Most of us leave math behind when we finish school. The security clearance process might bring it back.
Security clearance processing times are going up. Top secret clearances now take an average of 243 days to adjudicate. Part of that comes from the government working through its caseload, and the overall numbers include complex cases that take longer. Still, applicants can do things to help their own cases move faster. One of the most useful is doing some basic math.
Get Your Dates Right
You don’t need to know every detail. If you can’t remember your neighbor’s middle name, you can leave it blank. Dates are different, though. Mistakes in employment dates, residence dates, and the dates of past conduct are some of the most common errors on clearance applications. Records are also easier to search than ever, so you should expect those dates to be checked. The more honest and accurate your timeline is, the better.
The Government Doesn’t Like Gaps
Gaps in your history are a big problem. The government is wary of the unknown, so don’t mark something as unknown if you actually know it. List all of your jobs, including summer work. If you can’t remember where you lived, look it up. Your Amazon order history is a good place to start, since any address you’ve shipped a package to is probably one you’ve lived at. Make sure the dates in each section match up, because investigators will ask about any gaps.
Why It Matters
Investigators have to look into anything you leave out and anything that raises questions. That extra work adds time to your case. Filling in your timeline carefully is tedious, but it’s simple math,
