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

[VectraMan]

I'm in the process of getting SC, and apparently there's a new online system that's making things much slower and more complicated than the old paper based system.

[TykeMerc]

I'm in the process of getting SC, and apparently there's a new online system that's making things much slower and more complicated than the old paper based system.

Which is weird as the Cerberus system was supposed to reduce the average SC turnaround from 3 months to 4-6 weeks. Government IT eh

[SimonMac]

Which is weird as the Cerberus system was supposed to reduce the average SC turnaround from 3 months to 4-6 weeks. Government IT eh

Well I am hassling the nice vetting lady at my gig and she has had it from DVA there is currently now a back log of over 2000 applications

[SimonMac]

After 13 weeks my SC has been transferred to my new ClientCo

[VectraMan]

I've been trying to do the SC form online today. First, it opens a PDF in the browser, but the container is too small meaning the PDF renders at 60% zoom and if you make it 100% so you can read it properly, 1/3rd of the form is cut off.

I got through the first couple of pages, pressed save, and it says "do you want to save and exit" - no I just want to save, but there's only the one button. Then when I pressed yes it comes up with an HTTP error. Not suprisingly it hadn't saved anything when I went back to the form.

I tried three times through the day and emailed their support, but got no reply.

Yes, government IT is alive and well.

[ph0]

I've been trying to do the SC form online today. First, it opens a PDF in the browser, but the container is too small meaning the PDF renders at 60% zoom and if you make it 100% so you can read it properly, 1/3rd of the form is cut off.

I got through the first couple of pages, pressed save, and it says "do you want to save and exit" - no I just want to save, but there's only the one button. Then when I pressed yes it comes up with an HTTP error. Not suprisingly it hadn't saved anything when I went back to the form.

I tried three times through the day and emailed their support, but got no reply.

Yes, government IT is alive and well.

I had the same trauma and have some good feedback on it all though. I tried across OS X and Windows 7. In windows 7 only internet explorer 32-bit is able to access and saved the form, firefox+opera+safari all failed. In OS X only Safari is able to access and save the form with the official Adobe Application installed beforehand.

Having said that, internet explorer in windows managed to upset itself and after coming back to the form for I think the 3rd time to put in more data it could no longer access it, no idea why.

Though 100% of the time, Safari under OS X with Adobe managed to perform perfectly, so if you have access to OS X then give it a go!

[VectraMan]

It's working today under IE, but not under Firefox. It didn't work at all on either on Friday. Seeing as it's a PDF I don't know how they've managed to not support Firefox, but it seems they've found a way.

So, a question. It wants employment for last 5 years, which includes periods of working for agents, and says "self employed contractors or consultants" who didn't secure work via an agent should provide details of 3 firms worked for.

So what am I? Of course I was NOT self-employed, I was a Ltd. company consultant, but perhaps that's being pedantic, and I should just fill it in as if self-employed. But then a large part of the last 2 years I was benched and/or working on the Plan B, so can't provide "firms worked for", agents, or the name of the benefits office where I signed on. I was being a real business.

[SimonMac]

How do people put their SC status on their CV's?

Do you put "SC Cleared until 2019" or "SC Cleared, active within last 12 months"

[northernladuk]

Well if it hasn't been used in the last 12 months you are not SC cleared so I would just drop that bit.

When I was cleared I put your first option on mine. I also had key skills/attributes at the top of the CV in which I listed SC cleared seems it is more important that the skills I had as well as the general other stuff at the bottom. I expanded the SC acronym at the bottom to try and help with keyword searches as well.

[theroyale]

Security Clearance for Foreign national

Read other posts here on the subject and elsewhere on the internet but haven't found anything definitive yet. I am not a UK national, and I have lived in the UK for a total of less than 3 years.

Basically I have a contract offer from a company for a fairly high-profile project that needs SC, and they're willing to initiate it. Now, given it takes a bare minimum of a few weeks for the SC to come through I either (a) twiddle my thumbs and wait or (b) work on another contract(s) with a quick notice period so I can switch when it comes through.

Given I am not a UK national and haven't lived in the country for too long, what are the chances of a quick (4-6 week) turnaround?