"I work for a government agency"

[Anonymous]

He doesn't want to say he works at NSA b/c you'll think he's listening in on your cell phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He either:
1. Has a low-level job and is trying to impress by being intentionally evasive OR
2. He works for an agency that is less than popular.

I agree with a pp that if he had a top secret clearance/position that he would have a cover story.

Not true. Many people with top secret clearances/positions are not undercover. He probably works at one of the intel agencies.

Maybe not technically undercover, but they would have a ready explanation that sounds plausible (IT or something). They do not call attention to themselves in this way.

NP. No, really, plenty of people have top secret clearances who don't need to be secretive about where they work and what they do. They can't discuss the top secret information they may be privy to or the work that involves that info, but they can tell you where they work and the kind of work they do. You wouldn't even know they have a top secret clearance.

Agreed with this. My husband has a TS clearance, he can say where he works and what he does. And he doesn't do anything all that exciting-sounding. He just can't tell you classified information.

[Anonymous]

Anyone that makes a big deal about not being able to say what they do is lying. This guy thinks mysterious = sexy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He either:
1. Has a low-level job and is trying to impress by being intentionally evasive OR
2. He works for an agency that is less than popular.

I agree with a pp that if he had a top secret clearance/position that he would have a cover story.

Not true. Many people with top secret clearances/positions are not undercover. He probably works at one of the intel agencies.

Maybe not technically undercover, but they would have a ready explanation that sounds plausible (IT or something). They do not call attention to themselves in this way.

NP. No, really, plenty of people have top secret clearances who don't need to be secretive about where they work and what they do. They can't discuss the top secret information they may be privy to or the work that involves that info, but they can tell you where they work and the kind of work they do. You wouldn't even know they have a top secret clearance.

Agreed with this. My husband has a TS clearance, he can say where he works and what he does. And he doesn't do anything all that exciting-sounding. He just can't tell you classified information.

TS, sure....TS/SCI not so much. I am not allowed to say who my customer is (I am a contractor), or what I do. Fortunately, I have some very public work which I can site as my career...

[Anonymous]

PP here. I should add that my wife does not know what I do or who I work for. She does have a phone number where she can reach me. The real problem with the field is I can not take any Port. electronic devices, so my wife can't call my cell (if I am not at my cubicle).

When we were dating I was not in this line of work.

[Anonymous]

I had two dates with a guy like this who was a statistician at the NSA. He'd keep saying stuff like "I'd have to know you a long time before I told you where I worked, but it's in Fort Meade." It seemed bizarre to me. Are NSA people really not allowed to say where they work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had two dates with a guy like this who was a statistician at the NSA. He'd keep saying stuff like "I'd have to know you a long time before I told you where I worked, but it's in Fort Meade." It seemed bizarre to me. Are NSA people really not allowed to say where they work?

The rules vary by agency and position, and (mostly) how people like to spin their job. Most people I know are just low key about it: "I work at Ft. Meade" "Oh really, what do you do?" "Number cruncher. Basic paper-pushing work."

No need to make a big deal about how you can't say anything unless the person really pushes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CIA is no longer allowed to say they work for State. Could be CIA, DIA, DNI, or one of about 12 other agencies. Bigger than the question of trying to ferret out where he works is whether you want to get involved with someone whose work life is always going to be off-limits, which can create distance in a relationship.

It's better for a relationship, because you talk about your actual shared interests instead of what you did at work today.

[Anonymous]

How long have you been together? If he wouldn't say on the first date or so, probably something in the intelligence community. He'll tell you later on... where they work isn't actually confidential, just not something to make public knowledge (unless it is confidential, and then he'd have a cover story). My husband told me after a few weeks... he's a contractor so it's been several different agencies over time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long have you been together? If he wouldn't say on the first date or so, probably something in the intelligence community. He'll tell you later on... where they work isn't actually confidential, just not something to make public knowledge (unless it is confidential, and then he'd have a cover story). My husband told me after a few weeks... he's a contractor so it's been several different agencies over time.

First date. I was curious and asked which agency and he wouldn't say. He said he had a high-level clearance and that's it. I don't even care that much, other than I want to know he's telling the truth about himself. But the secrecy makes me want to know!

[Anonymous]

"State" without any detail traditionally was CIA. My sister is 20 years into NSA and at the beginning she was told to say "Defense Department" without any detail. They are much more open now, though.

[Anonymous]

What's the difference between an Afghan elementary school and a Taliban training camp?

I don't know, man, I just fly the drones.

(Seriously, he probably works for OPM or GSA and just wanted you to be intrigued.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a lot of people at the FBI (top secret clearance HQ jobs, not agents, certainly not undercover) and they would all say "I work for the Justice Department" and then if pressed would say they work in IT or as an analyst or in HR or they are a supervisor/manager or whatever. So my thought is he has one of these jobs - clearance but not clandestine - but he's trying to make it sound more mysterious than it actually is. I believe that all those who work at the clandestine agencies do have a cover story or would just keep it very general like "I work for DoD" and leave it at that.

Then how do you know they work for the FBI?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How long have you been together? If he wouldn't say on the first date or so, probably something in the intelligence community. He'll tell you later on... where they work isn't actually confidential, just not something to make public knowledge (unless it is confidential, and then he'd have a cover story). My husband told me after a few weeks... he's a contractor so it's been several different agencies over time.

First date. I was curious and asked which agency and he wouldn't say. He said he had a high-level clearance and that's it. I don't even care that much, other than I want to know he's telling the truth about himself. But the secrecy makes me want to know!

That's BS. Someone truly in this position would be more willing to identify the agency and downplay the position then reveal a high level clearance.

[Anonymous]

It means don't have high expectations concerning his level of wealth or income. Chicks don't really care where a guy works anyway--they are just trying to determine the guy's financial status, but "where do you work" is less rude than "how much money do you make?"

If he's here dating you OP something tells me he's not James Bond. Most likely he refills the toilet rolls in M's executive shitter. Or maybe he's Bill Paxton to your Jamie Lee Curtis.