn’t terrible!
Networking: As a deeply committed introvert, this one is tough for me - but essential. Intelligence professionals cannot be successful working solo in a bubble. I’ve found that building a network of peers and mentors helps spur tradecraft innovation, generates new ideas for how to do my work better, challenges my analytic assumptions, gives me new tools and resources to leverage as an analyst and as a manager, and allows me to feel part of a broader community of practice. Intelligence analysis is hard. It’s even harder if you do it alone.
Standup comedy: Analysts often have to verbally brief their assessments to individual leaders or groups of stakeholders. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve snuck in a bad joke or series of puns just to break the ice, show some good will, or get the audience’s attention. Of course this is entirely situationally dependent, but I’ve found humor and humility to be one of the most essential skills of all in this profession. So I deploy it as often as I can. No, Netflix has not asked me to do a special yet, but yes, I’d be open to the offer ; )
Your turn - what unexpected skills are in your professional toolbox?