Anyone here security cleared?

[Boolean]

Security cleared so y ou are ablt to work in the the public sector.

If so, a few questions

1)Upto what level?

2)Did you pay for it yourself, or did an agency?

3)How long did it take?

4)How did you manage to find contracts in the public sector? Where they in IT?

5)Is there an advantage to getting security cleared first, and then applying for Public sector jobs?

6)Was this for central government or local?

7)Am I asking too many questions?

Please advise,

Many thanks,

[The Lone Gunman]

Too many questions.

You cant get clearance yourself, you have to go through a sponsoring agency which is usualy part of the employers business.
It is difficult/expensive to become a sponsor ISTR.

[Epiphone]

Not yet but going through it for the Police

[AttitudeAdjuster]

Time to take depends very much on the level.

SC I think can be done in a few weeks, DV on the other hand will take 6 months! (I know cos it took that time for me and another person who went for the gig at the same time - so it seems to be independent of the person, well maybe).

[TheMonkey]

I worked for the MoD on some "interesting" projects but did not have official security clearance. I signed the OSA and got briefed but that was it?!?

[ratewhore]

I worked for the MoD on some "interesting" projects but did not have official security clearance. I signed the OSA and got briefed but that was it?!?

Interesting MoD projects? I think not...

[XLMonkey]

1) SC

2), 3) see the DVA link here

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Ab...onsultants.htm

4) Contacts, dear boy, contacts

5) By law, no contract should be advertised that states security clearance as a pre-requisite (it constitutes a breach of EU trade law). However, it is lawful to state that candidates must be willing to undergo clearance if they are accepted. You might want to remember this if the agent says "must be security cleared" on the advert. They are wrong.

... but in practical terms, it does help to have clearance, as the client has less paperwork to deal with. The only problem being, you have to have a sponsor to get the clearance, and you have to have the job to get the sponsor. Another wonderful catch 22 situation.

6) Central government


7) oh yes.

[Boolean]

By law, no contract should be advertised that states security clearance as a pre-requisite (it constitutes a breach of EU trade law). However, it is lawful to state that candidates must be willing to undergo clearance if they are accepted. You might want to remember this if the agent says "must be security cleared" on the advert. They are wrong.

I have seen many adverts on Jobsite/jobserve that state this.

4) Contacts, dear boy, contacts

oh dear. Well thats another avenue closed for me then. I guess it doesn't help being Billy NoMates.

[TheMonkey]

Interesting MoD projects? I think not...

It was actually. We implemented the FIRST DoD to MoD link in the world

[XLMonkey]

I have seen many adverts on Jobsite/jobserve that state this.

this is because the agent is fick. under EU trade rules no public body is allowed to place unreasonable constraints on who can provide services, and that includes security clearance. They are only allowed to reject you if you fail the security check. Not having been checked isn't allowed as a reason for rejection.

you can have some fun pointing this out to the agent and listening to the deadening pause at the end of the line when they realise that you know more about their business than they do.....

not that it's going to get you the job, but at least it'll while away another lazy afternoon