Bit of an unusual question. I’m waiting out clearance for a defense contractor - secret level - and I took a job about a month ago with my old employer while I wait it out. The process for my clearance has been very touch and go (investigator laid off, moving around this summer, lapses in communication), but long story short I’m finally back in communication with my investigator and it looks like the investigation is pretty much wrapping up. She has reached out to me for a couple of clarifications on foreign travel but it seems like it’s only a matter of time before the investigation phase wraps up.
Submitted eqip 3/2019
Interview 5/2019
References contacted 6/2019
Contact with new BI 10/1/2019
In person meeting with BI 10/13/2019
My question is what to do about the job I have now in the meantime. I work with a super small team doing campaign work, and if I leave them before the primary election in March I’d pretty much be leaving them high and dry. My POC at the new job has been super communicative, and has indicated he’ll wait as long as it takes for me to get cleared and started (I was not granted interim), but I’m not sure if I should risk the contractor job by asking to push back my start date or if I should just leave it be and hope that my clearance grant date is close enough to the election.
Definitely overthinking it, but any feedback?
This seems more like a question about when it would be right to leave your current job. My advice would be to start your new job as soon as you get your clearance and don’t push it off; you don’t want to annoy your new employer, who’s already been waiting several months for you. I don’t think your security clearance status is risked if you push your start date back, but you probably shouldn’t do it.
When you get to the adjudication stage talk to your coworkers and let them know you’re leaving soon, in a few weeks/months. Offer to do whatever you can to leave them in a good position when you leave. If you speak to your manager then offer to train whoever is taking your place.
You are the best person to decide on this. I just would add that some DoD contractors have either clear written clause in your contract which says, " you are supposed to start your job after xxxx numbers of days from the grant of your final clearance." or in other cases it’s not written,but verbally understood. For my contractor it was 30 days. Of course you DON’T have to start work, if you don’t want or have better opportunity.
A contractor sponsoring a clearance does that in the hope that that person will work with them after the grant of final clearance.
Also if you don’t start work after certain number of days, some contractors will release you form their cage. In which case you will have to look for a sponsor to take your clearance, or risk losing it. I don’t know exact number of days, some say it’s 90 days or say it’s 180.