People that have Security Clearances

To all that have security clearances, when did you get this? After how many years...months of experience did you get this? Was the pay substantially more than any previous jobs? Do public sector jobs have security clearances, or is it a DoD government thing only?

I've always found the "Top Secret agent" thing attractive, probably watched too many movies...wondering how you all got into this position. I know many come from the military, however I am not a military guy and wondering about other avenues.

Just curious, enlighten me please.

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Comments

MTciscoguy

A security clearance is not something you "Just get" most in the private sector have to have a sponsoring company that requires their employees have certain levels of security clearances.

Blackout

ProFamous wrote: »

To all that have security clearances, when did you get this? After how many years...months of experience did you get this? Was the pay substantially more than any previous jobs? Do public sector jobs have security clearances, or is it a DoD government thing only?

I've always found the "Top Secret agent" thing attractive, probably watched too many movies...wondering how you all got into this position. I know many come from the military, however I am not a military guy and wondering about other avenues.

Just curious, enlighten me please.

The only way to get one is if a company who works with the government sponsors you. And its not an Easy process, they sent people to interview my in laws in Japan, mine took about 8 months before fully approved.

MrAgent

I got cleared while in the military. I think I was 18.

xenodamus

I took a job with a government contractor who sponsored my clearance. The position was Junior Network Engineer and paid about $60k. I've since moved on to greener pastures and my clearance has expired. I think it only lasts 2 years if you aren't working in a position that requires it.

Having a "Top Secret Clearance" doesn't make you a "Top Secret Agent"....it's really not that glamorous. I worked for the Army Corps of Engineers where they (among other things) maintained the nation's levies and dams while engineering new forms of concrete and rubber for use in military applications. Not all government secrets are sexy.

the_Grinch

Yeah both of my clearances were via government agencies and just applied through the normal avenues (usajobs or the agency website). As others have said, a clearance doesn't make you secret agent man. Think of it this way, the Washington Post ran an article a few years back where they were looking at the number of clearances and what the job being performed was. I think they found over a million people with a Top Secret clearance (there were too many Secret clearances for them to be able to write the article so they upped it to top secret). Given that number you can guess how small the percentage of people was that were in a position that was the "glamorous" positions you are thinking of.

Knowing people in that world I can honestly say it is not nearly as glamorous as Hollywood leads you to believe. It's actually really easy to draw the parallel to law enforcement. If you believe Hollywood you run and gun all the time. Everyday is kicking in a door, going undercover, and shootouts. The reality? It's about 1% run and gun with 99% being working the case (paperwork and foot work). It isn't for everyone and agencies waste a large amount of money on candidates who got in not knowing what the job would be. I had a friend who about two years back moved from a patrol officer to a county investigator. He very much thought he would be working the top tier cases. Sadly, he didn't realize that you start at the bottom and it's a few years of investigations for grand juries (interviewing witnesses, gathering evidence). Thus while a take home car, 9-5 Monday thru Friday, and no holidays sounded amazing (along with being an investigator) it wasn't want he truly wanted.