Hey y’all, hope you’re doing well. I’m a grad student with two defense offers:
- Spring co-op at a shipbuilding/submarine company (already scheduling drug test, and background check )
- Summer internship at an aerospace defense company also build commercial aircraft (my top choice and long term career goal) will probably starting the process Q1 2026
Both positions require a Secret clearance.
My concern:
The spring co-op company will start the process first, because their onboarding is already beginning (drug test next week). The aerospace company hasn’t started any clearance paperwork at all (no SF-86, no eQIP, nothing).
I’ve heard that if I have offers from Company A and Company B, the one that starts first and initiates my clearance sponsorship will be the active sponsor. While the clearance is still pending, they might issue me an interim clearance.
In that case, Company B cannot submit another sponsorship request because an active investigation is already in progress, right?
So that means Company A’s internship would have to wait until I finish the co-op before they can start the process to take over as the sponsoring company?
Also, is it true that whichever company initiates my clearance first will usually tie with tie with them and a higher chance of giving a return offer?
My questions:
1, If the shipbuilding company becomes the sponsoring company, will that affect my summer internship clearance with my top choice?
2, Should I withdraw from the spring co-op before they submit SF-86/eQIP, so that my top-choice aerospace company can sponsor me instead?
I want to avoid conflicting investigations and avoid being tied to the wrong sponsor.
Thanks in advance.