It was a week full of Russian espionage stories and career advice at news.clearancejobs.com.
Week in Review – ClearedCast Style
Russia, Russia, Russia!
ClearanceJob author Christopher Burgess provided a three piece series on Russian Spy, Peter Debbins. The timeline of events from 2011-2020 was particularly interesting with his movement around the defense and IC industry after being assessed and groomed by Russia. Burgess also provided insights on the Russian attempt to infiltrate Tesla’s Sparks, NV facility with malware.
Both stories highlight the need for ongoing OPSEC training and awareness. The Tesla employee is the kind of employee that we want in the defense industry. We need loyal employees who are willing to turn down a million dollars and report threats up the chain.Because of the organization’s actions, the FBI was able to do their job. Insider threats are real, and both cases highlight the need to maintain awareness.
Security Clearance Terminology
Sean Bigley wrote a helpful piece on nine security clearance terms to know. Bigley’s article is helpful if you’re ever wondering what the difference is between active and current clearance or what a flagged clearance means. It’s never fun to feel in the dark when it comes to your security clearance.
Stupid Questions and Wasted Time in Meetings
Steve Leonard shared some needed satire when it comes to surviving the meeting life. While it’s funny to laugh at the number of painful meetings we have participated in, it’s also helpful to consider ways to streamline meetings and improve productivity. Coupled with the annoyance of meetings is the frustration of unnecessary questions at the end. Leonard provides a helpful flowchart so it’s clear when questions are necessary and appropriate.
Quitting Your Job?
COVID-19 can feel like it’s not the right time to change jobs. After personally going through a job change during a pandemic, admittedly, it was a little strange and disconcerting at times. It’s important to remember that career goals don’t have to change based on a pandemic. For the national security industry, hiring has continued, and for many companies, it has grown. So, it’s important to check whether it’s a good time to quit, and if all the answers lead to yes, then focus on how to do it well. It’s a small world, especially in this industry, so you want to be sure to not burn any bridges. But don’t let COVID-19 hold you back from moving forward on your resume or reaching the next compensation level.
News to Look for This week
In the coming week, we’ll look at incompetent leaders, job opportunities in Hawaii and Texas, as well as more espionage news and military transition tips. Next week, we’ll chat with our contributor, John Davis about espionage.
