Top Secret or Secret Clearance?

Just wondering how many people here have security clearances. Also how the security clearance helped you with getting a good job. Im currently going through the process for Top Secret, 100k-150k just for the investigation. Good thing the gov't is paying for this or else i would never get it myself.

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higherho

kbr0125 wrote: »

Just wondering how many people here have security clearances. Also how the security clearance helped you with getting a good job. Im currently going through the process for Top Secret, 100k-150k just for the investigation. Good thing the gov't is paying for this or else i would never get it myself.

a TS/ SSBI does not cost 100 to 150k. I heard from a friend in Northrop that a TS with SCI (forget what level of SCI though) + Poly cost roughly 50k. Unless they increased it since 2010.

All the security clearance does for me is get government base jobs. Now if I tried for the private sector I would just put it down to let them know that I am trustworthy. You would not be able to get the clearance yourself either, a company would have to sponsor you (contractor or a branch of the government).

kbr0125

Well i was told by the GOV'T security manager the cost depends on a lot of factors, one of the factors is if your married then they have to investigate both your family and your spouse. Currently have my Secret that was before i got married so hopefully my wifes family doesnt have anything. And im in the military so i plan to try and stay with the DOD after i get out to make alot more than what i make currently. just wondering if any one else has a security clearance and how it has helped them with their job search. The SSBI investigation is what they checked for me when i turned in my paperwork. Said that it takes 6 months to a year to complete so ill be waiting

higherho

kbr0125 wrote: »

Well i was told by the GOV'T security manager the cost depends on a lot of factors, one of the factors is if your married then they have to investigate both your family and your spouse. Currently have my Secret that was before i got married so hopefully my wifes family doesnt have anything. And im in the military so i plan to try and stay with the DOD after i get out to make alot more than what i make currently. just wondering if any one else has a security clearance and how it has helped them with their job search. The SSBI investigation is what they checked for me when i turned in my paperwork. Said that it takes 6 months to a year to complete so ill be waiting

If your wire has foreign relatives that can cause some problems. I guess the figures I was given was just a basic cost and not an accumulated cost if you have all those factors.

NOC-Ninja

i have a secret clearance. my company paid for it. i duno how much they paid but they said its expensive.

CodeBlox

higherho wrote: »

a TS/ SSBI does not cost 100 to 150k. I heard from a friend in Northrop that a TS with SCI (forget what level of SCI though) + Poly cost roughly 50k. Unless they increased it since 2010.

All the security clearance does for me is get government base jobs. Now if I tried for the private sector I would just put it down to let them know that I am trustworthy. You would not be able to get the clearance yourself either, a company would have to sponsor you (contractor or a branch of the government).

I didn't think they cost THAT much either. My company sponsors for TS clearance and I thought it was around the 35k area.

Another thing, I thought that once you were granted clearance, you weren't supposed to go telling people that you actually have the clearance? Am I wrong about this?

phantasm

CodeBlox wrote: »

Another thing, I thought that once you were granted clearance, you weren't supposed to go telling people that you actually have the clearance? Am I wrong about this?

It's generally not advised that you go around telling the whole world.

rogue2shadow

Lock the thread (OPSEC ftw!)

MrAgent

Your company does NOT pay for the clearance. The only cost involved is the time the government spends and the resources needed to do the investigation.

L0gicB0mb508

rogue2shadow wrote: »

Lock the thread (OPSEC ftw!)

True dat.

Megadeth4168

Everyone I know with a clearance puts it down on resumes and on linkedin profiles. I'm sure best practices suggest not doing so though.

Turgon

Secret clearances cost the tax payer a lot of money. If you have one use some common sense and stay quiet about it. Even with a pseudonym on a forum you leave yourself open to a social engineering attack through a PM. It could even come from your boss. Your websurfing is logged at work.

JDMurray

Megadeth4168 wrote: »

Everyone I know with a clearance puts it down on resumes and on linkedin profiles. I'm sure best practices suggest not doing so though.

It's just the opposite, in fact. Employers want to see your security clearance on your resume and CV. It's expected to be part of your information on Web sites like LinkedIn, Dice, and ClearanceJobs.com. You are expected to be discrete in situations where clearances are not used or necessary, like when talking to the guy next to you in line at the grocery store. There are some types of clearances that are not to be publically divulged, but the common DoD Secret, TS/SSBI, TS/SCI, etc. are not among them. Non-DoD employers may have much more restricted rules regarding divulging personal security clearance levels.

Having a clearance doesn't mean that you know anything classified, or that you have ever worked on anything classified. Their physical security credentials (badges, PINs, passwords, etc.) are likely the most valuable part of anyone who has a security clearance, because they can be duplicated and used to gain illicit access to facilities and information systems. This is why you often have a "don't wear your badge in public." rule.

LordQarlyn

I don't even put on my resume I have a clearance. If the job is asking for one, I'll mention I have it in a cover letter. Just don't feel the need to mention it any more than necessary.

JDMurray

LordQarlyn wrote: »

I don't even put on my resume I have a clearance. If the job is asking for one, I'll mention I have it in a cover letter. Just don't feel the need to mention it any more than necessary.

That has the unexpected beneficial side effect of cutting down on unsolicited headhunter spam. I get calls and emails from headhunters for jobs that I don't have clearances for. Their logic is that I might have colleagues with the required clearance and that I'll pass the job req to them. Nope...