

Ask HN: How to apply for positions that require government clearance? - manvsmachine

I just finished reading the post on Lockheed; ironically I'm currently working on my resume to apply for a position there doing embedded software development. It's an entry-level position posted in the section for new college grads, but the applicant is required to qualify for Top Secret level clearance. I have a couple friends who have gone through the clearance process, but not for any level that high. Is there anything I can / should do differently than I would with any other potential job?<p>I know that it's not standard related, but IIRC a few posts here have mentioned doing work that suggests that they've been in this position before.
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hga
Actually, Top Secret is not very high (e.g. well below DOE Q or of course
TS/SCI).

Basically, you just have to be honest in your application, and of course you
have to be a reasonably trustworthy person (and not black-mailable; e.g. it's
OK to be GLBT, but not in the closet).

As noted elsewhere in the comments, you'll have to fill out a long form,
people you know will be interviewed (my knowledge of all this is mostly from
supplying interviews for a couple of friends), and as noted it will take some
time. You won't be able to work on your actual project until you get the
clearance, which many find annoying, but for this sort of job perhaps they'll
have you learn the development environment, work on tools, etc. (I had one
friend give up on a LLNL sysadmin job because he couldn't do _anything_ to
speak of.)

If you're concerned about accepting a job that you might end up being let go
from because you didn't get your clearance, check out this page:
<http://www.home.earthlink.net/~lastone2/individualsales.html> and the general
web site of LeRoy A. Stone: <http://home.earthlink.net/~lastone2/home.html>.

He provides a service that will give you an estimate of how likely it is
you'll get a clearance. I used him back in 2003, although his assessment
became moot when my job offer essentially went poof.

One really important aspect of this job: it's a two-fer in terms of having a
long career in software. The embedded community has more respect for gray
hairs than any other, and work that requires a clearance by definition can't
be outsourced overseas or given to H-1B or L-1 visa holders.

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ciar
I was recently hired for an IT position that required a Secret clearance. I
had read a great deal about obtaining the clearance and had help from my
prospective employer that made the process much easier. The best advice (as an
earlier poster noted) is to tell the complete truth. Leave nothing out, no
matter how embarrassing, because the people doing the background checks and
interviews will check out everything. Also, make sure that you check your
credit report and be aware of any criminal records that may be hanging around
from your past. Secret level checks go back seven to ten years, and top secret
will be at least ten. The security officer at your firm should be able to
answer any and all questions you have. I was told that interim approval would
take 2 to 14 days and full approval could take up to 6 months. With no
criminal record or associations with foreign nationals, and a fair credit
score my full approval happened within a month. It can seem daunting, but the
end result is worth the effort. I hope this helps.

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jleyank
Well, if Lockheed's in the US, they you better be a US citizen. Better have a
clean criminal record, and be comfortable with having your past prodded and
poked. And you'll be pissing in a bottle, probably as a condition of
employment, maybe more often. Probably good to not have connections with
"unusual groups of people", and you might think of sanitizing your net
footprint as much as possible.

I don't know whether TS is high enough, but there's a chance you'll be "on the
box" as well. I assume you're aware of all this up front, before even
considering such a job?

~~~
manvsmachine
I'm sorry, "on the box"? I'm not familiar with that phrase.

~~~
jleyank
Lie Detector...

~~~
hga
I gather it's more a domain question, e.g. the NSA does this ... in part
because compromises there can be very deadly very quickly. That's the only
organization for which I've heard they're common, but by the very nature of
all this I wouldn't know of others that my friends weren't in.

------
yan
Usually, the company/agency hiring you would sponsor your clearance and they'd
ask you to start if they're interested in you. Once it starts, expect it to
take 5 months to a year.

edit: see <http://www.opm.gov/Forms/pdf_fill/sf86.pdf>

