Security Clearance (SC) Q&A Read first before asking questions

[malvolio]

Right but after a year its deffo gone?

No. It's gone as soon as you leave. After a year it can't be resurrected.

[psychocandy]

I've been trying to answer your $64,000 question for six years now. Progress is being made but it's painfully slow.

The year of grace is basically just for easiness. There's no guarantee that you will be able to transfer clearance from one role to the next anyway, but once you've been out of the sight of a suitable authority for a year you will have to be cleared from scratch anyway.

If you want chapter and verse, go here and start reading. I'll give you good odds that any agent will take no notice of this at all...

Right but after a year its deffo gone?

[malvolio]

Cheers Malvy.

Two weeks is good then. Is this even less for a lapsed SC or doesnt it matter?

Ok. £64,000 question. ALL the agents have got this idea in their head that up until 12 months you're ok, after that, you've had it. Your telling us that this is not correct and that the 12 month thing is irrelevant? Have I got that right?

OK. So how to pitch it to an agent if your SC was last used more than 12 months ago? Is it even worth mentioning on your CV in the hope it can be resurrected? Or failing that, how to convince agents that you've been SC before and it only takes 2 weeks now?

Surely, if it now only takes 2 weeks, then agents/clients may be better off looking for the best candidate. Appreciate that people fail SC but surely someone previously SC a few years ago has a more than decent chance of passing again? But I know, agents/clients have got in their head that they want someone NOW and won't wait 2 weeks - although most contracts I've ever done have pretty much always had to wait while contract is sorted.

Never ceases to amaze me though how clients can take a week to get back after feedback submission, another week after interview, and then still want the candidate to start TOMORROW because its urgent.

I've been trying to answer your $64,000 question for six years now. Progress is being made but it's painfully slow.

The year of grace is basically just for easiness. There's no guarantee that you will be able to transfer clearance from one role to the next anyway, but once you've been out of the sight of a suitable authority for a year you will have to be cleared from scratch anyway.

If you want chapter and verse, go here and start reading. I'll give you good odds that any agent will take no notice of this at all...

[psychocandy]

Cheers Malvy.

Two weeks is good then. Is this even less for a lapsed SC or doesnt it matter?

Ok. £64,000 question. ALL the agents have got this idea in their head that up until 12 months you're ok, after that, you've had it. Your telling us that this is not correct and that the 12 month thing is irrelevant? Have I got that right?

OK. So how to pitch it to an agent if your SC was last used more than 12 months ago? Is it even worth mentioning on your CV in the hope it can be resurrected? Or failing that, how to convince agents that you've been SC before and it only takes 2 weeks now?

Surely, if it now only takes 2 weeks, then agents/clients may be better off looking for the best candidate. Appreciate that people fail SC but surely someone previously SC a few years ago has a more than decent chance of passing again? But I know, agents/clients have got in their head that they want someone NOW and won't wait 2 weeks - although most contracts I've ever done have pretty much always had to wait while contract is sorted.

Never ceases to amaze me though how clients can take a week to get back after feedback submission, another week after interview, and then still want the candidate to start TOMORROW because its urgent.

[malvolio]

Where do u get this info from?

The people from DVA (or whatever they're called now) at a Cabinet Office committee on security management that I belong to through PCG. So hopefully reasonably authoritative...

[psychocandy]

Incidentally, average time for MOD-related SC is now two weeks.

Where do u get this info from?

Thats a pity. Got offered it two weeks ago so they could have cleared me from scratch by now!

[malvolio]

Confuses me totally. You're probably right malvy but nearly everyone goes with this 12 month thing.

As per my other thread, last gig fell through day before and now they're saying that its because my SC was not valid after all. Even though, two weeks ago they reckon they'd managed to sort it. Of course, could be bulltulip excuse to fob me off.

Got a phone interview now tomorrow which needs SC and to be honest, I don't know if its going to be a showstopper at all.

You're expecting agencies and prime contractors to understand the clearance system. They don't.

Incidentally, average time for MOD-related SC is now two weeks. The old excuse about it taking months no longer holds water. But you tell the agencies that...

[psychocandy]

Read the thread properly. The clearance goes with the role, not the person. No role = no clearance. They keep your records for a year as a matter of convenience, and the new client may accept you without re-vetting, but in reality your clearance stopped when you left the last job that needed it.

Confuses me totally. You're probably right malvy but nearly everyone goes with this 12 month thing.

As per my other thread, last gig fell through day before and now they're saying that its because my SC was not valid after all. Even though, two weeks ago they reckon they'd managed to sort it. Of course, could be bulltulip excuse to fob me off.

Got a phone interview now tomorrow which needs SC and to be honest, I don't know if its going to be a showstopper at all.

[malvolio]

OK. Long story but gig pulled prior to monday start.

To summarise, heres the score.

Two years ago worked as permie for company A on site X. Now company A outsource some of their stuff to company B who work on site at X. I get contract with company B who manage to resurrect my SC (presumably by speaking nicely to company A who they've got a business relationship with).

But like I said, gig is pulled. Where does this leave my SC?

1. Still lapsed as it won't transfer from A to B until I would have started to work for them on monday?
2. Possibly transferred to B a few weeks ago in readiness for gig and now, with any luck, valid for 12 months again?

Hopefully, (2). At least then there's been some positives. To be fair, I'm hoping company B will be happy to hold my SC and let me use in the next 12 months.

Read the thread properly. The clearance goes with the role, not the person. No role = no clearance. They keep your records for a year as a matter of convenience, and the new client may accept you without re-vetting, but in reality your clearance stopped when you left the last job that needed it.

[psychocandy]

OK. Long story but gig pulled prior to monday start.

To summarise, heres the score.

Two years ago worked as permie for company A on site X. Now company A outsource some of their stuff to company B who work on site at X. I get contract with company B who manage to resurrect my SC (presumably by speaking nicely to company A who they've got a business relationship with).

But like I said, gig is pulled. Where does this leave my SC?

1. Still lapsed as it won't transfer from A to B until I would have started to work for them on monday?
2. Possibly transferred to B a few weeks ago in readiness for gig and now, with any luck, valid for 12 months again?

Hopefully, (2). At least then there's been some positives. To be fair, I'm hoping company B will be happy to hold my SC and let me use in the next 12 months.