A long journey that's been well worth the wait

SECURITY CLEARANCE Q&A
1

Hello everybody! This is mainly a post to encourage those in the waiting process, but there’s a question at the end that those who might have a clue may feel free to answer.

I spent seven years looking to work for the federal government and got absolutely nowhere until I stopped looking for fed positions, and somehow, without even trying, landed on a job with a government contractor that required a TS clearance. The whole investigation took 11 months (August 2017 to July 2018). Here’s the timeline of that and of where I am now.

08/10/17 – Applied for position
08/18/17 – Video interview
08/22/17 – Offered the position
08/31/17 – SF-86 submitted to the government
03/02/18 – First investigator assigned to my case calls me, but he lives an hour and a half away (where the job was), so he transfers my case locally
03/22/18 – College roommate (four states away) gets interviewed
03/26/18 – My then-supervisor gets interviewed
03/30/18 – Subject interview
04/04/18 – Local friend gets interviewed
05/07/18 – FSO tells me case is with adjudicator (turns out it wasn’t)
06/07/18 – Investigator lets me know my case is reopened because they weren’t able to interview two of my unemployment verifiers
06/21/18 – Background investigator submits my case to “OPM review”
08/06/18 – Notified that I was successfully adjudicated, and I have TS clearance (GREAT!), but the position I was originally hired for is no longer available (Oh…)
08/06/18 – Start applying to jobs like crazy (on here and on Indeed)
08/08/18 – Phone interview for position with different government contractor requiring TS/SCI; job offered on spot
08/26/18 – Submitted paperwork for suitability
10/16/18 – Received notice of suitability approval
10/23/18 – Badging appointment
10/24/18 – First day onsite
12/22/18 - 01/25/19 – Government shutdown
01/29/19 – Return to work
01/30/19 - present – Somehow blessed enough to be doing really well at the job (receiving accolades, letters of commendation, and bonuses), all while enjoying the work I do and the people I support and work with
10/24/19 – My fed led recruits me on the low
11/15/19 – Per their instruction, apply to the job on USAJobs
12/16/19 – Notified by USAJobs that I didn’t get referred
01/06/20 – Fed lead figures out another way: an already existing Direct Hire Authority position
01/23/20 – Send resume and redacted transcripts to fed lead
03/13/20 – Receive tentative job offer letter from HR
03/16/20 (plan to) – Submit forms to accept offer and start security process

In the offer letter, it says, “This position requires you to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance.” Since I already have this, and the job is with the same exact agency, working for the same exact person/people, doing the same exact thing I’m doing now, what exactly does this mean? Am I going through the whole process of being investigated again? I gather it won’t take as long, but really don’t want to assume anything. These are questions just out of curiosity as I waited so long so many times, I don’t mind having to wait again. The best part is I get to continue doing the job I have now and enjoy so much.

2

No. They might make you fill out the SF86 again or at least bring it current but you should be able to transfer right over.

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3

How do you get a TS clearance without starting on a job?

4

You can have a “clearance” (that is, eligibility) without being “briefed” or having “access” (that, active). I think these terms are not well understood, including by me.

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5

Because the company that initially hired me put me through the clearance process to receive it. The recruiter who had given me the news in Augist 2018 told me that my clearance would be good for two years until I found another position that required the same level of clearance.

6

But if some other contractor wanted to hire you and you, where would they see your TS? It would not be visible anywhere until you start work. That’s my understanding at least.

7

Well, “it depends.” In some cases the eligibility will show up in JPAS/DISS. But this is not the case in all situations, as not all agencies take that step.

8

On the same day that I had received the news and started applying elsewhere, a recruiter from my current job contacted me and inquired about my clearance since she didn’t see employment on my resume that used it even though I indicated on my resume that I had TS clearance. I explained to her what happened with the other job, and she said she would ask the FSO if she is able to pull up my clearance in the government database. She said there was a possiblity she would be able to since my investigation had been so recent. The next morning, she was able to verify that I was “TS/SCI eligible.”

9

It’s probably because you are being shown in JPAS. I read somewhere that had you been investigated by FBI/CIA and never took a job - no one would be able to see anything on you in Scattered Castels.
Congratulations! You are finally there.