Today I spoke to Kelly Wong, a security analyst in the Canadian Senate. She has previously worked for multiple private intelligence firms and has interned at the International Criminal Courts. We discussed the challenges and rewards of working in intelligence, the obstacles ethnic minorities face in the application process, and Kelly’s advice for young professionals.
Apologies for the mic quality in this episode.
Disclaimer:
Any views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the Interviewee are solely that of the Interviewee and do not reflect the views, opinions, policies, or positions of any institution or organisation.
You can find Kelly on:
We spoke about:
- What working at the ICC was like as an intern (3:00)
- Moving from an international organisation to the private sector (6:13)
- The experience of working away from home (10:09)
- Kelly’s current job at the Senate of Canada (11:09)
- The precautions involved in working with classified material remotely (12:33)
- What working for the Senate of Canada in an intelligence role involves (14:42)
- Canada’s intelligence capability (16:05)
- OSINT and application of investigative mindset in Kelly’s role (17:25)
- What sets Kelly apart from others, professionally (19:46)
- What helped shape Kelly as a person and a professional (22:03)
- How being from an ethnic minority has impacted Kelly’s journey (24:44)
- What’s next for Kelly (28:37)
- What area Kelly would like to work in going forward (29:53)
- Mentoring (31:13)
- Career advice for young / mid-career professionals (33:31)
- Cultural recommendations (35:05)
- Kelly’s question about the origins of Grey Dynamics (36:41)
- Kelly’s advice on languages (42:35)
- Final thoughts (46:29)
Related Links: - So, You Want To Be An Intelligence Analyst?
- A Guide to Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)
- A Guide to Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT)
- Interview with former CIA Officer, Jason L.
- Former DIA Intelligence Analyst, Marcel Plichta
- Intelligence Led-Policing, OSINT & Facing PTSD with Julie Nel
- Corporate Intelligence, Global Risk, & OSINT Tips with Gareth Westwood
- OSINT, Military Career Transition & Language Skills with Skip Schiphorst
- GEOINT, OSINT & Facing Vicarious Trauma with Benjamin Strick
- ChatGPT, The Intelligence Community & Career Advice with Mike Evans
- OSINT & SOCMINT for Threat Intelligence with Jordan Ponath
- Expert advice for getting into Intelligence
- Intelligence Tradecraft Week, Tools, Tips & Tricks
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