Luke Hanson '02

A Career with the FBI:  A Call to Public Service

When you think of an FBI agent, images from movies likely come to mind—someone in a black bulletproof vest charging into dangerous situations or tracking a suspect.

Luke Hanson works for the FBI, though his path differed from the cinematic portrayal. He began his career in financial services but felt a calling to public service, inspired by his family’s history in the field. Initially, Luke aimed to become an agent, even though the FBI also offers various professional roles, including positions in finance.

In his late 20’s, Luke reached the final stage of agent preparation. The only thing that stood between him and 20 weeks of training in Quantico was passing a physical fitness test. Unfortunately, a pre-existing back condition flared up during the test, causing him to fail. Two back procedures later, doctors advised him against further attempts.

"I had to accept that I wasn’t going to be an agent. Given my background in finance and no experience in law enforcement or the military, the professional staff route was a better fit for me."

About a year later, Luke saw a job posting in the FBI’s Finance and Facilities Division. Each of the six regional hubs has a finance office responsible for all financial matters of the field offices in the surrounding states. He applied, flew to Dallas for a 30-minute interview, and got the job. After two years, however, he realized the role wasn’t the best fit, but he soon secured a promotion in finance at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Pivoting to a role in Finance

The family moved from Dallas to Maryland, and Luke has now been in Washington, DC for two years, where he is a supervisor within the Counterintelligence Division's Strategic Resources Section, overseeing the Financial Management Unit.  "My unit handles the budget for the entire division, for anything related to counterintelligence."

What Luke enjoys most about his job is working with people and seeing the impact of his work. "I've always been into finances and seeing the impact. A lot of what we do eventually pops up in the news, so it’s rewarding to see something on TV and know I had a part in it. My wife often asks if I was involved when something big happens, and while I can’t confirm or deny, it’s fun to see the impact."

One challenge in his role is managing financial constraints and allocating resources wisely. Budget cuts require getting the same results from a smaller pool of money, all while maintaining the status quo for both fixed costs and new initiatives.

For security reasons, Luke can’t share much more. “The FBI has different levels of clearance, and I have the highest level—Top Secret/SCI (Sensitive Compartmented Information). Most of what I deal with is at that level.” Due to the confidential nature of his work, Luke doesn’t discuss it, even with his wife. He is always cautious about his surroundings and personal information.

"In my world, there’s a lot of spy activity. Anything suspicious, I err on the side of caution." 

To decompress, Luke hits the gym, lifting weights and working out. The FBI does a great job with work-life balance. "When I leave the office, I can't do any work from home. Everything stays at the office, which is a great boundary." He also dedicates his free time to his wife and two young sons, ages 4 and 2. 

Luke's Advice to Anyone Interested in Working for the FBI

For anyone interested in working for the FBI, Luke offers this advice: "The age cutoff to become a special agent is 37. However, there is no age cutoff on the professional staff side. Put in the work, do the interview prep, and even if it doesn’t work out the first or second time, keep going. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. Shoot for your goals; shoot for the stars!"