FBI looks to Portland State to help find interpreters

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking to employ 3,000 foreign language interpreters from around the nation, and the government agency has chosen Portland State advertising students to head up a project specifically for the Bureau.

The project’s intentions are to inform the FBI of where to go, whom to contact and what to do in order to advertise its career opportunities to people that would be interested.
“The project is aimed at people outside of PSU toward the marketplace,” said Don Dickenson, the director of Portland State’s advertising management department.

Students in Dickenson’s class have been working diligently for eight weeks to create a 70-page guidebook and slide show for presentation to FBI agents in charge of getting the word out about new opportunities within the Bureau.

The Bureau is part of the EdVenture program that allocates colleges with leading advertising departments to develop ad campaigns that target people who would consider working for companies that participate.

The plan the group of advertising students has formulated incorporates multiple ways of approaching people of different nationalities to inform them of the careers available with the FBI.

“The FBI can take the guidebook provided to use guerilla outreach to recruit the right people,” Dickerson said.

Sarah Essex, Ismael Sanches, Mellisa Watson and Jon Shaffer have been working closely with Dickenson on the editorial staff of the project.

“The booklet is still rough and will look a lot better once pictures are in it,” said Essex, a senior on the editorial staff for the project. 
  
PowerPoint slides from the project indicated that 83 percent of people from around the area have not been exposed to FBI advertisements, and have not heard of the FBI career Web site to obtain jobs. 

The presentation also gave insight into what the most important characteristics people are looking for in a job.  Salary, health benefits, advancement opportunity and job security were of the highest priorities to people, all of which working for the government can provide.

The students involved with the project concluded that a public service announcement broadcast would be the best way to get out word of careers in the FBI but Jessica Baker, one of Dickenson’s students, added that, “using Facebook can be beneficial for recruitment.” 

The battle cry for the advertising campaign is “It’s your move – Make it the Bureau.”

To apply now for employment with the FBI, visit www.USAjobs.gov and use the promotional code: edventurepartners.