ASIO is recruiting blue-collar spies: Top spy agency wants tradies in its ranks

ASIO is urging tradies to drop tools and become 007-style covert operatives, conducting stakeouts using hi-tech equipment and protecting our national interests.

Neil Keene

2 min read

February 10, 2016 - 12:00AM

THE name’s Adam ... Adam the landscaper.

Australia’s top spy agency is urging landscapers and other tradies to drop their tools and become 007-style covert operatives, conducting stakeouts using hi-tech equipment and protecting our national interests from baddies.

An ASIO advertising campaign says the organisation needs “problem-solvers with a wealth of life experience”.

“Ready to trade your tools for a role protecting our nation?” the advertisement asks in a bid to recruit an army of ASIO “surveillance officers”.

Sydney landscaper Adam Esplin firmly in the ASIO’s sights / Picture: Toby Zerna

A spokeswoman for the spy agency said the organisation wasn’t necessarily seeking people with specific trade skills, “rather we are seeking individuals who have the necessary attributes”.

“We are targeting a range of applicants, including males and females who may never have contemplated a career within ASIO,” she said.

That would put people like Sydney landscaper Adam Esplin firmly in the organisation’s sights.

The 25-year-old said yesterday he was a huge fan of James Bond movies, but had never contemplated becoming a spy himself.

“I’m probably more into just doing the landscaping and keeping it basic,” he said.

Those who do pursue the career change should be warned: the life of a top-secret operative is not for the faint-hearted. “The role of a surveillance officer is not an ordinary job,” ASIO said.

“It is both a profession and a lifestyle commitment. Surveillance officers are highly competent specialists who are capable of adapting to their surroundings in order to covertly undertake their role.” Demands of the job include sitting in a car for up to eight hours at a time — presumably on stakeout duties, during both the peaks of summer and in winter.

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And tradies considering the switch to spy duties might also have to start skipping those party pies and sausage rolls for morning tea. According to ASIO, surveillance officers must maintain their fitness “to a standard that ensures you can operate on foot (standing, walking and running) for extended periods in varied weather conditions”.

Landscaper Adam Esplin is one of the types of Tradies the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation is targeting in an advertisement to leave their trades behind and join ASIO. Picture: Toby Zerna

But they probably won’t have to swap their beers for martinis shaken, not stirred, just yet.

ASIO says it needs people who can blend into a wide range of operating environments.

“To be a professional surveillance officer, you will need to be capable of consistently prioritising your job requirements above those of your personal needs,” the job description says.

Salaries for trained officers start at $77,500.