Security clearanceàwhatÆs it worth? 2

[SGRIM]

I’m soon to separating from the Air Force with a Top Secret security clearance. My career field was not engineering, so I’ll be looking for a job that requires zero years of experience. My question is how much further ahead does this put me compared to others applying for the same job? Is having a clearance highly desirable, or is it just one more thing to put on my resume.

 

[gerhardl]

If you have any idea about the type of company/job/location that would interest you, I suggest you phone the personal department directly and ask...

Only a potential employer would actually know if your total qualifications, including security clearance, is of interest for vacant jobs, and only you would know if this job was of interest to you.

 

[corus]

If James Bond came looking for a job then I don't think his clearance would give him any increased standing at all, though background experience in mixing martinis might be of use for working behing a bar.

corus

 

[hokie66]

If you work for a defence contractor, the clearance, as well as your experience in the Air Force culture, would come in handy. Double dipping, I think it is called.

If you are looking for an engineering job and have had no applicable experience after a long time in the service, you may be in for a long search. But that all depends on other qualities you may possess.

 

[GregLocock]

All up it would have taken me about a year to get security clearance. The lack of it was merely annoying.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[PSE]

Having the clearance would naturally be desireable to an employer/position that requires one. For positions not requiring a clearance, having one has little bearing. I would note it on your resume perhaps a bit more prevalently for prospective positions that utilize security clearances and "mention" it for other positions.

You indicate that you have essentially 0 experience. Examine your career and put appropriate/related work experience(s) and education first and foremost in your resume. There is likely to be something of use.

Be aware that a cultural change is about to take place for you as you transition out of military life especially if you have been in for a significant time.

Regards,

 

[KENAT]

Assuming you're in the US I'd say having the clearance could be very useful if you want to work in the defence/aerospace field.

In my part of the US having the clearance would be especially handy since most of the good jobs are in the defence/aerospace field.

So if you're applying for a job which requires clearance you'll have a big advantage over someone without a clearance but with otherwise similar qualifications.

I've been turned down/unable to apply for multiple jobs because I'm not yet elligable for a clearance.

 

[SGRIM]

I’ve only been out of college for 3yrs. I got my B.S. in ’04 and went directly into the Air Force. My plan was to get engineering experience in the AF and then find a civilian job. I ended up in a non-technical career field where my peers in the same position as me have degrees in economics, geology, political science, and any other degree you can think of.

All my commanders keep telling me that my clearance is some kind of golden ticket to a good well paying job. My dilemma is if I should look for a job that I would enjoy, that requires a clearance? Or should I just find a job that I think I would enjoy doing?

Obviously the clearance gives me more options, I’m just trying to decide if I should limit my job search to only those that require a clearance.

 

[HgTX]

Just find a job you enjoy. Why do something you don't like just because you happen to be well-equipped to do it?

Hg

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[MadMango]

Depending on the company you land in, the clearance may mean nothing. What it does illustrate however, if that you have shown that you can be trusted with sensitive information, and there are no skeletons in your closet. I doubt listing a clearance on a resume would be looked at as a negative.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

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[KENAT]

As to the OP, definitely go for something you think you'll enjoy.

However, the clearance can probably be really useful, I live near China Lake and (supposedly) they're crying out for people with or eligible for clearance. For some reason many of the otherwise eligible personnel don't want to live in a one horse town in the middle of the Mojave Desert - imagine!!

 

[IRstuff]

An active TS clearance would be a boon to certain defense contractors. It can take up to a year to get a TS clearance, so you could actually start a job and be productive from day 1. That would apply to engineering as well as program management jobs.

So, it really boils down to what you really want to do.


TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[SGRIM]

The fact that I have a clearance is no secret. There are over 180 people in my unit that do the same job that I do and we all have clearances. Anyone who knows anything will know that I have a clearance when I tell them what my job is.

 

[JStephen]

Way back when, I was looking for employment and contacted one of the aerospace companies. There was some particular security clearance they needed that took 6 months or a year to get. They were hiring practically any breathing person with that clearance, and not interested in anybody that didn't have it, regardless of qualifications otherwise. So I'd say if you get in the right place at the right time, it's potentially very valuable. How often that is, I don't know.

 

[Heckler]

When I worked at LM, I once heard it cost around $20K per person for a company go through the clearance process.

Heckler
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[Beggar]

As mentioned, the clearance is valuable for certain companies in that it saves time and money on the company's part as well as reducing the potential risk that you'd be ineligible.

However, unless you've got the skill set that they're looking for, it's basically useless.

If you're going after entry-level engineering jobs, though, I think you'll do very well because you're a proven commodity coming out of the military and you do have the clearance. As an entry-level person, they're not expecting you to have skills beyond those common to all the BSc holders.

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[IRstuff]

Usually, when a TS program gets started, there's a lack of bodies, so a willing body is sometimes worth more than the promise of the correct body a year later.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[Fasteddie82]

I was in the AF for 5 years as an engineer, and got out in 2005.

What career field did they put you in? Regardless, I wouldn't wory about not having any engineering experience. Being in an "engineering" job in the Air Force really doesn't give you any "engineering" expereince anyway. Most of the guys I knew who were in "engineering" jobs were more like program managers, and rarely used their hard core engineering skills.

As far as the clearance goes, basically all that does is makes you eligible for more jobs. There's tons of jobs out there, both working directly for the government (as a GS) and working for governemnt contractors, that require that you have a security clearance, and you can't even apply for them if you don't have the clearance. There's several differnt sites out there dedicated to recruiting cleared personnel, one of them is ClearanceJobs, I think.

The important thing to remember about a clearance is that it does expire. If you're not in a job that requires your clearance for more than two years (I'm not sure if its exaclty that time amount, but I think that's close), thenyour clearance goes away. And once its gone, its basccially like starting all over if you need to get it again.

So, bottom line, check out the jobs that interest you. Having the clearance makes you eligible for more jobs, so check all of them out.

 

[SGRIM]

I’m a Minuteman III ICBM Operator, or maybe I should was, since I pulled my last alert a week ago. I was part of an Operational Exchange program where engineers get to go be weapon system operators for their first tour. Its supposed to help me design better systems, but I found out its just a scam to get engineers to stay in longer.

I did benefit from the experience though, since now I have a much better understanding of how to think like an end user. I also learned from engineers that visited my capsule that some of the systems I have come to despise are not totally their fault. They had to work inside the box they were given.

Sounds like my clearance gives me more jobs to apply for, however getting hired really depends on what qualifications I have to offer.

 

[KENAT]

SGRIM,

You might ask the moderator to remove the first few words of your last post. I'm not as paranoid as some but this isn't probably the kind of thing you want to post on a website. I've known people who 'worked behind the wire' as they call it in the UK and they were always very discreet and said little about what they did.