May 1, 2006:
The Australian Security Intelligence Organization (or ASIO, a CIA like outfit) always needs new people, and is picky about who it accepts. Typically, only two or three percent of applicants are accepted for the twelve month training course. So recruiting is always a chore. Recently, ASIO decided to try reaching people via Google's sponsored ad links. Type in the right words, and up pops a recruiting ad from ASIO. This is one part of a recruiting campaign that is trying to increase the staff of the ASIO 80 percent (to over 1,800 people) in the next five years. Most of this growth is to support counter-terror efforts.