- guardian.co.uk, Saturday September 16 2000 04.36 BST
An advert in yesterday's Times Educational Supplement offers teachers the opportunity to join the security service and help screen would-be secret agents.
Successful applicants will join MI5 to do "pre-employment assessments of applicants for all jobs" in the security service, which is responsible for intelligence gathering within the UK.
The advert said the service was also seeking people from the worlds of healthcare and counselling for the job, which offers a salary of £26,700 a year plus pension.
It stated: "We are looking for people with experience of varied or ethnically diverse appointments to carry out pre-employment assessments of all jobs."
Former teachers should have a head start, as the job involves talking to would-be spies and writing reports on them.
The job also offers opportunities to travel abroad, according to the advert, which featured the slogan: "Looking for something completely different? We are."
However, those who have tired of the classroom will have to come up with a cloak-and-dagger cover story to hide the truth about their new career.
The advert stressed: "Please avoid telling your friends about your application because discretion is an essential part of working for the security service."
Eamon O'Kane, deputy general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women teachers, said he was "totally amazed" at the appearance of the advert.
He added: "I am not sure whether this will catch on. I think teachers are desperate, but they are not that desperate."
