What do they ask you in a clearance interview?

What to expect in a clearance interview?

You can expect to be asked difficult, highly personal questions about any aspect of your life. For instance, topics that may be covered in a security clerance interview include sexual history and preferences, drug and alcohol use and watching pornography.

How do I pass a security clearance interview?

What disqualifies you from getting a clearance?

What does a secret clearance ask?

Credit and criminal history checks will be conducted on all applicants. For a Top Secret security clearance, the background investigation includes additional record checks which can verify citizenship for the applicant and family members, verification of birth, education, employment history, and military history.

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Do security clearances check Internet history?

Emails, Internet Histories & Other Virtual Assets

Although security clearance background checks can be intensely thorough, the government can't view your emails, Internet browsing history, hard drive data, and other virtual assets without a subpoena or warrant.

What are red flags for security clearance?

Lying on your application, not cooperating with the investigation, and patterns of dishonest behavior are examples of personal conduct issues that are the second most common reason for security clearance denial.

Who gets interviewed for security clearance?

For a secret clearance in a national security position, the investigation requires agents to interview people who have lived or worked with the applicant at some point in the past seven years, or sometimes farther back.

Do they check your credit for a security clearance?

Imperfect financial circumstances, such as bad credit scores, can have a negative influence on your application and potentially cause your security clearance to be denied. In fact, financial issues comprise a large percentage of security clearance denials.

Is it hard to pass a security clearance?

Those who have gone through the security clearance process understand the significant headaches involved in both the initial background investigation as well as periodic reinvestigations. Obtaining a security clearance is no easy task, and not everyone who applies will be granted access.

How long is a security clearance interview?

The security clearance interview itself tends to last approximately one to two hours, although the duration varies depending on the difficulty of the case. Usually, just one investigator is assigned for the personal interview, but in some cases there can be two investigators.

Does everyone get interviewed for a security clearance?

The answer – no, not standard protocol. But it's also not out of the ordinary. A number of things can trigger an interview as a part of a Secret clearance investigation.

How do you answer security clearance questions?

ClearanceJobs always recommends answering the question that is being asked of you fully and truthfully. If one misdemeanor is all you have on your record from a few years ago, remember that time passed and positive patterns in terms of behavior are mitigating factors.

Is it easier to get a job with a clearance?

Having a security clearance is similar to having a special certification or degree on your résumé. It makes you more marketable, helping you stand out from other candidates and increasing your job prospects. An active or current clearance may also increase your earning potential.

What are the 4 steps for a security clearance?

Although the security clearance process involves a number of stages, the key steps to obtaining and maintaining a security clearance are pre-investigation, investigation, adjudication, and reinvestigation.

How often are security clearances denied?

You may even wonder if you should continue with the process, particularly if you're not getting a paycheck while you wait. But don't lose heart – 20-30% of all interim security clearances are denied, but that is vastly different than the figure of final clearance denials, which hovers around 1%.

What can affect security clearance?

Candidates may not receive clearance if the agency expresses concerns about drug or alcohol use, criminal conduct, psychological conditions, sexual behavior, or allegiance to the United States.

What happens after an interview for security clearance?

Once you complete the the questionnaire, the document is sent to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) DCSA is responsible for verifying the information and performing the actual background investigation. The level of investigation depends upon the level of access to be granted.

Do they interview friends for secret clearance?

An investigator may show up to your current employers office. Not sure about your neighbors. I was interviewed by an investigator because I was listed as an associate or friend of a Soldier obtaining a Top Secret Clearance. So friends may be interviewed.

What can jeopardize a security clearance?

Criminal sexual behavior, pornography and repeated, high-risk sexual behavior are all examples that suggest lack of self-control and trustworthiness to retain security clearance.

Do they check text messages for security clearance?

While it is true that security clearance investigators can dig deeply into all the financial, personal, and social aspects of your life, your text messages, and private online accounts are safe, for now.

Do security clearance look at social media?

Security clearance holders should know that comments made publicly can be used against them in the security clearance process. The best step to take to ensure information doesn't come back to bite is to keep your accounts locked down and private.

What does a security clearance check look at?

The security clearance process typically includes a FBI reference check of former employers, coworkers, friends, neighbors, landlords, and schools along with a review of credit, tax, and police records.

What questions do they ask at a security interview?

Can family members affect security clearance?

Hardly. Previous questions have included if a spouse being listed on the sex offender registry for a decade-old arrest or if a jail stint would affect the applicant's security clearance. Those issues would likely only be an issue of the applicant was involved in some way.