Another year of security clearance stories are behind us. Every year thousands of members of the security clearance community visit ClearanceJobsBlog.com to anonymously ask questions about the clearance process, share thoughts about being a background investigator, or get tips on navigating security clearance careers. And each week we pull and respond to something from the forum here on our ClearanceJobs news site.
Here are the top read Ask CJ articles of 2024:
1. Mitigating Past Alcohol and Drug Use
The alcohol consumption adjudicative guideline is one of multiple factors influencing a security clearance holder’s eligibility. Other important criteria include personal conduct—especially if there are discrepancies in honesty—and criminal conduct related to any alcohol-related incidents. Individuals who have received guidance from a superior regarding alcohol use or have faced difficulties in work, social, legal, financial, or health spheres due to drinking may encounter challenges in the security clearance evaluation.
But what happens if there are no documented incidents, yet alcohol has strained your marriage? View the full story here.
2. Should I Self-Report or Just Quit?
Self-reporting to your security officer involves voluntarily sharing information about yourself as required by the Security Executive Agent Directive (SEAD) 3, particularly regarding relevant life changes or potentially negative information. With Continuous Vetting (CV) in place, self-reporting becomes increasingly crucial, as it serves to self-verify your commitment to maintaining clearance eligibility and allows for proactive assistance if you encounter a potentially adverse situation.
Security clearance professionals emphasize the importance of self-reporting, as it demonstrates a commitment to transparency and honesty. Additionally, it can be considered a mitigating factor in instances where an individual’s past behavior might otherwise disqualify them from obtaining a security clearance.
Personal conduct AKA lying, remains one of the leading causes for the denial of security clearances, closely trailing behind financial issues. Dishonesty revealed during the security clearance process—whether through investigative efforts, personnel interviews, or polygraph tests—is often viewed as a more significant problem than the act of lying itself.
It’s not necessarily about having used drugs, interacted with a sex worker, or accumulating debt from student loans and subsequent credit cards. Security clearance applicants are, after all, human, and adjudicators (also human) recognize this. Many issues can be addressed over time or by demonstrating that such behavior was not habitual. However, recent lies disclosed on the SF-86 can lead to immediate consequences for clearance holders.
The most common question we encounter at events for veterans or military families is, “How can I renew my expired clearance?”
To regain a security clearance sponsored by a government agency or contractor, you generally need to be employed by or have a job offer from an organization that requires such clearance. The organization will then kickstart the clearance process by submitting a request on your behalf. You will need to fill out a comprehensive security clearance application, which typically requires personal details, employment history, references, and possibly financial disclosures.
The levels of security clearance are linked to the eligibility criteria for particular roles within contracts or government missions. If you previously held SCI access, you should have been formally “read off” when you exited that position. Now, perhaps you’ve settled into a new role at a company where the contract requires a Secret level clearance. So, what becomes of your Top Secret (TS) status?
Occasionally some government customers might do an audit and direct that certain people not currently needing TS be “administratively” downgraded; you don’t “lose” the clearance, you can be reinstated quickly if the need arises.
Acquiring a Top Secret security clearance involves a thorough process aimed at confirming that individuals can be trusted to manage sensitive national security information. The key distinction between a suitability review and a Top Secret security clearance lies in their focus: suitability reviews assess an individual’s compliance with agency-specific requirements, whereas security clearances specifically grant access to classified information for those authorized to handle it.
Suitability review: Determines if an individual is suitable for federal employment by evaluating their character, job qualifications, and conflicts of interest. The government may consider factors such as misconduct, criminal or dishonest conduct, or alcohol abuse.
How can you determine your status in the security clearance process? This is a frequent question among new applicants during their initial investigations, as well as for current clearance holders who are undergoing upgrades or transitioning to new agencies. One common status you might encounter is “Action pending,” which signifies that an investigation is currently underway to assess eligibility.
Have you ever felt the jolt of your current employer discovering that you’re searching for (professional) connections elsewhere? It can be quite an emotional blow. You might encounter jealousy that leads to work productivity challenges, a manager who suddenly becomes distant, or even the initiation of a performance improvement plan (PIP) that seems unnecessary.
As you proceed with your application for a security clearance, is there any level of discretion from the organization that has employed you?
The dynamics between students and teachers can be intricate, particularly when students are over 18. At this point, they are considered legal adults and often exhibit increased independence and self-awareness. Nonetheless, the significant power imbalance in the student-teacher relationship persists. Teachers possess the authority to assess and impact students’ academic journeys, necessitating the establishment and maintenance of boundaries and ethical standards.
While applying for a cleared job may be worth considering, personal misconduct issues—especially for educators working with minors—will likely surface during an investigation. The passage of time will play a crucial role in this process. Additionally, since alcohol was a factor, it’s important to highlight that you no longer drink to the point where your character and trustworthiness are called into question.
Sometimes you come across beige flags as a background investigator, things that make you go, “hmm…okay?” or things that make an applicant seem a little quirky.
Then you have the applicants with a definitive red flag. Or two, or three, or ten that could be cause of great concern through the security clearance process.
We’ll spare the long novel of specific scenarios of alcohol abuse, cheating, drug dealing/abuse, and hiring a prostitute, but if you’re curious, you can view the full thread here.
