Security Clearance

[PoorManQ45]

I am currently applying for jobs.

Some of the companies I am looking at are asking for a Security Clearance.

The two in specific are General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin. These are both large government contractors and therefore require a Security Clearance to access certain sites.

My question is, how does a civilian obtain a clearance level?

Thank you

*edit* I understand the application can take awhile to clear, but I feel that it would be something worthwhile to obtain
Modified by PoorManQ45 at 4:37 PM 11/6/2009

[sci2000tech]

From what I've been told, you have to contact the company that requires the clearance, and they will direct you to a website with a ton of online forms you have to fill out.

My dad said it took him about 3 hours to fill everything out. The company he applied for gave him a one time use username and password to log on to the website, and he went from there.

[ashibah83]

i work at NSB Kings Bay, and my clearance took nearly 6 month to clear, General Dynamics and Lockheed should provide you all the paperwork required because i dont think you can get the level of clearance you need without without actually being an employee or being considered for the position

[goody90q45]

The paperwork is over 30 pages and asks questions going back to your childhood. If you've lived in the same house all your life, have never left the country, talk to any foreigners, or been arrested you'll be a shoe-in. With Homeland Security rules in place there's more forms to complete about yearly.

LM will be getting you a secret clearance which can take 6-12 months based on your background. In the meantime there's a temporary clearance available that you'll have in a few weeks. You'll enjoy working in Aerospace.

[bcar240]

i work at NSB Kings Bay, and my clearance took nearly 6 month to clear, General Dynamics and Lockheed should provide you all the paperwork required because i dont think you can get the level of clearance you need without without actually being an employee or being considered for the position

That was the drift they gave me when I was looking, that you have to be an employee with a job that needs security clearance to be considered (or a company might possibly consider going out on a limb for a serious job prospect). That is why there is such a demand for those that already have clearances, because the company doesn't have to hire someone and then pay them for x number of months before they can start work on the project while their clearance is processed.

Mine was a 24 section form, and they actually contacted nearly every one of my references (I think I ended up having like 12). You have to have a reference for every address you've ever lived at, job you've had, and school you've attended past middle school. A couple of my references said they didn't return the calls/paperwork and I still got mine, so I guess they are a little flexible.

[Dattebayo]

The paperwork is over 30 pages and asks questions going back to your childhood. If you've lived in the same house all your life, have never left the country, talk to any foreigners, or been arrested you'll be a shoe-in.

Being arrested doesn't matter, as long as you didn't do anything over a misdemeanor. I know personally.

[Urabus GodofTraction]

Getting a Secret is hard.

Getting a TS is even harder. I read somewhere it costs a private company $400,000 to get someone a TS clearance...

When I got mine the investigator actually personally interviewed about a dozen of my contacts. Creeeepy.

[Mr1der]

from what I've heard....when you get a TS clearance, it opens the door to all kinds of nice pay days in civilian life later on.

I don't know d!ck about any of it first hand.

[ashibah83]

well i dont have a TS YET, alot of the work i do involves "secret" components and whenever one comes into the shop the area its in is almost under lockdown, it will freak you out if you come in on Monday and they have moved a component on weekend overtime, and your greeted at your worksite door by armed guards asking for your autorization to be in that area

[szh]

When I got mine the investigator actually personally interviewed about a dozen of my contacts. Creeeepy.

Comes with the territory - more difficult process nowadays. You gotta prove everything in your application, including interviews with people that the applicant claims to know.

Z

[cmfireman]

All I had to do was talk to a shrink, take the psych test, and give them all my info (B-day/SS/Previous employers and the like).

Didn't seem to take that long (Although I applied in August and was told I had the job at the end of January ).

[Urabus GodofTraction]

from what I've heard....when you get a TS clearance, it opens the door to all kinds of nice pay days in civilian life later on.

I don't know d!ck about any of it first hand.

Oh yeah... Big money for TS clearances.

[Watermelonwarrior]

My dad and brother both had clearance. Took my dad a couple years to get his though.

[Chaotic_Warlord]

LMAO.... Lockheed "we never forget who we're working for, just who's working for us" Martin. Trust me, unless you are in a high tech field LM isn't the company to work for. I work on the security,access, and CCTV @ the MS2 plant in Moorestown NJ (Our biggest client) and I know a lot of people who work there, unless they are a rocket scientist or a electrical engineer, the pwople there aren't very happy in general especially the security and admin staff. As far as getting your clearance, hope you have a realllllllly good memory, especially if you are working on military projects. They will want to know pretty much everything you've done, everywhere you've lived, and everyone you've talked to, been with and know for the last 15 years. That's just for a Secret Clearance, TS you pretty much have to tell them your life story. Oh and run a full 3 bureau credit report, you have to list all your debts along with any criminal history to include tickets.

It took me a month just to fill out the 40 page background book for the Philly PD and that's no where near as bad as what you have to endure for a security clearance. GD and LM both pay for the process and will run an interim clearance check for the position they are hiring for. If you get the position you'll get a temporary clearance until your full clearance is signed off on. Be sure to inform all you relatives, employers, friends, neighbors, and references that they will probably be interviewed by an investigator at some point or another.

Have fun, keep your nose clean, and respect the authority, once you have a clearance you have to renew it every year and if you can't get it renewed for some reason they have justifiable means to either let you go or move you to a dept where the clearance isn't needed.If you do get a TS clearance you are looking at money in the bank and guaranteed work anywhere in or with the government.

[PoorManQ45]

Thank you very much for the info guys.

So, hopefully one of the companies has an opening that doesn't require clearance. Then i can work on getting the clearance!

I'm applying for IT positions. Hardware maintenance and upgrades specifically. A lot of positions available in the Tampa area

[Chaotic_Warlord]

LMC works their IT guys like dogs and unless you're a genius or have been there for a while expect long hours, not much pay, and absolutely no respect or grattitude. Don't know how GD works, but I'm guessing it's pretty much the same, it's a support position and as such they don't really appreciate you since you and the IT dept, aren't what is making them money.