If you haven’t heard, James Bond celebrated his 50th birthday as a film icon. The successful franchise has kept audiences fascinated with the secret agent’s lifestyle, letting the public tag along on 007’s top secret missions.
Aside from Hollywood’s portrayal of MI6’s top agent, have you ever wondered what it’s really like to live the life of a spy? How about from the female perspective? (No, we’re not talking about Covert Affairs.)
Workingmother.com recently profiled several women who hold top secret clearance. While their job titles are not “secret agent” or “spy” like their Hollywood counterparts, they are highly trained, and have experience in the field (think covert assignments in foreign countries.) In addition to their careers, the women also have important responsibilities at home—children.
Mum’s the word. Not surprisingly, keeping secrets is one of the most important aspects in intelligence jobs. That includes keeping secrets from children and spouses. According to the article, this is one of the reasons there are a lot of married couples in intelligence, because spouses with similar security clearances can be more open about their day at work.
However, leading a double life isn’t necessarily a difficult obstacle. One of the women noted that “[m]ost people have work personas and home personas and manage keeping them apart quite well. Being a case officer is not much different in my mind.”
Indeed there are other professions that require employees to not discuss parts of their work—e.g., lawyers, doctors, researchers. However, there’s something about the idea of secret agents—no doubt instilled by Hollywood—that creates a sense of excitement around these women’s professions.
Read the article for a peak into the women’s top secret lives.