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.

 

[SGRIM]

I don't think this is a secret either. Missileers even have their own forum.

http://www.missileforums.com/forums/

 

[Fasteddie82]

Yeah, basically, the clearance just opens more jobs to you. Also many of those jobs that require a clearance pay more than a similar job without the clearance (sometimes much more), so that's something to keep in mind.

If you're looking for adventure, there also seems to be lots of overseas jobs with govt contractors (L3, E,G,& G, Raytheon, etc) that require a clearance. I've seen several jobs in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places. No necessarily hardcore Aerospace Engineering jobs, but more like they need someone with a clearance and some military experience to do a job.

Operational Exchange--Ha! I knew several people who did that. I even knew a few who were never even told that they were a part of it, until it came time for their next assignment. One guy was an Intelligence officer. He LOVED being an intel officer. He lived, ate, and breathed being an intel officer. When it came time for his next assignment, he had it all planned out where he wanted his next intel assignment to be, and the personnel center came back and said "Oh, no, you're part of this first-term career broadening program. Now you have to go to your "normal" career field as a maintainer." That guy was not happy.

How is it a scam to get engineers to stay in longer?

Regardless, I knew of a guy in almost your exact situation. He had an EE degree, and did 4 or 5 years in missiles. He got out, and got a job down in Albuquerque NM with Boeing, doming some sort of EE work. So it can be done.

Do you have any thoughts as to what kind of industry you’d like to work in, or what kind of work you’d like to do?

 

[SGRIM]

I was first led to believe that the OPEX program was supposed to give engineers a better understanding of how the operational world works. It does this, but that’s not why they created the program. I later discovered that it is really just made to try to keep people from doing their 4yrs and punching. I guess too many engineers were doing their 4yrs and then getting hired by the civilian contractors they work with. The AF figures if you do 4-5yrs in an Ops tour, then an engineering job, you’re already in 8-9yrs so why not go ahead and stay in for 20.

I’m not really sure what industry I want to work in. Somebody on another forum recommended Orbital. They do a lot of spacelift and satellite stuff. I think my experience in the Space and Missile community would also lend itself to a company like that.

 

[dcasto]

If I saw on your resume TS clearance, I'd give you some consideration as being reliable, Nice.

 

[Fasteddie82]

Orbital would be cool. SpaceX is also hiring, if you are interested in being part of a "New Space" kind of program. There the ones who are trying to build a cheaper booster to compete with Lockheed and Boeing.

If you have a certain area of the country you want to be in, that can narrow down your choices quite a bit. If you want to work in So. Cal, or in the Southwest somewhere, there's tons of opportunities. If you want to be in the Midwest, your opportunites are quite a bit more limited for Aerospace stuff.

 

[treyjay]

Having been in the same situation as you about 21 years ago, let me share with you my opinion.

If you are applying for jobs that require a clearance or at least at a company that does need cleared personnel, then by all means list it on your resume.

If you are applying for a position at a company that has no use for a clearance, then don't list it and don't mention it. If you are interviewed by a company that has no need for clearances, the chances are good that your clearance status will work against you. You may be looked at with suspicion (as bassackwards as that sounds) or you may be interviewed by someone who feels that you have more of a credential than he/she does and you will then become their competition (interviewers, who are themselves employees, hate potential rivals).

When I was in the military, I heard the same mantra about your "high value" to employers because of your high clearance. Funny thing is, all those people were still in the military and didn't know the proverbial #$%& from shineola about the civilian work world.

 

[vpl]

Even though you currently have a high level security clearance, it will not "transfer" with you. So you will still have to go through whatever clearance process your new company has; which will take time. Additionally, often-times the delays in processing clearances have nothing to do with a particular individual and a lot to do with sheer number of requests.

Currently having a security clearance does give prospective employers a "warm fuzzy" that you will be able to get a clearance eventually, so it's worth mentioning, but I wouldn't consider it a major selling point.

Patricia Lougheed

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

Want to post an image? See FAQ559-1100 and FAQ559-1177.

 

[IRstuff]

That sounds different than what our company experiences. New hires with existing clearances usually get their old one "transferred" in relatively short order.

Those without previous clearance take major chunks of a year to get a clearance.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[Twoballcane]

If your clearance was granted by Dept of Securtiy Service, then your good in the defense industrie. What I have seen is that if a program needs people with that clearance by next month and you have it, most likey you will get hired with no experince. Because one, Top Secret is very tedious to get and will take a year to get, program managers can't wait that long. Second, the job it self can be very simple that a 0 experince can do it. The security clearance do's not indicate the level of dificulty of the job just the level of need to know.

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

 

[IRstuff]

Sure, there are tons of non-engineers with TS or higher clearances. Secretaries, Presidents, etc.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[KENAT]

Someone needs to make the coffee & photocopies even on TS projects!

 

[RDK]

Will you retain your clearance after leaving the military?

I have heard that they lapse when you leave.



Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion

http://www.kitsonengineering.com

 

[kontiki99]

I saw the OP, but didn't read the responses.

So much Government work is outsourced to private contractors now a days that I'd be surprised if you couldn't find a position similar to your military one with a civilian contractor at much better pay.