[Ma-linux] [Dclug] The Recession is over for Geeks!

[Dave Skolnick]

I think there is a significant shortfall in understanding of the
clearance process.

Employers -- companies -- don't control clearances. The DSS manages
the clearance process for almost all USG agencies. The clients
(individuals in USG agencies) manage the number of cleared people that
will be associated with any given contract. Most contracts have some
room for few extra, non-direct clearances. In most cases most of those
slots are used to hold clearances for executives and business
development people. The few that are left over are used to process
clearances for people (employees or candidates) that will benefit the
client and the company by being cleared.

This is nothing like arbitrary. The USG and the contractor community
are managing resources (it costs the taxpayer a lot to do the
investigations necessary to clear someone).

A Secret clearance doesn't take much (or cost too much). In the
classified world a joke is that anyone can get a Secret clearance if
that haven't actually been *convicted* of child molestation. All it
takes is a national agency check for felony convictions, a drug
screen, a credit check, and some other minor intrusions into your
life.

For higher clearances, particularly SCI, be prepared to have your life
turned upside down. The cost to the taxpayer is significant to ensure
that the candidate is not likely to constitute a risk of allowing
sensitive information to those who should not have access to it. You
voluntarily waive all kinds of rights to privacy in exchange for the
potential for interesting, exciting, and contributory work.

If you walk on water without getting your feet wet we should talk.

If you are a solid network engineer, software engineer, or software
engineer who is willing to work in Maryland (move or commute) and do
some dog work for as much as a year during the clearance process we
should talk.

I'm working on a pipeline to get people cleared for work we expect to
see growing substantially over the next few years. It takes a LOT of
work on my part to get approval to even submit names to the USG.
That's my part.

regards, dave