It was surreal. I never thought in my life that I would be selected, interviewed, and extended a Conditional Offer of Employment (COE) by the CIA. It is safe to say that almost everyone has seen James Bond-type of movies that featured spies, Cold War, conspiracies, plots etc. Perhaps part of the reason why I applied to the CIA was because of my stereotypical impressions of the Agency and the life of a spy acquired through movies. Another reason was the desire to put my analytical and language skills to good use. 

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I applied for the position where the more languages you know the better. I specialized in Ukrainian, Russian, and German with possibility to learn other Slavic languages and an opportunity to acquire specific analytical and technical skills. However, the life of a spy is difficult as any interaction with a non-U.S. citizen has to be reported among other limitations that the work in the intelligence community brings. I declined the offer and went on to study at a graduate school instead to improve my analytical and technical skillset. Not sure if I was prepared to live the life of a spy considering my international background and connections.