Last year, you all visited news.clearancejobs.com millions of times. Here’s to another year of news, stories, and advice. The year was full of growth, challenges, and surprises, and looking at the stories that drew the most views is one way of capturing 2021.
Top 10 ClearanceJobs News Stories
The views on the site were many, but 2021 was a year to push back on the ACFT, as well as figure out key security clearance questions – like when to stay off of Pornhub. Here the stories are in order.
1. Army Combat Fitness Disaster: Units Refusing to Take Test, Medics Bailing
People have thoughts and opinions on this new fitness test for the Army. For those who love CrossFit, they seem to zero qualms about the ACFT. But for those who approach fitness differently or take issue with the methods that put the ACFT in place, their frustrations have been high.
2. Pornhub Under Fire – Could Your Cleared Career Go Up in Smoke?
Another year, and Pornhub is a hot topic for clearanceholders. This time, as the company was under the microscope, it easily made the cleared community question whether any changes could impact their clearance.
3. Channeling Controversy: 10 Patton Quotes That Define Good Leadership
In times where it seems strong leadership is hard to find, quotes from General Patton provide inspiration in an age when it’s hard to find. He may have been controversial, but he left us with gems like this: “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”
4. How Long Does It Take to Process a Security Clearance – Q2 2021 Update
Work long enough in national security, and clearance processing times will be a key conversation – especially when you’re a recruiter. The key question now is – will there be any processing issues in 2022?
5. 5 Words to Delete from Your Resume So You Don’t Sound Lame
The old resume. It is something that we love to wait until the last minute to update – when we’re desperate to change jobs. So, we often put less effort into it than we know we should…only to poorly choose our words. So, avoid sounding lame – give this a re-read to start out your new year. And update your resume before you want a new job.
6. Unemployment Blues: 5 Reasons You’re the Ideal Candidate Who Can’t Land the Dream Job
No one wants to be unemployed – unless you have a big trust fund already set up. And sometimes, the things we are doing in the interview could be the very thing standing in the way of employment. It’s always a good idea to reconsider the message you’re sending if the job offers aren’t coming your way.
7. Show Me the Money: Top 10 Certifications That Pay
To date, we’ve focused a lot on education. And while education is important, there are other factors in certain fields that can land you higher pay. Add a certification or two to your resume, and it could be a compensation game-changer for you this year.
8. Lost in Transition: A Veteran Identity Crisis
January 6, 2021 was rough on many levels – especially for those who live and work on or around Capitol Hill. But this article resonated because it highlighted how surprising it was for many to see veterans counted among the numbers of rioters. And it outlined the need to find an identity outside of the military – and how to do it.
9. OPM Hiring Data Scientists in Federal Government and Palantir Has Open Cleared Positions
Every week, we post cleared recruiting news – who’s hiring, who’s firing, and what opportunities are out there? And some weeks, changes in OPM hiring or large contractors like Palantir resonate. Keep your eye out each week to see who is hiring.
10. Decoding the Polygraph: Two Ways to Fail the Test
Whether or not you have to sit for a polygraph, it’s an interesting topic around the cleared industry. Many people have their stories, and we all love to read about the candidates who sailed through the process, as well as, the ones who struggled despite squeaky clean records.
Hello 2022!
And that brings us to a new year. We love having you follow along with us as we track different stories that impact the cleared industry. Feel free to leave us your comments and thoughts this next year, and of course, if you have any questions, email us at editor@clearancejobs.com or drop a note in the comments. Here’s to a great year!
