Katie Arrington didn’t ease into her keynote at ClearanceJobs Connect Reston. The architect of CMMC and former acting Department of War CIO told a room full of cleared recruiters that the people they bring in will shape the national security mission in ways they may never see.
Her main point was that recruiting for national security is one of the hardest hiring jobs out there, and also one of the most consequential. A single hire might be the person who solves a quantum problem, keeps a ground station running, or makes sure a vehicle is safe before a service member climbs inside.
In 2007, the father of her children, Doug, was working as a contractor in Baghdad when his Humvee’s communications failed and the vehicle drove over a concealed explosive. Doug survived. Arrington said that day made her passionate about IT, security, and the people who do that work.
She also told the story of her nephew AJ, a Clemson graduate who turned down a private-sector offer to join LMI. He told her that when he inspects vehicles, he thinks about “Uncle Doug.”
Arrington also gave recruiters practical advice:
- Look past polished resumes. She said she generated one of herself with ChatGPT that morning and wouldn’t have hired the person it described.
- Ask questions that show purpose. Instead of the usual interview questions, try one she was once asked herself: “What do you want people to remember you by?”
- Treat mistakes as a chance to redirect. When a candidate stumbles late in the process, she suggested that can be a coaching moment rather than a dead end.
- Follow up. She urged attendees to leave with at least one new connection and to follow up with that person every day for a week.
As she put it, recruiters are “on the hiring side of the house,” which is a good place to be.
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