News + Career Advice

Stay current on security-cleared job search tips, trends, and news.

Government Contract Jobs vs. Federal Jobs: Which One You Are Actually Applying For

Between December 2024 and June 2026, federal civilian employment outside the Postal Service fell from 2,410,800 to 2,083,700, according to the BLS Current Employment Statistics series. That is 327,100 positions, a 13.6% cut in eighteen months. The contractor side of the cleared m… more

FSO Requirements for a Cleared Contractor: Who Must Appoint One, and What They Actually Have to Do

Procedures. Security training and briefings. Determination of access. Reporting requirements. Information system security. Those five categories were roughly 82 percent of every open security vulnerability the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency carried across cleared… more

Polygraph Failing: Common Causes and Solutions for Cleared Applicants

Clearance Adjudication / PolygraphPolygraph Failing: Common Causes and Solutions for Cleared ApplicantsA "failed" polygraph rarely means you lied. It means the chart, the examiner, or your physiology produced a result the agency cannot move forward on. Here is what actually trig… more

How to Get State Department Contractor Jobs: A 2026 Field Guide

Cleared Careers / Federal Contracting How to Get State Department Contractor Jobs: A 2026 Field Guide Two numbers explain State Department contracting in 2026: the $15 billion ceiling on the Worldwide Protective Services III IDIQ the State Department awarded in December 2020, … more

Anduril Careers: How to Get Hired at the Leading Defense Tech Company

Anduril Careers: How to Get Hired at the Leading Defense Tech CompanyA nine-year-old Costa Mesa startup, valued at $30.5 billion after its June 2025 Series G, has become the most aggressive cleared-talent recruiter in the defense industry. Here is what its hiring loop actually l… more