Clearances... chicken or the egg. 1

[MacGyverS2000]

Since I'm in the D.C./Baltimore area, I'm in an area with arguably the highest concentration of jobs that require a security clearance of one level or another. The problem is, if you have never held a clearance, getting into a job that is willing to pay for one is nigh impossible... there are just too many warm bodies around with current/recent clearances to go with an unknown (supposedly... considering the # of job postings and how long they stay around, I have to wonder how hard of a time they're having filling the positions). It's a chicken/ egg scenario... can't get the clearance without that type of job, can't get that type of job without the clearance.

So, how do I break the impasse?

It's doubtful a temporary reduction in salary will work for several reasons, among them the companies typically don't have non-clearance type of work to do in the meantime. I can't pay for a clearance on my own and then job hunt, either, as the government requires you to be sponsored by a company (I still fail to see the purpose in that rule).

I see a number of listings that I could fit into, but they're all locked down due to the clearance issue... usually TS/SCI.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[KENAT]

Well, while smaller my home time is also defense dominated with similar situation in that in some cases they seem to hire warm bodies with a clearance over better suited folk without.

The one workaround seems to be the 'it's not what you know but who you know' factor. If you attend the correct church or similar (or in one case are providing 'services' for the correct manager) then your chances seem to go up.

Now some of this is based on hear say but my wife works with the employment department folks and liaises with the base HR etc. and frequently sees evidence.

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[IRstuff]

"as the government requires you to be sponsored by a company (I still fail to see the purpose in that rule)."

Access to classified information requires "Need to know."

Therefore, no one can get a clearance UNLESS they are working on a classified contract from the government or DoD. There are no exceptions. No individual can get one without a classified contract sponsor, no company either. It's just that most classified contracts go through companies, so, generally, only companies can get clearances, but even then, they need a government or DoD sponsor.

As a military contractor, even my company cannot aribtrarily request a clearance without a valid contract and a sponsor.

TTFN
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[IRstuff]

Oh, and there are limits on the number of people cleared for any particular bit of information, since every additional clearance is an additional risk of losing that classified information.

TTFN
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[MacGyverS2000]

IR,

I understand it's all need to know, but there's no harm in pre-screening someone for that type of job, is there? 95% of the work in getting a clearance is about the person, not the work they'll be doing. They can interview my neighbors, give me a poly, etc. without caring what project I'll eventually work on... I'm either a good egg or I'm not.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[IRstuff]

I've yet to find a company that wants to pay for that level of investigation.

TTFN
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[LizardmanDan]

My company started requiring new hires to get their interim clearance before they actually get brought on full time. If you are applying for a job which you are qualified it would not hurt to bring to light the fact that you are easily clearable (meaning good employment history, good credit, US citizen, etc). My company is located in northern Maryland and hires people all the time without a clearance.

I could see D.C. and Baltimore being a little bit tougher to get your foot in the door, since there will be more competition in those locations.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Among the "Other information" section at the bottom of my resume, I have in parentheses "US citizen / clearable"...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[KENAT]

Well, my wife (who works in the local unemployment office) has had people coming in all day that got fired when their security clearances were re-visited after some period (15 years in one case).

I guess they (at least the local base) are really cracking down on this stuff. It's not necessarily things that have happened since their initial clearance either, in some cases it's what one might call 'pre-existing conditions'.

I wonder how many of the felons that supposedly work on that base are gonna face the axe.

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[patprimmer]

Dan

I heard they investigate at the local Walmart and if there have been any incidents with the check out security, you don.t get clearance ;-)

Regards
Pat
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[SomptingGuy]

... I thought the thread was going to be about microns, not ridiculous American politics.

- Steve

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Damnit, Pat! I have to clean the tea off of my monitor and blow my nose until it stops dribbling tea...

Earl Grey hurts this early in the morning...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[LizardmanDan]

Macgyver,

I sent and email to your email address I found in your Hi-tecdesigns.com site. Just let me know if you are interested or not.

-Dan

 

[patprimmer]

Dan

Glad you appreciated it. It was just to tempting to resist.

Regards
Pat
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[MacGyverS2000]

Dan,

I replied, but I take it you did not receive said reply Anyway, thanks for the offer, but I believe my resume is already "in the queue" at BAH (for whatever good that does, as it's "in the queue" at a lot of the major defense contractors).

Raytheon is hosting something like a career expo at the end of the month, geared towards codebreakers (and you KNOW that means clearances to go around). The ads say "come prepared to solve puzzles", and while I don't want to embarrass myself, I'm sorely tempted to at least have a go at it... their online codebreaker tests (puzzles on the web whose solutions lead to further web pages) are fun and not too difficult (some were downright easy), and it's not like I have a ton to lose other than some time.

If I did get in someplace, I imagine it would mean a guaranteed clearance filing, which would give me what I really want. I don't get the impression this expo is solely for current holders.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com