There is an amazing niche group of the US IT industry jobs that require a government security clearance. Recruiting cleared employees is difficult and expensive. Having a security clearance job generally means significantly more pay and job security.
Most of these positions involve working for a government entity, government contracting, or working for a partner organization. I will refer generally to all cleared work as government contracting. My own knowledge on the topic is not all inclusive; though I do have some useful insights.
Operations Security (Opsec) guidance limits the amount of information available about these positions. For that reason this article will remain at a high level. This will be removed if I receive feedback that the information shared is inaccurate or inappropriate.
You do not need a clearance to get into government contracting. Many of these positions are available for people willing to undergo a clearance investigation. It is often possible to work in a supporting role while your clearance is being processed. You do not need military or government work experience.
Getting a new clearance can take up to 24 months (depending on the clearance level and other factors). There are multiple clearance levels that range from a background check to a full investigation or even a polygraph.
Anyone who has served in the US military usually has Secret clearance by default. Many veterans have or previously held a high-level security clearance. Military veterans are great candidates because they may be able to return to an active clearance faster and a prior clearance increases the perception that your renewal is more likely to be approved.
Generally speaking there are about 6-7 clearance designations that I have encountered. The lower tier clearances generally involve facility access and may involve access to PII data. Generally these lower tiers do not result in significantly higher pay. You have 2-3 minor clearances including Public Trust, the common Secret clearance, and three higher tier clearances. I am mainly talking about the top 3 tiers that involve a level of trust that people normally associate with the term “security clearance”.
I will not refer to higher clearance levels by name but I assume you can figure it out.
You do not own your clearance. It is not like a certification or a degree that follows you. It is not a credential. Your clearance is tied to your position and employer. Changing employers effectively deactivates your clearance (it can be re-activated with a new employer rather quickly until it expires).
There is time limit on most clearances. Extending or renewing an expiring clearance generally requires a verification or reinvestigation. Basically, use it, renew it, or lose it.
Use it, renew it, or lose it.
You will not receive any sort of certificate or secret decoder ring signifying your clearance (at least for not higher levels). You likely will never receive any direct communication related to status or renewal. You may receive confirmation and reinvestigation notices through your employer.
The cleared job postings usually obscure the clearance requirements. They may state ‘security clearance required’ with various ways to designate low, medium, or high. Companies with a high need for cleared workers may have a special career website, veteran recruiting program, or search filter for cleared jobs. This generally includes your large IT contractors, cloud service providers, and IT equipment and military equipment manufacturers.
Your clearance is not immediately transferred to a new employer. Your new employer will request a transfer or help you with the application process once you have an assignment that requires a clearance. From a contracting perspective; you might get hired based on a need for cleared employees but may not have a cleared assignment for many months. The ball doesn’t start rolling until you have a clear justification.
The higher the clearance, the more extensive the evaluation. This may involve completing an extensive application, interviews, and an investigation. Friends, family, neighbors, and others will be interviewed. Expect your criminal, financial, and medical records to be reviewed. I can only assume that they are looking for ties to foreign governments, incorrect statements, criminal activity, and signs of mistrust or corruptibility. Unless you have something blatant in your past or present, do not let your past be a deterrent. Let them decide unless there is no doubt of your disqualification.
Higher level clearances are generally required to enter a secure facility. From an IT contracting perspective, having a clearance means authorization to enter and support these facilities. This may include but is not limited to a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF). Having a clearance rarely means access to secrets; though openly discussing or communicating details like network designs would be very bad.
How does cleared work change your daily routine? Likely your life won’t change dramatically. Being in a cleared role is nearly identical to supporting commercial IT resources. You have some reporting requirements, you will be held to a higher standard of ethical behavior, and you may be trusted with information that should not be discussed in an unsecure medium or location.
If you get hired to meet the demand for cleared work and you are either denied a clearance or fail to align with a cleared project, that doesn’t necessarily mean dismissal. It can take up to 24 months to process a clearance. That is plenty of time to prove your value and may lead to a different position within the company.
Having a high-level clearance can provide some industry and internal job security. Cleared IT contractors are usually better paid. You quickly develop a network that will allow you to find additional cleared work quickly.
The incentive programs vary from hiring bonusses, increased pay, and other bonus or incentive programs. Receiving such a bonus or pay bump may be tied to your working in a cleared role. You may find it could take anywhere from 6 months to 3 years before you start seeing a financial benefit (because you are waiting to be cleared or assigned to a cleared role).
If you are hired into a cleared position make sure you fully understand the incentive program. What are the requirements? How long does it take to qualify? Make sure that the base salary meets your needs without the clearance incentive (since it may take time to develop).
One drawback of cleared work is that the pay incentives can become somewhat binding. You may reach a point where your career or personal goals drive you in a new direction (new role, new location, etc.). That bonus might be a deterrent to personal growth if a change means giving it up. Who ever said making more money was a problem?
Another potential drawback is that cleared work is regional and usually requires living or relocating to one of these areas. Remote work and long distance travel opportunities are available to a lesser degree.
There are several stereotypes that may come to mind when you think about working for the government. They are process heavy and slow to innovate. They often operate on outdated technology. They often require onsite support. They often expect more hands-on participation from consultants. Those stereotypes are not always the case. Many cleared customers are increasingly taking a more modern approach. There are an increasing number of remote or semi-remote (travel) opportunities. Finding people with these hard to find qualifications opens the door to a wide range of unique work arrangements.
There certainly are a smaller number of available positions in the cleared space (and fewer qualified applicants). The number of positions declines as the clearance level rises. Many cleared customers do have a hard requirement for local or on-site support. The demand for cleared workers seems to fluctuates throughout the year due to common contract cycles. The highest clearance positions are more likely to require relocation and other unique requirements.
Are you a good fit for cleared government work?
- Do you live near a large city or military base?
- Do you live near the east coast, west coast, or central US (Chicago/Texas)?
- Do you have a desire and the flexibility to relocate?
- Are you open to frequent travel (see my article on frequent flyers careers)?
- Are you a veteran (especially recently transitioning)?
- Do you have or have you held a Secret or higher clearance?
- Do you want a significant bump in pay?
- Will your current and past behavior hold up to scrutiny as being ethical?
How do I get these jobs:
- There are various websites, job search pages, and social groups devoted to the topic.
- Network to find people in these role who are willing to have a candid private discussion.
- If you are a veteran (recently or long-time separated) seek out veteran recruiting programs.
- Be patient and keep trying; these jobs tend to have a seasonal fluctuation for overall demand.
- Follow government IT newsgroups and social media channels for tips on growing industry needs (like the JEDI contract).
- Create your own inventory of cleared employers.
- Look for large IT and military equipment manufacturers, large workforce (contractor) services, cloud service providers, and enterprise software vendors.
- There are staffing companies that specialize in providing cleared contract labor.
- Search company job sites for cleared jobs and look for special cleared job portals and search filters.
- Apply for positions listed as “clearance required” even if you do not hold an active clearance.
If you are not actively seeking employment; please follow Opsec best practices and avoid broadcasting your clearance on social media. I recommend listing clearances on a resume and maybe LinkedIn while job hunting. It should not be on your profile or business cards unnecessarily