Last year, the Department of Defense cut security clearance reciprocity times by 95%. Once a huge issue for candidates trying to hip hop between security clearance issuing agencies (and recruiters trying to pull candidates from say, DOE to DoD), clearance crossovers were more attainable.
However, a common question among secret squirrels is what will happen if you quit your current job before your clearance makes the final steps across the crossover finish line:
A subscriber on the ClearanceJobsBlog writes:
I currently hold a DOE Clearance and in the process of a crossover to DOD. Well since I have accepted a new job and they are with DOD, would there be any issue if I have given my 2 weeks before my crossover finishes.
To make things clear, I gave my 2-week notice at my current job before my clearance crossover finishes with my new job, so just wondering if there will any issues with crossover since there will be a 2-week gap before a new employer holds my clearance.
Sean Bigley, security clearance attorney notes, “In theory, there should be no issue here, provided that the new clearance will be at the same level as the old one.”
QUITTING POSES A RISK
There is a caveat – you should wait for your crossover to be completed before giving your notice to your employer/agency currently sponsoring your clearance. Prior to Continuous Vetting, clearance holders were told that they should avoid changing jobs in the middle of a periodic investigation/security review to avoid delays.
Allowing your clearance to be fully adjudicated from the DOE under the DoD will allow you to avoid the limbo that could put your active clearance in jeopardy.
Bigley also says, “The best practice – and the one I always recommend to my clients – is to wait to give notice to the current employer until you are sure the cross-over has been completed.” It is possible that agencies refuse reciprocity, leaving the individual unemployed and in a real bind if they’ve already left their prior job. “There are different reasons why this can happen, but the most common are an out-of-scope investigation or the development of new information of adjudicative significance (for example, an incident report recently filed by the former or soon-to-be-former employer).”
If you leave your role while your clearance is pending, a ‘loss of jurisdiction‘ could be placed on your personnel record. However, while your access is terminated after quitting, your security clearance eligibility should still be intact. Reciprocity or crossover applications might be postponed if there is an incident on your record or if there are other issues.
Everyone has their own risk tolerance; embarking on this scenario just depends on your individual circumstances. This is one gamble that’s preventable with a little bit of patience.
