Former MI5 legal director details ‘two qualities’ you need for a successful intelligence service career

If you’ve been thinking about a career within the intelligence service then you’ve probably wondered what you need to be successful.

Thankfully, a former MI5 legal director has provided all the answers, specifically 'two qualities' you need to have for the career.

David Bickford was a legal director for both MI5 and MI6, ultimately working on some of the toughest missions across the globe.

Initially, David was a lawyer, but he decided a career change was needed - and that's where the intelligence service comes in.

This is when David went to the British overseas territory of Turks and Caicos Islands to work as a government legal advisor.

Adam Whitehead

Following that David joined the Foreign Office, where he did 'human rights work'.

But it was during the Cold War where David really gained his experience and knowledge required to succeed with the likes of MI5.

During his time in Berlin, the former legal director worked as British military government legal adviser.

So what would a typical day during the Cold War look like for David?

He tells UNILAD: "Quite often the day would start with what we call prayers, or the lawyers would get together and work out what we were doing at that particular time; what operations needed further advice."

Meetings would then take place to 'discuss a warrant that we were taking out on a particularly individual to eavesdrop on them, or listen into their telephone, then you might go to advise someone who was going out to meet an agent'.

"The day was incredibly busy, incredibly interesting, hopping from one thing to the other, trying to keep a lid on the boiling kettle," David says.

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On the other side of the intelligence spectrum, David has advised the government and set up a future to deal with terrorism.

And when David embarked on the role, it was a very new field.

"At that time, the agencies were dealing with communism, and everything was ultra secret," David tells UNILAD.

"As soon as you shift to terrorism, you have to be far more open in your dealings.

"The public will want to know when terrorists are being prosecuted, they'll want to see the trial, they'll want to see what happens.

"Therefore it was changing that attitude, from sheer total secrecy to becoming much more open."

And for those who fancy themselves for a career in the intelligence service, David has provided the answers.

The former MI5 legal director says 'two qualities' are the key.

David explains: "First of all, that there's courage. Individuals [have] to have great courage. Second, what's really interesting is, is integrity.

"Now, that sounds very odd when you're talking about people that are going out, lying to people pretending that they're other than they are.

"And creating situations to trap people into doing things or being prosecuted.

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"But if one looks at it, when they go out and do these jobs, they have to come back to the office and report on it.

"Now, if their report isn't absolutely honest, and they [don't] tell everything that's gone on, then you're in a situation where you can't trust the officers and things can go wrong."

As for advice for those hoping to take the career plunge, David says: "Go on to the websites of both MI5 and MI6.

"See whether you think you would like to do it and if you would, go and apply.

"It doesn't matter who you are, what religion you have, what view you have as to who you may particularly be, everybody is welcome.

"There is no discrimination."

So, will you take the plunge?

David's latest book, Katya The Informer, is available now.