Holding a security clearance is about much more than just passing background checks – it tends to quietly shape a person’s habits, routines, and even mindsets, both professionally and personally. As a trend, can security clearances breed a different type of professional? Is it possible that having a security clearance makes individuals more resilient in life? Here are a few positive character traits that you can expect having security clearance to potentially instill in you – plus an opportunity to quiz yourself on how being cleared can improve your life in the future.
Patience Under Pressure
The path to obtaining security clearance can take months, or even longer. Combined with the unknowns of the process, endurance is sure to be built along the way. The high stakes of background checks, credit reviews, and personal information intake also test your ability to handle pressure.
Mental Compartmentalization
Those with security clearances are typically required to keep large chunks of their professional life confidential. Adhering to this secrecy can create unique dynamics when conversing with friends or family members about the details of your job. Challenging as it may be at times, separating professional details from personal conversations demonstrates trustworthiness and stewardship of your responsibilities as a cleared employee.
Adaptability
A big component of having security clearance is rolling with the punches. With ever-changing regulations, acronyms, and rules, keeping up with everything there is to know can develop true resilience. Being too rigid and set in your ways can be the enemy of adaptability in the cleared world, so keep an open mind to the changes that are bound to affect your profession sooner or later.
Security clearance doesn’t just benefit your professional life; its positive effects can permeate your personal endeavors too. While many individuals may be worn down in their leisure time by their professions, having security clearance provides a one-of-a-kind lifestyle by bettering you as a person outside of the workplace just as much as inside it. The path to obtaining and maintaining clearance can be daunting and at times tiring, but it’s worth it.
