News + Career Advice
Stay current on security-cleared job search tips, trends, and news.
Can You List a Relative as an SF-86 Reference or Verifier?
Section 11 of the Standard Form 86 carries one blunt instruction about who may vouch for where you have lived: do not list "your spouse, cohabitant or other relatives as the verifier for periods of residence." Five sections later the form bars relatives again, in different words,… more
What to Do When You Cannot Remember a Verifier for an Old Address on the SF-86
The SF-86 asks for a residence verifier only when an address falls inside the last 3 years. That one clause, tucked into Section 11, dissolves most of the worry behind this question. If the old address you cannot find a witness for is further back than that, the form tells you to… more
Northrop Grumman Application Status: What Each Stage in the ATS Actually Means
The careers portal at jobs.northropgrumman.com does not run on Workday. It runs on Eightfold AI, the same talent platform behind Northrop Grumman's internal opportunity hub at ngc.eightfold.ai. That one detail rewrites how you should read the status line staring back at you after… more
Extended a Contingent Offer on a Cleared Req? What It Means and the Backup Plan You Need
The letter says the job is yours, contingent on a favorable clearance determination. Under the federal rule that governs contractor clearances, that one word carries a clock: employment has to commence within 45 days of your eligibility being granted at the level the work require… more
Sitting in LOJ? The Reactivation Steps a New Employer Must Take to Re-Sponsor You
A loss of jurisdiction is a records action, not a verdict on your trustworthiness. When a cleared employee leaves a defense contractor, that company drops its relationship to the person's record in the Defense Information System for Security (DISS), and the eligibility falls into… more