Question about location flexibility during the hiring process.

SECURITY CLEARANCE Q&A
1

Hi everyone,

Last year, a recruiter from three letter agency mentioned that the position I was applying for was tied to a specific field office, and that if I wanted a different location, I would need to re-interview for that office. I’m not sure if that was role-specific or if policies have changed since then.

For those who have gone through the process more recently:

  • After receiving a CJO, is there any flexibility to request a different field office before the FJO?

  • Once the FJO is issued with a confirmed location, is it generally locked in?

  • Or would changing locations at that stage require reapplying/re-interviewing?

Just trying to better understand how this works. I appreciate any insight — thanks in advance.

2

This seems to vary from time to time and from one agency to another. Some places will let you decline and consider you for other jobs; others will take more of a “one and done” approach, especially if they lots of other cleared people in a “hiring pool” waiting to get an offer.

Who knows, maybe a different recruiter would give you a different answer. But I think once you get the FJO you are pretty much locked in.

BUT… if you do decide to pursue the job at a field site/field office, ask how long you can stay there and if you would need to come back to the “mothership” (wherever that might be) in three or four or X years.