Most U.S. government jobs and internships in foreign policy, national security, or economic statecraft require a security clearance. Security Clearances fall into three categories: National Security, Public Trust, and Non-sensitive. National Security clearances range from confidential, which is the easiest to attain, to Secret, Top Secret, and SCI, which is the most challenging. Public Trust clearances are either low, moderate, or high risk, and Non-sensitive are the least extensive, requiring only criminal background and credit checks.
the Process
Attaining a clearance is a four-step process and can cover as much as the last ten years of your life.
First you must receive a conditional job offer requiring a clearance.
Then you will go through a basic background check involving criminal and credit histories, a review of law enforcement records, verification of education, past employment, and your citizenship.
The third step is an intensive investigation involving the Standard Form 86, an interview, and potentially a polygraph.
Finally, the agency will review the information and decide whether or not to grant the clearance.
* Depending on the level, timeline, and sponsoring organization of your clearance, your processing may look slightly different. There’s no need to worry if the above order does not match your experience.
The paperwork
In terms of paperwork, you will be required to fill out the E-Qip / SF-86 and to produce hardcopies of important records and forms.
The SF-86 takes a lot of time to fill out so it is best to figure out exactly which documents you will need beforehand. This includes: travel, foreign contacts, your disciplinary record, previous addresses, and previous bosses, among other things. When filling it out, you can estimate dates by putting the month and year instead of the actual day, but do not lie on the forms. Also, you want to make sure you are following the directions precisely, specifically when it comes to timing.
You want to keep hardcopies of all records, forms, and documents requested of you. You do not want this information to get lost on your computer and may need to have it in hand for your interview.
Tips for an Efficient and Organized Clearance Process
Take RESPONSIBILITY for your personal conduct
The clearance process will be thorough and intrusive, and will certainly cover personal conduct, integrity and decision making. Therefore, it’s important to keep in mind that, although for some, college may be a time of experimentation and exploration, this can, in some circ*mstances, hinder your processing. Drug and alcohol use are often a focal point of the clearance process and federal employers will follow federal law - there are certain behaviors that may be legal in your state, but illegal federally, and it is important to keep this in mind long before you begin your application. Everyone makes mistakes, however, and minimal lapses in judgement will not preclude you from successfully obtaining a security clearance.
Be HONESt
Honesty, or lack thereof, is one of the biggest disqualifiers in the security clearance process. Every agency, company, and organization, has different focuses in their processes, but, especially when applying for a Top Secret or TS/SCI clearance, you will inherently be asked questions that are often personal and will make you uncomfortable. It is of the utmost importance that you answer all questions on the SF-86, during your background investigation, and during your polygraph (if your employer requires one), with the utmost truthfulness. If you are found to be dishonest, that is much more likely to result in a denied clearance than any mistake you’ve made in college.
Track your Travel
In most cases, travel will be considered a plus, as long as you’ve kept a tight record of contacts and experiences. While traveling, studying, and volunteering abroad are great opportunities, they can complicate the process for receiving a security clearance. The sooner you start organizing this information, the easier the clearance process will be. All time spent outside of the US in the last ten years must be reported (unless you were on US government business). Record the day, month, and year when you begin and end a trip. Keeping up with where you live is just as important as travel, especially if you stayed in a place for 90 or more days.
However, there are certain countries to which travel may be seen as a potential threat to your processing. Your family’s trip to Mexico last summer likely won’t raise any questions, but your six month study abroad in China might. Think ahead when planning to study abroad in countries with which the U.S. does not have a good relationship. If you feel like the country to which you’re traveling may raise security concerns, consider keeping a day-by-day diary or journal to account for your time there.
Keep Track of Foreign Contacts
Hiring agencies will need to know about any contacts who are non-US citizens. Start keeping track of when you meet foreign nationals, how you met them, any contact information you have, and the last date of contact. If you can, figure out if they have affiliations with foreign governments. A good rule of thumb for if you consider them a contact is whether or not you added them on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.). If you did, you should record their information for any future clearance process.
Figure out your Finances
Keep a close eye on your finances and your credit score. Your credit is important to clearance investigators because if you mismanage debt, you become an appealing target and you are more likely to accept a bribe from malicious entities.
Know how much debt you have.
Ensure you’re up to date on paying your taxes.
Make sure your payments are not past due, or demonstrate why they are not and take steps to show you will act responsibly in the future. Employers realize students and young professionals may have debt due to education or living expenses, or may have low credit because of their age. However, not having any credit is still a red flag. You need credit to buy a car, rent an apartment, and ultimately, get a clearance, as good credit shows you manage your finances responsibly.
Safeguard your Social Media
Your online presence is incredibly important. Google yourself to see what comes up. Establish strict online settings. Do not include your address, birth year, or other personal info in a profile. Think before you post. Be careful when showing photos of yourself or loved ones. Consider what news articles you share and what commentary you offer. Know who follows you. You do not want to expose yourself to anyone who could harm your chances of getting a clearance.
Maintain Strong Relationships
According to the Office of Personnel Management, “background investigations…gather information to determine whether you are reliable, trustworthy, of good conduct and character, and loyal to the US.” Identify three or more unrelated friends, colleagues, roommates, or other associates whose combined association with you covers at least the last seven years. Select people from different parts of your life and career. Individuals who can speak to your conduct outside of the US could be particularly helpful. Prepare your contacts by reminding them of when you first met, what type of activities you did together, and in what you have been involved since you met.
A Successful Interview
Being honest is more important than being spotless. Prepare for it by knowing if you have a background that may come across as a problem for your clearance. Typical issues involve numerous foreign contacts, missing information, and credit history. Nothing is more irritating to an investigator than doing extra work because the applicant was lazy or didn’t plan ahead.
Be professional with your interviewer by being prompt in responding, courteous, not reacting defensively to their questions, and dressing in business attire. If they ask you to gather additional documentation, do so in a prompt and organized manner.
Be patient with the process. If an issue arises, it could take a few months to resolve depending on several factors, such as whether or not you have served as a federal employee or government contractor, the number of security concerns, delays in responses from the federal agency requesting an investigation, and backlog.
