TS/SCI w/ Poly in process BUT want to join another company

SECURITY CLEARANCE Q&A
#1

Hello you all,

I am new to this forum and have some questions about my recent secret clearance.

I got a job offer from Company A that provided me with the opportunity to have Top Secret SCI w/ Full Scope Poly. I accepted the contingent job offer. After, one year till now I received an update that I will be scheduled for my Full Scope Poly this year. Not sure what to do to prepare for it. And I am not sure what type of questions they will be asking. I hope it is related to porn stuff or my previous job history.

Now I got a better opportunity from a well known company. so this Company B does not have clearance option but it is a good company to work for. I was wondering is it possible for me to take my clearance and have it completed and then put my resignation for the company that is giving me clearance and go on with the Company B. I like working for Company B but I also want to have a clearance.

So please guide me as to what I should do with this issue. Your support and comments will be really appreciated.

Thank you!

#2

I will assume that you hope is NOT related to porn or job history?

You can certainly accept another job and continue the process for you BI and poly. However, you will “get” a clearance. The clearance comes with the job. If you don’t take the job, you don’t have the clearance.

If you want the clearance incase you decide to pursue another position, it will only be good for two years while you are not working in a cleared position. After that, you will have to go back to square one in your investigation.

#3

Hey EdFarmerIII, thank you for the quick reply. My second question is, what would you do if you had to choose between Top Secret Clearance being offered by a contract position or a position that is full time with good benefits and good pay?

And as for the porn and job history. I asked that because one of my friend did his Poly and they asked him all these weird questions.

Thanks!

#4

And am I obligated to pay anything if I put my resignation or leave the process in the middle. Will this hurt my background? I am asking this because I have a clear record I just do not want to get it messed up.

#5

I expect that you have a tentative job offer . . . You are under no obligation to accept the final offer when it is given.

As far working as a contractor versus as an employee, there are too many personal questions for me to give much advice there. My advice, on the whole, is to accept the offer from Company B and continue with your clearance process. A clearance is a valuable commodity that will open doors for a few years even if you decline to accept the position with Company A.

#6

Okay sounds good. Thank you for the reply.

#7

I am kinda in the same situation. I am going through a background for a job that requires a TS/SCI with a federal contractor, and at the same time I am going through the hiring process for a job that only requires a Public Trust but is federal job. I would like to let the background investigation complete and hopefully receive a favorable adjudication, and if the federal job still looks good, I would like to take that one and hopefully get a chance to use the clearance before the 2 years is up. That’s a lot of ducks to get into a row, so I am not sure if this is a good idea.

#8

Correct. I decided to the same thing. I contacted my Company B and told them about it and waiting to hear back from them about holding on my clearance hopefully this works out otherwise my two years of wait to get a clearance will be a waste. I am also worried If I cancel the process of this clearance what will happen If I try to apply in the future for Top Secret?

@evanom How does the adjudication process works. Do we have to wait till the clearance is completed and than we inform are company we are trying to go with, or the company that is applying for the clearance? I am a bit lost about how this process will work. I was told that my status of clearance needs to be adjudicated before I can do anything. Not sure what they mean by that.

#9

@livingin25 you got me. I am new to all this stuff too. I am pretty sure though that if you cancel an investigation after it has started that it doesn’t balckball you for ever getting one again.