Authorities have long been present at trade fairs – whether it’s the armed forces, the police or tax offices, they’re all looking for new recruits. A service that usually shies away from the public is now also present there.
Germany’s foreign intelligence service BND is recruiting staff at the Gamescom computer games trade fair with a large stand. “There is an overlap between the visitors to Gamescom and the people we would like to have as new recruits in our own ranks,” says press spokeswoman Julia Linner to the dpa. They are desperately looking for new staff. “The shortage of skilled workers is not stopping at the BND either.”
Unlike most other trade fair visitors, the secret service employees at Gamescom do not wear name tags. The federal agency has around 6,500 employees – 4,000 of them are in Berlin, 1,000 in Pullach near Munich and 1,500 abroad or elsewhere in Germany. BND colleagues are on site at the Gamescom stand, who “report very practically on everyday work,” as agency spokeswoman Linner puts it.
IT experts are in demand
Those interested can solve tasks on computers in a fun way – for example, they have to find data sets that point to a fictitious terrorist attack. This task makes it clear what the BND is primarily concerned with: computer experts who are familiar with the World Wide Web and the world of programming.
According to press spokeswoman Linner, the BND is a good fit for gamers, as there are certain similarities between the gaming world and the agency. “Our employees are computer and technology savvy, they go on missions, take on roles and assume different identities to gain information – similar to characters in video games.”
BND between Bundeswehr and arms company
But isn’t it a contradiction that spies appear in public and advertise themselves for everyone to see? “This is a measure that must now be taken,” says Linner.
The BND stand at Gamescom is a little away from the usual hustle and bustle in a hall where other employers also present themselves to the trade fair audience. The German army is positioned right next to the BND, opposite is the arms company Rheinmetall and a representative of the Bundestag. They all want to attract the interest of passers-by.
Small talk is not necessarily necessary
The BND is putting in a lot of effort and is sending a cosplayer to the Cologne event to win the favor of the trade fair audience: A woman is dressed as a kind of desert warrior – with a shield on her back that is supposed to symbolize the protection of democracy. She hands out business cards on which she introduces herself as “Operator AJ”. What AJ means remains secret.
According to the map, AJ’s strength lies in the category of camouflage, where she has three out of three points. In the category of leader she has two out of three points and in small talk she has only one out of three. Chatterboxes are not wanted at the BND.
The BND was already at Gamescom in 2023, but only with a small stand at that time. The secret service has been present at career and IT fairs for some time.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
