Dexter Ingram — National Security, Declassified
The Breaking-In Circle · Now Enrolling

The Breaking-In Circle: your way into national security.

Live monthly group calls, the complete career toolkit, members-only Q&A, and a small group breaking in alongside you.

Everything you need to go from locked out to on your way in.

Become a Member → See what's inside
30 Years Inside
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
What's inside the Breaking-In Circle

Everything you need to
break in.

Join once. Everything below is yours from day one.

Live · Every Month

A live monthly group call with Dexter – bring your real questions

Career pathways, applications, clearances, agencies, the tradecraft of getting hired. All asked and answered live by someone who has held the jobs you want. Between calls, member-only Q&A keeps the answers coming.

The Toolkit Shelf · All Included

The full member toolkit

  • The Federal Resume System + editable two-page template
  • The Interview Prep Kit
  • The Security Clearance Self-Assessment
  • The 90-Day Career Planner
  • The Career Pathway Assessment
  • Every new guide Dexter releases
Six tools. Yours from day one.
The Room

A small group breaking in alongside you

Not a webinar audience. A room small enough that Dexter knows your name and your target role, with special guests from the intelligence community, diplomacy, law enforcement, and homeland security.

The Full File

Every member-only word of Dexter Ingram: Declassified

The free posts are the briefing. Members get the full file: the complete archive, artifact deep-dives, and subscriber-only threads.

Signed & Shipped

A signed copy of National Security Careers

Breaking-In Circle members are the only people Dexter signs and ships books to directly. A field manual for the way in, with your name in it.

Breaking-In Circle membership is open.

The Breaking-In Circle launches this August. Break the price down and it comes to $25 per month. That covers the live monthly call with a 30-year insider, the full toolkit, and the room. A single coaching session anywhere else costs more.

And it's one investment: $300, once, for the entire year.

Breaking-In Circle · Annual
$300/year
= $25/month

One payment. Twelve months of everything below.

✓ Live monthly sessions with Dexter
✓ Career Pathway Assessment & guides
✓ Full Dexter Ingram: Declassified access
✓ Signed copy of National Security Careers, shipped
✓ Member-only Q&A between calls
Become a Member →
Secure checkout via Substack · powered by Stripe
Your guide inside

Someone with a Career in National Security.

Dexter Ingram spent three decades across the Navy, the State Department, INTERPOL, the FBI, and DHS. Today he leads the nonprofit IN Network, serves on the International Spy Museum advisory board, and writes Dexter Ingram: Declassified for 2,000+ readers. The Breaking-In Circle is direct access.

"If you want the real story — not the sanitized version — you're in the right place."— From Dexter Ingram: Declassified
On the record

From the people who've been working with Dexter.

"Dexter Ingram has lived the national security career most people can only imagine. National Security Careers offers not just a roadmap, but a rare insider's view of the people, principles, and purpose that shape this vital work."

Jonna Mendez · Former CIA Chief of Disguise; Advisory Board, International Spy Museum

"Dexter Ingram launched IN Network with the goal of reaching and helping to guide underserved youth and young adults towards careers in national security — more vital than ever, given the multiplicity of actors on the global stage."

Ambassador Marcia Bernicat · Former Director General, Department of State

"Dexter is the kindest, most attentive person who truly cares about the younger generation and providing them with the proper tools and support to help them get to where they want to go… His personal background and story are invaluable and have helped me to better understand what I am stepping into."

Colleen McCuskey · Former Analyst, National Counterterrorism Center
Questions, answered

Before you ask.

Who is the Breaking-In Circle for?+
College students and early-career professionals who want a career in national security, intelligence, diplomacy, or counterterrorism. If you don't have the network, the clearance, or a clear map, if that describes your situation, this program is for you
When does it start?+
The program will start in late September. The deadline to join is September 14th.
How do the live sessions work?+
Live, synchronous video sessions with Dexter every month. Participants should be enrolled by September 14th.
Do I need a security clearance or experience?+
No. That's the point. The Breaking-In Circle exists precisely for people who don't have the clearance, the connections, or the resume yet. It's how you start building all three.
How do I pay?+
One payment of $300 for the full year: that's $25 per month, but you pay once and you're done. Checkout is handled through Substack's secure system (powered by Stripe): one click, no duplicate forms, member access the moment payment clears.
Is this connected to IN Network?+
The missions are similar, but the Breaking-In Circle is not directly connected to IN Network
One decision

A year from now, you'll either still be scrolling for the way in, or you'll be inside the Breaking-In Circle.

One investment: $300 for the year. The live calls, the toolkit, the full Dexter Ingram: Declassified archive, and a signed book at your door.

Become a Member →