Live and Let APPLY: MI6 bosses want to hire PART TIME James Bond style spies who 'love to travel' and want to 'spice up their otherwise dull life'
The Secret Intelligence Service, better known as MI6, has put out a call to recruit a new army of 'part-time' spooks looking for adventure.
The UK's foreign intelligence service, which is portrayed in the James Bond films, is looking to boost recruitment and diversity by signing up Brits 'looking to spice up their otherwise dull life'.
Bond is famed for his macho, 'licence to kill' lifestyle, and previous recruitment drives by MI6 have sought to appeal to women and older people.
The latest series of ads, reported in The Daily Star, seeks to appeal to people with disabilities and 'consultants' with valuable contacts in Russia or China.
Bond is famed for his macho, 'licence to kill' lifestyle, and previous recruitment drives by MI6 have sought to appeal to women and older people. Pictured: Daniel Craig in Spectre
The initiative is thought to be the brainchild of the new head of MI6 Richard Moore, known as C for Controller. In the Bond films, the head of the service is known as 'M'.
One of the ads, placed in a magazine, says MI6 is seeking people with 'diverse skill sets and life experiences for part-time and consulting roles.'
It adds that the spying hopefuls will be considered 'highly desirable individuals' if they have expertise in 'their chosen field'.
In particular, the ad names 'foreign nationals' and applicants from overseas and Mr Moore spoke of encouraging diversity.
MI6, which has its headquarters on the river Thames in London , will allow the new spooks to work part time an hope to attract people with new skills.
The spy chief, whose wife is blind, is keen for people with disabilities to bring their expertise to the service.
Contacts, ideally in Russia and China, are also reportedly highly valued and sought after.
One source said: 'MI6 is basically saying to anyone fed up with their country's regime that they can work for British intelligence part-time.'
The source also boasted about the glamorous and exciting elements of the job.
'They would travel on business or holiday. That will be very attractive for a corporate executive looking to spice up an otherwise dull life.'
Who can join MI6?
MI6 has recently eased its nationality and age rules. A recruitment ad campaign in 2018 sought to encourage more women and ethnic minority candidates to apply, as well as older people.
Under old rules, candidates had to have at least one parent with British nationality or with 'substantial ties' to the UK in order to be eligible to apply.
The rules have been relaxed but applicants themselves still have to be British citizens. However, even if both parents are migrants people born in the UK can join MI6.
There have also been changes to age eligibility rules, with the upper age limit of 55 scrapped. In 2020, they also cut the minimum employment age from 21 to 18 as the service sought to attract younger recruits with technology skills.