SC & DV clearance. Keep it schtum

[MicrosoftBob]

Agency - Are you SC?

Informed Contractor - That's for me to know and for the NSA to find out

FTFY

[DirtyDog]

Contractor - May I then refer you to the rules on recruitment, endorsed by the PM last year, which say that you must not discriminate candidates on the basis of clearance status, that SC takes no more than 30 days (5 if you're something important and everyone gets the paperwork in on time) and you don't need full clearance to start work anyway; so why don't you piss off and find out how your business works and tell your client they're turning away the best candidates since 90% of cleared ones have been doing the same old carp for years and their skills are now well out of date... devil

Or something...

Agency: I'll send your CV over (the other side of the office into the shredder)

[psychocandy]

Contractor - May I then refer you to the rules on recruitment, endorsed by the PM last year, which say that you must not discriminate candidates on the basis of clearance status, that SC takes no more than 30 days (5 if you're something important and everyone gets the paperwork in on time) and you don't need full clearance to start work anyway; so why don't you piss off and find out how your business works and tell your client they're turning away the best candidates since 90% of cleared ones have been doing the same old carp for years and their skills are now well out of date... devil

Or something...

In an ideal world. We can only hope....

[malvolio]

Agency - Because you won't get a look in if you're not.

Contractor - May I then refer you to the rules on recruitment, endorsed by the PM last year, which say that you must not discriminate candidates on the basis of clearance status, that SC takes no more than 30 days (5 if you're something important and everyone gets the paperwork in on time) and you don't need full clearance to start work anyway; so why don't you piss off and find out how your business works and tell your client they're turning away the best candidates since 90% of cleared ones have been doing the same old carp for years and their skills are now well out of date... devil

Or something...

[DirtyDog]

Agency - Because you won't get a look in if you're not.

Mate of mine has just had a rant at an agency insisting on being SC because the client demands it.

Client in question - Cabinet Office

[vwdan]

Agency - Are you SC?

Informed Contractor - Why is that relevant?

Agency - Because you won't get a look in if you're not.

[malvolio]

Agency - Are you SC?
Contractor - Can't tell you because I don't know if I can trust you? You might be a foreign spy.

Agency - Are you SC?

Informed Contractor - Why is that relevant?

[DirtyDog]

Difficult one but how far do you take it?

Agency - Are you SC?
Contractor - Can't tell you because I don't know if I can trust you? You might be a foreign spy.

If you aren't going to reveal it, you make a joke of it.

Agency - are you SC?
Contractor - I could tell you that, but I'd have to kill you

There are enough ways to avoid answering the question without looking like you are deliberately being obstructive. In the same way that you can always describe in vague terms what you were doing for a government client without revealing the exact nature of which department it is.

A few years back, I had a conversation similar to this:

Agent: It just says "central government department" on your CV.
Me: Yes
A: Which one was it?
Me: <hesitates>um...<pause>I can't really tell you that
A: <laughs> If you do, will black silent helicopters appear overhead and people with big guns will shoot me?
Me: Pretty much, yes.

[northernladuk]

Difficult one but how far do you take it?

Agency - Are you SC?
Contractor - Can't tell you because I don't know if I can trust you? You might be a foreign spy.

Only difficult for you. The first line of the article does state online forums, linkedin and the like so that might give you a clue. Failing that you could just apply some common sense ask a question on the forum if its too difficult to work out.

[psychocandy]

Difficult one but how far do you take it?

Agency - Are you SC?
Contractor - Can't tell you because I don't know if I can trust you? You might be a foreign spy.

[northernladuk]

Interesting article kinda saying what most people with some common sense will already know. Surprising how many people don't know or thought they were doing the right thing. Wonder if it will make a different and if MoD will actually question anyones fitness and judgement. Looking at some of the people posting on here that have managed to secure SC or DV I think their problems start at a the application stage

MoD warns contractors about security clearance forums :: Contractor UK