Experience for intelligance analysis?

So I'm doing a degree in criminology and I'm interested in the area of criminal analysis/intelligence/any data analysis of the sort
I don't know how to gain work experience for it though or where I can gain the skills that would be helpful for that matter
The police around here only accept those in year 10 or 11 for work experience and I hardly believe the likes of MI5/MI6 hand out work experience aha

Thanks for any ideas
x

Reply 1

Sir Humphrey

You don't need work experience to become an analyst. What I would focus on instead is working in areas where you are exposed to information which you have to absorb data from, pull together into a succint analysis of the situation and more critically provide a coherent assessment as to 'so what'.
What I mean by this is that being a good analyst relies heavily on your ability to see patterns, activity and predict what may occur as a result.

In terms of 'work experience' you could try joining the Armed Forces reserves, all of which have intelligence roles. Alternatively do things like Model UN which teaches you how to work under pressure, or do something like establish a current affairs blog, taking an issue and then trying to form an analysis based on what is going on. This is more important than having a week working somewhere, as its your skills they are interested in, not your CV as such.