Security Clearance for MOD HELP!

[LetMeInImTheManForTheJob]

Hi I will be handing my notice in at work and crossing my fingers when moving from my current permie position to a contracting position very shortly. Obviously I am hoping to have some back up work if all fails, but ultimately I want this position! I am now 25 and looking to move for my career development and more money. I am concerned my slightly naughty youth may now cause me problems!

The cautions I have recieved since I was younger are the following:-

Criminal Damage/Endangering road users:- When I was 15 while drunk pushed two parts of a train shelter up and threw off bridge

Using threatening/words behaviour - When I was 17 and drunk was threatening a guy but subsequently got arrested and cautioned

Possesion of cannabis - When I was approx 22 - this one explains itself!

Obtaining services/goods via dishonesty (this one I am most concerned about) - I refused to pay for car park tickets at a local superstore by tailgating other car park users out of the car park....unfortunately got caught once! But I know this can look really bad against my character, but given the nature of it was hoping avoiding a car parking charge wasn't seen as a threat to national security.

On the plus side I have worked for a company providing the IT for a government contract (HMRC) for 6 years.

I also have an overdraft of only £550 off which currently I am not using but will be before the end of the month, with no other debts.

What do you think my chances are of passing security clearance?

And as a side note for security clearance will they check medical records?

Any help would be appreciated!

[northernladuk]

Personally I would say you should fail SC as working in security places needs a bit more nouse than a normal site but you managed to competely miss the Security Cleared sticky a few posts above which has a plethora of advice and people in situations similar to yours...

but that would be mean of me and I am actually a nice person so...

SC is generally about seeing if you are trusthworthy or not and whether you can be compromised.

Financially you look fine so forget that one. An overdraft and even CCJ's are not a stopper.

Your criminal history however does cause concern. Generally a bit of naughtiness is not a problem. It does not make you a security risk to the country or your client. The golden rule when you are applying though is be honest!!!! They can swallow a bit of criminal stuff when you were young. They will not swallow dishonesty.. at all!!

Are they all cautions or have you been convicted of any? You seem to have been very lucky if they are cautions. To have so many cautions in such a short space of time and the last at 22 (not sure when the carpark one) doesn't make you look like an upstanding member of the public in anyway... but again... doesn't make you a threat.

In my really poor and uneducated opinion I would say this one is going to be pretty boarderline but not a definate no. Yes you are not a threat to security but you hardly seem like someone that can keep their nose clean either.

Saying that I would be more worried about the client taking me on with history like that than SC but most don't tend to do a criminal check I don't think.

Apply...BE HONEST... and cross fingers. With a bit of luck you might be ok.

On a side not pull your finger out and stop cocking up.. At this rate you are going to be unemployable by the time your 30 and that won't be good for a contracting career

[Mr.Whippy]

Obtaining services/goods via dishonesty (this one I am most concerned about) - I refused to pay for car park tickets at a local superstore by tailgating other car park users out of the car park....unfortunately got caught once! But I know this can look really bad against my character, but given the nature of it was hoping avoiding a car parking charge wasn't seen as a threat to national security.

I'm not sure the nature of the offence would come into it with a conviction of that type on your record. Clearance is to determine your honesty/integrity/suitability/etc to work with sensitive data/systems or in secure locations.

For SC you *may* be OK with a fraud type conviction on your record, but personally I think you're up against it. For DV, I'm not sure I'd even waste the time filling in the forms.

[NotAllThere]

... I refused to pay for car park tickets at a local superstore by tailgating other car park users out of the car park...

Honesty and remorse is vital. As you have phrased this, you seem to want to give the impression that somehow you were in the right, protesting or somesuch. Better to say

"I deliberately evaded paying car park tickets... got caught, and now realise the error of my ways and would never do such an underhand thing again".

[Normie]

I'm not sure the nature of the offence would come into it with a conviction of that type on your record. Clearance is to determine your honesty/integrity/suitability/etc to work with sensitive data/systems or in secure locations.

For SC you *may* be OK with a fraud type conviction on your record, but personally I think you're up against it. For DV, I'm not sure I'd even waste the time filling in the forms.

I've got a conviction for theft (many years ago) - hasn't stopped me getting SC clearance and higher.

[Mr.Whippy]

I've got a conviction for theft (many years ago) - hasn't stopped me getting SC clearance and higher.

Any conviction isn't an automatic bar to clearance usually... like I said, for SC the OP *may* be OK.

It can also depend on where you're going to be working and why you require the clearance/what you have access to and also which authority is doing the clearance. What could be OK for one granting authority may very well not be for another. For DV, I don't there's a chance with fraud/dishonesty conviction.

[NotAllThere]

Some posts have been deleted. No in the professional forums, thank-you.

[northernladuk]

Some posts have been deleted. No in the professional forums, thank-you.

When the post title says MOD HELP it didn't mean you!!!