obtaining TS/SCI ?

[mycomputersucks]

i'm a senior in college majoring in information technology. i was recently looking at positions in the IT field and almost every job requires TS/SCI. how do i go about getting security clearance? i know a few guys that said their jobs got them clearance, but i haven't found any that offer it. thanks for any info you guys can give!

 

[debaser_]

Although i dont have the answer for you, this is a very good question. I have heard that once you obtain a security clearance that finding a job is easier, and am interested in the answer myself. I will be graduating in about a month with a CIS degree and need to start looking for a job ASAP.

 

[mrman]

Well, besides joining the military or some component there of you would either have to work into a position requiring a clearance or know somebody. More than likely you would get a job with a contractor requiring a Secret and work up from there. A TS SCI clearance costs upwards of $100k (in terms of man hours, etc) to perform.

 

[BigWillieStyle]

Well, besides joining the military or some component there of you would either have to work into a position requiring a clearance or know somebody. More than likely you would get a job with a contractor requiring a Secret and work up from there. A TS SCI clearance costs upwards of $100k (in terms of man hours, etc) to perform.

I'm currently in the military and hold both. The process is very very lengthy even for the military. But I do agree start with a job starting at Secret, maybe for a Government Contractor or Government Service.

 

[BobSutan]

And you need to understand that SCI isn't a clearance at all, but something else entirely. For more positions a TS is golden, and if you need the SCI they'll put you in for it (if its even required). A polygraph certified clearance is even more lucrative in the sense of getting a job.

For attaining a clearance, the easiest way is to join the military. Even going guard or reserves can get you one if you pick the right job. And the clearances stay with you once you separate. I think a TS is good for 18 months after you separate and a Secret is good for 2 years. <--don't quote me on those numbers though. If you're really not up to joining the military, you can work your way up the chain, so to speak, but your better off just gunning for a TS position, this way you get the TS and you're covered. Upgrading from a Secret to a TS is about the same as getting the TS in the first place, which is why most contractors rotate their people through those positions to get their folks the TS so they're covered. FYI, not a lot of places use polygraphs, only the NSA, CIA, et al. So unless you want to work for a place like one of those, then a poly won't give you the incentives that come with it. However, the general rule of thumb is that a TS gets you $10-15K/year, an SCI is another $5K/year, and the Lifestyle poly is another $10-15/year. After all is said and done, for contractors working in highly sensitive positions they can expect to make $25-35K/year over the average for their area. So if you're interested in the big-bucks government work is the way to go.

Case in point, I got a job offer for a position in the DC/Metro area for a "CISSP position" (which of course I don't even have ), and it started around $100K a year. Not too bad an incentive for being a goodie-too-shoes

 

[mycomputersucks]

wow, great responses guys, i really appreciate them!

yeah, i'm in the dc/metro area myself, and most jobs i'm seeing i need ts just to apply unless its some worthless tech support position which pays $10/hr. well, i gotta start somewhere i guess.

 

[BobSutan]

Remember the big dogs: Boeing, Lockheed, CSC, Raytheon, SAIC, etc. These are the companies you want to get hired with. The piddly companies that get subcontracted by the heavyweights hardly hire non-cleared personnel because it costs so much and has such a long-term ROI.