How to get security clearance and win more contracts

Introduction

Having a security clearance can increase your job options and make you a more sought-after employee. An individual is not authorized to obtain a clearance on their own: they must be sponsored by the government or a cleared contracting company. Many employers would prefer to hire a candidate that already has a security clearance, because going through the process can cost up to $15,000, but many still hire qualified candidates and sponsor them to obtain a clearance.

In order to qualify for a security clearance, the candidate must be a US citizen and of good character, mental health and financial standing at the very least. These are appealing traits to any employer. It suggests a certain level of stability and reliability in the candidate.

You are only sponsored for a clearance if your job duties require you to access classified information. If at any point that requirement stops, your clearance will no longer be sponsored. As long as you gain sponsorship again within two years, your clearance is reactivated. If your lapse continues outside of the two-year window, it is treated as a new investigation.

Having a security clearance can increase a worker’s salary — in some cases, drastically. Two workers with the same job title, the same number of years’ experience and the same educational background, could see as much as a $20,000 increase in salary going towards the cleared employee. This makes obtaining a security clearance worth enduring the often long and intrusive process.

There are three levels of clearance, as well as a related status.

Sponsorships Available

Sponsorships Available

Sponsorships Available

Confidential

This clearance level is issued to personnel that need to access material, which, if improperly disclosed, could be reasonably expected to cause some measurable damage to national security. The vast majority of military personnel are given this fundamental level of (Read more...)