Be careful, 007. It’s just had a new coat of paint: Today is D-day for would-be Qs to apply to MI6

Like ticket inspectors on a London bus, people who work for MI6 could be anyone, and are #secretlyjustlikeyou. We see no reason why our readers shouldn’t put themselves up for the job (just remember to tip us off securely here when you’re tasked with making Vista work “just one more year” on a dusty PC behind a red door at SIS HQ.)

Applicants need to be a senior bod, with a track record of delivering “digital transformation”, but what does this mean to the Secret Intelligence Service, we wonder. Do they want you to fire people, switch databases or connect all of 007's fountain pens to the interwebs to make them not-so-smart IoT gadgets? Also, let's not forget, per the job spec: you must be ready to build collaborative relationships with “senior stakeholders across private and public sectors.” That’s not just a tech job, that’s not just research: that means rubbing shoulders with some of the most horrible people in the UK.

• How innocent people 'of no security interest' are mere keystrokes away in UK's spy databases
• INSIDE GCHQ: Welcome to Cheltenham's cottage industry
• Inside the real-world Double-O section of Her Majesty's Secret Service

Your boss? Well, Richard Moore will be your “C”. Expect to see a few smiley face winky-emojis when you receive that self-destructing note delivered via paper airplane from a worker atop the BT building.

The successful candidate will not be "publicly avowed" - so you will have to think up a cover story for your friends. Practise it in front of the mirror: “I’m a completely normal person; I work in forensic accounting.” Human Resources is a good choice because nobody knows what they do and nobody dares ask.

We’ve put together a poll about best and worst parts of the job, but feel free to weigh in with a comment below if you can’t find an option that suits you. Good luck with your applications. ®