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The value of a top secret security clearance and jobs

Nyblizzard

Is having an active top-secret security clearance only valuable when applying to jobs that require it? Or would a random company with a random security job vacancy value someone who has it more than someone who doesn't?

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Comments

CheesyBread

It does let an employer know certain things about you that only clearance can.

networker050184

If the position doesn't require a clearence it's unlikely to have much of an impact.

sparob

sure it does you passed all kinds of tests determining your integrity. What employer would not someone who is not of high integrity working on their information systems?

Master Of Puppets

I work with top secret and classified information. My employer needs it and, therefore, it's highly valued but it doesn't matter to the ones in different sectors/markets. You just get a respectful look and something like "that's soo cool". That's all there is. I doubt it will do a lot for you at a random gig.

Akaricloud

We have multiple new employees with active TS clearances where I work and no, they're not of any value to us personally.

networker050184

sparob wrote: »

sure it does you passed all kinds of tests determining your integrity. What employer would not someone who is not of high integrity working on their information systems?

I've known way too many people with little to no integrity and a TS to let it influnce the way I perceive someone.

DB Cooper

It might not be a requirement in the public sector, but it does say something positive about you as a person.

Nothing like Uncle Sams seal of approval.

sparob

networker050184 wrote: »

I've known way too many people with little to no integrity and a TS to let it influnce the way I perceive someone.

employers don't know you so on paper you do... Just like on paper you can have certs, but brain dumpers can't do **** on the job..

Raisin

Outside of government work it just ends up being a positive bullet point on your resume. It won't be a keyword that recruiters search for so you shouldn't expect it to open many doors, but it could be helpful if someone is comparing you to another candidate.

NetworkVeteran

networker050184 wrote: »

If the position doesn't require a clearence it's unlikely to have much of an impact.

+1. If the job doesn't require a clearance, I'd assign it little to no weight in determining who to hire or what to pay.

jibbajabba

I know of a company who was all excited in hiring a Top Secret cleared guy who even had an SCI top-up. He was the first one they fired because he was useless ...

So no, don't think it adds any value ...

Another recruiter told me once that he prefers non-cleared guys for non-cleared jobs as you wouldn't be able to talk too much about your last job anyway... No idea if that is just nonsense though

paul78

@Nyblizzard - As a hiring manager related to security in financial services company, a job candidate that holds a clearance has zero impact in the hiring process and adds zero value to the job. Some managers may be influenced by the fact that a job candidate holds the clearance but that would be due to an individual manager's preferences.

The reason is because my firm does not have a way to verify the status of the clearance.

Raisin

jibbajabba wrote: »

Another recruiter told me once that he prefers non-cleared guys for non-cleared jobs as you wouldn't be able to talk too much about your last job anyway... No idea if that is just nonsense though

I can see that being true. Most interviewers love to ask for specifics and if it's something you're not too familiar with you can always fall back on your clearance to deflect the question. I'm sure it annoys the hell out of them since they have no way of knowing if you're dodging the question or if you really can't talk about it.

The negative side of this is that if they buy into the whole man of mystery persona and believe you're some sort of super hacker, they're going to be pretty disappointed when they find out you're just a regular Joe.

MrAgent

Raisin wrote: »

Outside of government work it just ends up being a positive bullet point on your resume. It won't be a keyword that recruiters search for so you shouldn't expect it to open many doors, but it could be helpful if someone is comparing you to another candidate.

In my area, it seems thats all recruiters search for. I get about a dozen emails a day from random recruiters who are just looking to fill a slot with someone who has a TS clearance. So yes, it is a keyword search that they use, a pretty big one actually.

kgb

MrAgent wrote: »

In my area, it seems thats all recruiters search for. I get about a dozen emails a day from random recruiters who are just looking to fill a slot with someone who has a TS clearance. So yes, it is a keyword search that they use, a pretty big one actually.

I either misunderstood Raisin's post our yours. What Raisin is saying is in the private/commercial sector (non-government) recruiters don't do keyword searches on Top Secret. You are saying they do? I obviously do not know for a fact, but why would a company look for candidates with Top Secret if they have no need(non-government work)?

Raisin

I was answering the OP's question about what the value of a clearance is for non-cleared positions. MrAgent is correct in stating that for cleared work having a TS or above will certainly get you a great deal of attention from recruiters looking to fill those positions. Since gaining a clearance can often take a year or more, recruiters will always look for someone with an active clearance first. That's how I got into my current position, everyone who was fully qualified didn't have a clearance and I was the best cleared candidate.