I can think of a lot of perks to working from home: no commute, no dry cleaning, and no office politics, to name just a few. But the best perk in my book has always been the ability to do errands mid-day, mid-week – when stores are empty and roads are blissfully uncongested. There’s nothing I hate more than crowds and traffic.
As a recent trip to Costco reminded me, however, those days of mid-week serenity evaporated with Covid. Now, it seems that everyone is working from home, including many government employees and contractors who never previously imagined such freedom. And they all have the same idea about when to run errands.
Background Investigators: The Original Remote Workers
There is, however, one sliver of the cleared population for whom the emergence of the “WFH” phenomenon was met with a collective shrug: background investigators. These folks, who I call the remote work O.G.’s (Original Gangsters, for you buttoned-up types), have been in on the secret for years, and they weren’t sharing.
I was one of them before I finished law school, switched sides, and became a security clearance defense attorney. I fell into the job somewhat by accident, but its flexibility served me well as I earned my degree. In yet another twist of fate, it was that time as an investigator that convinced me an opportunity existed in security clearance law – which was then an unknown and unpopulated legal backwater that would never have otherwise been on my radar.
The Pros and Cons of Being a Background Investigator
Like any job, there are some downsides to working as a background investigator. It is a socially isolating career, with little in the way of camaraderie. The pay isn’t great, but it also isn’t bad depending on your location, the respective cost of living, and (most notably) whether you’re working directly for the feds or for a federal contractor. The work can be repetitive and feel much like delivering the mail: no matter how quickly you clear a case, there’s another one waiting right behind it.
Yet despite its downsides, I still found the ability to work from home, set my own hours, and operate almost entirely independently – while still working in a sector that interested me and advanced my career – to be unbelievably liberating. Particularly enjoyable were the all-expenses-paid temporary duty assignments (TDY’s) to some interesting places and the ability to interact with a wide range of people from line employees to executives. I’m certain that’s why I ultimately decided to open my own law practice after passing the Bar examination. Once you have a taste of work freedom, its hard to ever go back to a traditional office with a boss peering over your shoulder.
A New Career Option in National Security
So, if you’re working in national security and eyeing remote workers with envy, or if you’re resentful about being called back to the office after leaning in to remote work these past few years, remember that your security clearance gives you options you may not have previously considered. Working as a background investigator might just be your golden ticket.
This article is intended as general information only and should not be construed as legal advice. Although the information is believed to be accurate as of the publication date, no guarantee or warranty is offered or implied. Laws and government policies are subject to change, and the information provided herein may not provide a complete or current analysis of the topic or other pertinent considerations. Consult an attorney regarding your specific situation.
