News + Career Advice
Stay current on security-cleared job search tips, trends, and news.
How to Read a DoD Contract Award and Find the Cleared Jobs Before They Are Posted
On July 17, 2026, the Air Force District of Washington awarded Sigmatech Inc. a systems engineering contract worth $108,862,926. The money that actually moved that day was $43,183. Four hundredths of one percent. That gap is the most useful thing on the page, and almost nobody re… more
IAT Level II: The Exact Certifications That Qualify, and Which One to Take First
The chart that tells a cleared job seeker which certifications satisfy IAT Level II has not been publicly readable since March 9, 2023. That is the last archived rendering of the DoD Cyber Exchange page that returned the table instead of a login redirect. Snapshots from August 11… more
8140 Certification Requirements on a Cleared IT Contract: What the Employer Must Verify
Open the DFARS Part 239 that Defense contracting officers have been directed to use since 1 February 2026 and look for the information assurance certification rules. One line sits where they used to be: Subpart 239.71-239.73 [Reserved]. The words "8570," "8140," "information assu… more
The Security Clearance Line on a Resume: Exact Placement, Exact Wording, Exact Format
Section 25 of Standard Form 86 asks whether the U.S. Government has ever "granted you a security clearance eligibility/access." Look at the slash. The federal government's own Questionnaire for National Security Positions cannot decide between the two words, so it prints both and… more
Clearance Suspended Under Continuous Vetting: Your Pay, Your Access, and Your Next 90 Days
The rule that ends your workday is one sentence. Under 32 CFR 117.10(a)(2)(ii), once the Cognizant Security Agency tells your employer your eligibility is suspended, the contractor "will immediately deny access to classified information," wherever that employee sits. Badge off. N… more