Anonymous wrote:You will be more expendable to the company without your clearance. Be prepared.

+2

Ask if there's an opportunity to pick up a few billable hours a year to keep it fresh?

Otherwise, I wouldn't sweat it. Clearances are the private sector equivalent of the fed pension. A psychological handcuff that holds an outsized value in the minds of people who hold them.

I wouldn't give it up.

Anonymous wrote:Op, when was your last investigation for the TS clearance? If it is after 2019 then you should be ok in dropping it and could pick it up again in the future if needed. The new system is based on continuous monitoring and you don't have to go through the same back ground check if the investigation was done recently.

This right here, you no longer lose eligibility even if you lose access.

Be very clear with them, with the new opportunity, that this is an important consideration for you. And may decide it.

Dealbreaker.

Anonymous wrote:Op, when was your last investigation for the TS clearance? If it is after 2019 then you should be ok in dropping it and could pick it up again in the future if needed. The new system is based on continuous monitoring and you don't have to go through the same back ground check if the investigation was done recently.

It was around 2024, I believe.

Op, when was your last investigation for the TS clearance? If it is after 2019 then you should be ok in dropping it and could pick it up again in the future if needed. The new system is based on continuous monitoring and you don't have to go through the same back ground check if the investigation was done recently.

Anonymous wrote:You will be more expendable to the company without your clearance. Be prepared.

Completely agree.

You will be more expendable to the company without your clearance. Be prepared.

Anonymous wrote:Can you negotiate that you’ll pay for whatever costs might be associated but they will help you keep it?

Not an option and it puts your new company at risk. If there is no need to know then there’s no need to know. That said your clearance can be picked up again within two years of the debrief date if you change jobs again or the new role ends up needing the clearance to attend meetings onsite.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you negotiate that you’ll pay for whatever costs might be associated but they will help you keep it?

I didn’t know that was an option. That’s a great thought, perhaps a pay cut equivalent to the cost.

I don't think that's an option without pulling some crazy shenanigans. Someone else can weigh in.

Anonymous wrote:Can you negotiate that you’ll pay for whatever costs might be associated but they will help you keep it?

I didn’t know that was an option. That’s a great thought, perhaps a pay cut equivalent to the cost.

Can you negotiate that you’ll pay for whatever costs might be associated but they will help you keep it?

Background: I’ve spent my career working at various defense contractors doing both internal and client facing work. I have a TS clearance. Currently in an internal role that is tolerable, but really boring / don’t see much growth potential.

I was offered a director-level internal role at another govt. contractor. The work sounds right up my alley and aligns better with the direction I’d like my career to go in the future. The only downside is that they will not hold clearances for people who aren’t doing direct billable work.

I strongly suspect my clearance helped me get my current job, and in this market, want to keep it. Would this be a deal breaker for you?