I’ve been offered a lucrative position with a Chinese company with offices in the US. This company is listed on certain federal “blacklists.” I have previously worked as a contractor at DOD and DHS and held Public Trust clearance. Will working for this company exclude me from future positions requiring a clearance? Also interested in your take on how it would impact private sector job opportunities that don’t require clearances. Thanks.
In the way you word your question it sounds like you already know that taking this job has potential to affect future clearance suitability and possible job opportunities. Obviously none of us can give you a definitive answer and would only be speculating as you have already done. Suitability I’m sure would also depend on what exactly you end up doing for this company and what the hypothetical company in the future does and whether that connection or crossover creates some kind of conflict or risk to national security. With the current state of affairs and the direction that politics seem to be headed, I would not personally take a job with a Chinese company if I had future intent of working for the US government. Just consider your future intent, examine the political situation, and base your decision off of that.
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Thank you very much for the reply. This position involves external communications for the North American audience/stakeholders. I don’t see the role as creating a risk to national security; it would involve using communications to influence perception. But still would be interested if anyone else would view that as a national security risk. Also wondering if the U.S. government could take any actions against U.S. employees of a Chinese company on the Entity list. (blacklist)
It’s a free country. You can work for whomever you want. But you will probably be scrutinized and perhaps excluded from some federal positions in the future if you chose to go back to federal work. You should also make sure the knowledge you have learned in your current employment is allowed to be “hired” and utilized by a foreign country. You may be allowed to sell your services to whomever you want to.
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