INSIDE THE 
NEWS + ADVICE
Transitioning Military: Decode Your Security Clearance and Polygraph with AT&T
A security clearance and polygraph are powerful assets that can open doors to mission-driven work outside of the military. But do you know the specifics about your clearance and how to leverage it effectively to secure your next cleared career?
Understanding how security clearances work on the civilian side can be confusing, but April Martinez, Army veteran and Associate Director for Resource Management at AT&T Global Public Sector, will walk you through everything you need to know.
🖥️ Watch the webinar here for April’s full conversation on our Military Monday series.
What Level of Clearance Does the Average Veteran Leave the Military With
Secret is what we see the majority of. It really depends on the job you’re doing in the military. The highest level clearance we typically see is a TS/SCI with a CI (Counterintelligence) polygraph. There’s some Full Scope or Lifestyle polys, but it’s exceptionally rare.
If you have a polygraph but don’t know which one, nine out of ten times it’s going to be a CI in the military. Most of us, myself included, came out with a CI poly.
It’s Possible You Only Had a CI Poly in the Military to Do Work That Requires a Full Scope Poly Outside the Military
The military has a waiver that allows service members with a CI poly to work alongside a government employee or contractor who has a Full Scope. You could be sitting in line with each other, with the same access, doing the same job, but everybody around you will be required to have a Full Scope poly, while you, as a military person, are only required to have a CI poly, because of the waiver.
That’s what happened to me. I was working with all these contractors and government people, and they all had Full Scope polys, but there I was, an Arabic linguist with only a CI poly. When I got out, I didn’t realize the nuances of that. So when I went to get a job as a government person or a contractor, the poly was always an issue, because I only had a CI poly.
The Difference Between a CI and Full Scope Polygraph
They evaluate you on a different set of criteria. CI, Counterintelligence, is exactly what it says. It’s assessing your risk for a counter intel situation. Are you going to give secrets away? The Full Scope or Lifestyle covers that too, in addition to all kinds of things about yourself and your personal life. It can get very detailed depending on who’s giving it. So it’s a whole different dynamic.
It’s very easy to go through the CI. You’re like, yes, of course, I’m never going to share secrets or anything like that, because I’m a military person and I’ve sworn an oath. When you get into the Full Scope, it gets a little bit more difficult, because it’s about personal choices that you made, and some of us did dumb things when we were younger.
What You Need to Know About Your Clearance Before Your Military Exit
Find out when your last background investigation was completed. That’s going to help your transition go smoother. Know the date of your last polygraph, if you’ve had one, and what the outcome was. Some agencies allow you to have a pass or an inconclusive, so you want to know what you’ve got and that you’re current or in scope. Five to seven years is considered reasonable for most people, but there are a lot of nuances. It depends on who’s sponsoring it, who’s holding it, etc. So ask those questions.
You can ask your security officer. They can pull up your social and tell you what your status is, so that you are prepared when you go to speak to a recruiter. Don’t put that information on your resume, but have it so you can talk about it intelligently.
In addition to background investigations, there’s also something called continuous evaluation (CE). They complement each other. So everyone is always going to have to do a background investigation, but continuous evaluation is just automated checks and processes that go on.
You want to know your enrollment date for continuous evaluation too, so ask the question. You’re very unlikely to be asked about your CE enrollment date by a recruiter, but if you know it, you’re going to be one step ahead in understanding what part of the process you’re in.
Can You Get Info About Your Clearance After Your Military Exit
It’s very difficult. If you’ve already exited the military, you can find some companies who might be really interested in you, who can make a call and find out where you are on your behalf. But it’s so much easier on you, and on the companies that you’re going to engage with, if you come prepared with that information.
Understanding Clearance Requirements on Job Postings
You always want to know the lowest level clearance needed for a particular job. It could be Secret, TS/SCI, etc. For instance, the job posting will say “TS/SCI” or “TS/SCI with polygraph.” Depending on who you talk to or the agency, the polygraph may not be spelled out. It may just say “polygraph required,” without specifying CI or Full Scope, because there are some security concerns around what you can share on a public website.
How to Pursue Clearance Upgrade Opportunities with Employers
To get your clearance upgraded after the military, you’re often going to go work with a company on a particular contract that doesn’t require that higher level clearance. And in the meantime, you’re going to be submitted for a clearance upgrade.
The conversation about upgrades is usually done initially with the recruiter, because they’ll know if that contract will allow such a thing. The contract vehicle has to have the capability to upgrade a clearance. So you can ask that question and be very upfront about your situation.
Recruiters expect the question to be asked. It shows that you understand your situation. It’s no different than talking about your compensation or a company’s benefits.
Accepting Contingent Offers During Your Military Transition
I would encourage people to not walk away from contingent offers thinking that it’s not real. Contingencies can be based on any number of things, like a contract award, funding for a position, your clearance crossover, or clearance upgrades. If you can find a good position that suits your needs that’s just contingent upon your clearance crossover or a clearance upgrade, there is no reason not to move forward with something like that.
It’s like having an ace in your back pocket if you don’t have something in front of you today. That contingent offer allows companies like AT&T and so many others, to actually start a clearance upgrade process. So it gets you moving.
One thing I would caution is, if you’re going to do that, you need to keep track of who you have contingents with, because you could have multiple submissions into a specific agency or contract. But there’s no reason to say, I’m not going to consider a contingent because it’s not real. They’re very real and they allow you to get moving in the process.
Attend Cleared Job Fairs Before Your Military Transition
Anybody who has a polygraph can find these valuable. Employers want to meet people. It’s a super tight labor market and we’re always looking towards the future. So if you have the opportunity as a military person to attend one of these job fairs, I would encourage you. Go to every booth, talk to the employers, and find out what they’re looking for. What are they telling you about the timelines? What is the work looking like? It’s really going to hone your skills as far as engaging with people and interviewing.
In the military, you don’t really interview. You just know where they tell you to go. Now you have to be able to speak to what you’re doing and where you want to go. So use Cleared Job Fairs to hone your skills, learn a lot about the industry, and find a company that may be suitable to your values and is a good fit that can help you with your clearance transition.
Start Preparing Now
If I could do it over again, the advice I would give with clearances and finding a job is to start looking before you’re ready to get out. Don’t wait until the last four or six weeks. Start looking well in advance. Know the date that you’re getting out, know your clearance info, and start engaging with companies. Some of the clearance crossover and upgrades are taking about a year to 18 months. So you have a long runway to find something that’s going to be suitable for you, but it’s really hard to do it in a few weeks.
I encourage everybody to ask good questions when you’re talking to companies. We want to help you. Helping you find a good job, helps us in our own needs, so be willing to talk to everybody and ask any questions that you might have.
Find more articles about your security clearance here.
