The FBI's website provides a vivid description of the job of a special agent.

The FBI's website provides a vivid description of the job of a special agent. One day a special agent may be focused on recruiting a human source of information from a foreign country to avert a terrorist attack. Another day may involve several different activities; testifying in court in the morning, planning a sting operation over lunch, chasing down a suspect on a Most Wanted list in the afternoon, and speaking at a community event in the evening. To be effective at these tasks, special agents not only need to be physically fit, but they also need to be able to work independently, be adaptable to changing and sometimes very dangerous situations, make logical decisions based on all available facts, and communicate effectively and articulately, both orally and in writing.