One Career, Many Roles

“I worked in NSA for thirty five years. It has been everything that I have envisioned and more.” This quote is from Anthony Carter, a retired National Security agency executive who held roles ranging from analyst to chief of staff before retiring in 2022. The NSA plays a critical role in keeping the country safe by tracking and analyzing foreign communications to identify potential threats, and defending against cyberattacks and protecting sensitive information. Though Carter spent numerous years at the NSA, his work looked completely different at the end than it did at the beginning. According to Carter, “When I first began employment there, I was an analyst. I was looking at data eight hours a day. However, over the course of my time at the Agency, I began managing money, and eventually, I began managing people as a chief of staff."

Thirty-five years. Four decades of changing technology. However, when retired National Security Agency executive Anthony Carter reflects on his career, he doesn't begin by talking about classified missions or cybersecurity. Rather, he points to a skill many students practice every day: writing. One theme that Carter highlighted is that while technical knowledge can open doors, communication opens many more. When asked to reflect upon his own strengths, Carter stated, “The National Security agency is a technical agency, but I’m not a technical person. I write well. That may sound like a small thing, but what I found over the course of my career was that being able to write well and communicate well has really paid off the most for me.” While many associate computers with the field of security, the reality of the profession is that it is much broader than one may think. The NSA employs professionals with skills in cybersecurity, data science, computer science, mathematics, writing, communications, and foreign language. Moreover, when asked to reflect upon his high school and college experiences, Carter stated, “In college, I wish I would have given computer science more of a try. I took one computer course and let my journey with computers end there. But, being a history major has helped me. Having a liberal arts background has benefitted me because I can converse well over a number of different topics. That has paid huge dividends in my career.”

From a very young age, Carter knew that he wanted to later become an NSA employee. When he was in high school, he lived near the NSA headquarters and had family members and friends who had worked there. Carter also stated that he would often hear about his friends’ and family members’ experiences at the NSA and that contributed to his fascination with the field. To paint a clearer picture as to why security was so appealing to him, Carter stated, “I have had a lot of different assignments in my career. Being part of a mission or an assignment that comes to fruition is very rewarding. Actually seeing a job that we undertook get completed successfully, and without anyone getting hurt, is deeply satisfying.” Carter also added that there were many challenging aspects of the job in addition to upsides. In specific, Carter was allowed to travel with his family up until his last two assignments, when he had to leave them for up to a year at a time and adapt to the separation.

Finally, when asked if he had any advice to impart on young students, Carter explained, “Lending yourself to trying new things will benefit you in whatever field you are in. Do not be afraid to challenge yourself.”