Good people, please opine on what you think my chances are of obtaining a secret clearance for air traffic control.
History:
misdemeanor DUI 6 years ago, legal rectification complete
maybe 2 or fewer speeding tickets > 5 years ago
tried marijuana in high school > 10 years ago
fired from jobs > 5 years ago
enjoy betting $5-$10 on sports regularly
credit score is currently ~550 with 50% utilization, will rectify worst accounts shortly before BC begins, hope to raise credit score over next 2 months, have never declared bankruptcy
I appreciate your opinions, even if they’re negative
A lot of this is completely irrelevant if your dates and facts are correct. Read each question very carefully and don’t list anything that doesn’t apply.
The DUI, terminations, and any collection/delinquent/etc debts over the last seven years are the reportable issues. Of these, your overdue debts (you were not specific but the credit score hints at delinquencies) are your biggest concerns. You have to report the delinquencies over the last seven years even if now paid off.
BTW - we don’t use the normal credit scoring method.
Same what everyone else said about only listing what needs to be listed.
Your finances and employment history will be explored thoroughly. The interview is basically your only chance to offer some mitigating details, so be prepared to explain why each incident happened, and why it will never happen again.
What were you “fired” for? Firing is a word that is used way too often. Firing and termination aren’t necessarily negative terms. People lose their jobs for restructures, layoffs, budget reductions, position eliminations, and “not a good fit”. all the time and they call it a “firing”
I’m assuming that it’s better if you’ve now paid off the debt, but having it in the first place is still seriously considered. Is there a threshold dollar amount where the investigator essentially says, “Nope, screw this guy!” ?