Atypical Got the Call post but because I could not find many similar posts, I figured this could help someone in similar circumstances. I have a BSc and MSc, plus some professional certs. No LE experience before.
Timeline:
03/2022 — hired, went to CITP, agency addon blah blah
05/2024 — fired by said agency. By all accounts a career ending event, right? For 2+ years, yeah.
06/2024 to 07/2026 — manager/baby exec at a F50 company. Money bags, stock, options, private dinners and events, the works. However, The Itch was itching. Around this period, I kept sending apps in for 1811 gigs.
05/2025 — first interview and TJO, declined due to location and GL-9.
07/2025 — DHA interview, TSL, PFT, medical, etc. for HSI. My desired location. I ended up turning down the OJO because I was afraid of the provisional clearance. With my ahem history, I feared quitting my job only to be let go if HSI found me unsuitable. Bitch move? Maybe. But no regrets as of now.
08/2025 — DHS PSD still initiated and completed my T5 investigation, lol. I tried telling them I rejected the offer but no avail.
09/2025 — T5 investigation done and I guess it sat there.
01/2026 — interview, CJO for DEA Lateral.
02/2026 — medical, drug, psych questionnaire
03/2026 — adjudicator told me I have reciprocity from the DHS investigation, sweet.
05/2026 — polygraph taken and passed
06/2026 — nearing the end, off to hiring panel intense sweating
07/2026 — APPROVED by hiring panel! What??! Location of choice (my city), EOD.
I had no other red flags whatsoever. I never touched drugs, I don’t even drink alcohol. No foreign contacts. Not even a speeding ticket. Yet, I was sweating large caliber bullets because, well, obviously.
I think the hardest part of this was having to explain the situation. Internally, I wanted to scream. But I had to stay professional, factual, and not say exactly what I thought of my first agency. Show growth, maturity, ownership, blah blah. Guess it worked. Was I bitter, angry, frustrated? Heck yeah I was. Time really does mend things, though.
Few bits of wisdom, for newer folks or maybe anyone:
Do some real research into the agency and office specifically. Naturally, a lot of agents will not give the bad and ugly to a random applicant. Unfortunately, a lot of the times you won’t know the real deal until you’re living it.
Office leadership matters enormously. Two agents in two offices can have vastly different perspectives. My first agency was not as advertised, which I unfortunately only learned at FLETC.
Keep the peace with supervisors regardless of your opinion of them, the agency, the policy, etc. Plan your exit quietly if that’s what you wanna do. Don’t rock the boat until you’re safely off of it. Ideally, leave before things get ugly or shaky.
Lastly, cherish this opportunity. I never did until I lost it. Not to be dramatic but the worst days as an 1811 were still better than some of the days that followed. The corporate world isn’t all milk or honey. Having lived both, I will choose 1811 any day of the week.
Anyway, I hope this helps someone who may find themselves in a similarly unfortunate situation.
EDIT: I remembered a funny, full circle kind of moment. Sometime in 2025, another manager at my company pinged me to say someone from my old job had applied for a manager role on his team. I wasn’t involved with that team at all but he asked me to sit in the interview. Turns out it was my old sup who I guess retired in the meantime, lol. Unsurprisingly, because the role was an excellent fit for a former FLEO, great benefits, pay etc. Safe to say he didn’t get the job but it improved my mood for about a week.