I’ve been wanting to apply for an FBI honors internship for awhile now and I’m finally in a good position to move to DC for the summer. The problem is that I was looking at the application and it says “have you smoked marijuana in the last three years?” The problem is that I have. It doesn’t say anything about what happens if you check yes, but I know on the app for regular special agents it says that if you answer yes to any of the drug sections you might as well not apply.
It really sucks for me because I never did drugs in my teens at all, and I went to study abroad and decided to try it because it wasn’t illegal and readily available. I really hope a few bad choices doesn’t ruin my chances to get this internship.
Any advice anyone has, especially that advice of FBI employees, would be greatly appreciated.
I think when applying for law enforcement jobs, it’s best to be honest. I would check yes, and when asked about it in an interview just say you tried it like twice, but it never appealed to you, or didn’t do anything for you. I too had the same questions when I applied for local police stations and when I asked some police officers what was best, they said to answer honestly. YMMV though. Maybe the FBI is stricter? I don’t know. I feel it’s better to not lie in case something comes up through your contacts or a backround investigation. I would think they’d rather hire someone who’s admitted they tried it over someone who did it, lied about it, and got caught lying.
Hi Venus -
I don’t have experience with the FBI, but I have worked closely with a number of police departments, both state and local and can give you their take on the issue.
First, let’s be clear that your prior marijuana use is not medically detectable after this long. You, or course, have to make the choice as whether to answer yes in the first place. Prior drug use will likely not disqualify you completely from consideration. It may, however, put you towards the bottom of the application pile.
If you choose to answer yes to the question I would move hell and high water to get a chance to explain the circumstances of the use and impress the hiring agents with your honesty. Even if this means attaching a short explanation to the application with the frequency and dates of use.
I hope this works out for you, I think it is terribly unfair to be put in this situation. I am sure there are dozens of other applicants who will choose to be dishonest and check no, and you may be punished for your honesty. Good Luck!
My thought is that on that type of form, particularly with a federal agency, you should be absolutely, scrupulously honest. I believe that false information on is a federal felony that could subject you to 5 years of imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. 1001 (among other possibly applicable laws). If they catch you making false statments, you can be really screwed. They will confirm your employment information, and go through your background quite carefully if you need a security clearance.
If you tried marajuana in another country where it is legal, check yes and add an explanation. Maybe it will cause you not to get the job, but that’s a heck of a lot better than getting the job and then getting caught lying on the application.