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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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We require a specific kind of clearance for our workers going onto certain of our sites, and top-secret or secret clearance would not work, they would still have to get the same background check from Homeland Security. Secret clearance is for information, not access.
Well, in my experience, it helps you get a job that requires a Security Clearance...
Bingo! If you are looking for jobs that require a security clearance, it helps to have one. If you are just looking for any job, no one really cares about them.
Depending on the position the security clearance would work however, in some positions it is useless because a different level of security for things outside of data/information is needed.
If you would work for me your security clearance might help you get a TWIC card quicker but it is doubtful.
It helps. Especially with a contractor who needs a body in a seat ASAP. Its not as valuable as it was roughly from 2003-2008, when it seemed like anyone with a clearance could get a nicely paid job.
Given two equal candidates for a job, the one with the clearance will most certainly get the job than the one without.
However, I don't think it helps as much with federal positions (not contractors), who are looking more long term. I'm curious... I don't know if the money for each investigation for a clearance for a federal positions comes from each department/office or the agency, or just gets billed to OPM...
It's also important to note that you can't just go out and get a clearance. Clearances must be sponsored and are tied to an issuing federal agency. You must be employed before you can get the clearance and will only be processed for one if you have a need for one.
Whether or not someone who is currently not a clearance holder should apply to a job that requires a clearance needs to be carefully considered.
The reality is that many jobs are completely overclassified, meaning that there really isn't any rational basis for the clearance levels required except that those who created the positions decided to err on the side of overclassifying rather than underclassifying.
The uninitiated should be aware that Top Secret, Secret Compartmental Information, and Special Access Program clearances also hold significant disadvantages for the employee. Clearance holders, especially beyond Top Secret, are often very limited in their ability to travel abroad. Any contact a clearance holder makes with foreign nationals, even just causal contact (i.e. there's a new kid in the same class as the clearance holder's child, and a parent of the new kid is a foreign national), has to be reported. SCI/SAP clearance holders have virtually no privacy in their lives (though you could argue that's true for all of us anyway). Your finances, phone calls, emails, physical mail, your vehicle, your briefcase, everything is fair game to be monitored, watched, read, inspected.
TS/SCI/SAP clearance holders can essentially not make any friends outside of work. They need to be suspicious of every new person in their lives, of ever stranger that says anything to them. TS/SCI/SAP clearance holders cannot talk to their spouse, kids, parents about the work which can create significant strain in a relationship. Even if both partners are clearance holders they can likely still not talk to each other about work.
Restrictions that come with TS/SCI/SAP clearances often remain in place for years after you leave a clearance job, or your clearance expires. If you ever held a really high clearance level, and you still work in the same field but lost your clearance, then it may significantly affect your chances of getting another job in that field because people will question what you did to have had your clearance level restricted, or letting it lapse.
Bottom line; you better be absolutely sure that this is the life you want before you apply for a clearance job.
I had one done once, and after 3 months, I couldn't wait for them to finish, so I told the company "Thanks" but I need to work.
I only mention this because if your employment depends on one, be prepared for a long period where you are not collecting a check, and people are always calling you to clarify things and calling the people in your mountain of forms at inappropriate times and on their private phones. There are different levels too . . . The one I had done was supposed to only go back seven years, but they went back over 30 in a lot of areas, so be prepared to explain anything.
You(O.P.) didnt mention who would pay for it, if you are, it is sort of expensive. The upside is, if you go to a job fair for and airline or something like that, your resume will be put in the top of the stack.
OK thanks for all of the responses but I'm still confused. Is it worth it to take a job that has a long commute in order to get a clearance? Does it help in terms of future job security?
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