Adam Fife, CEO of CenCore, shares the importance of excellence and attention to detail in a high-performance environment. Learn about the National Security Program that helps to green the polygraph workforce, Adam’s views on hybrid work and how long that will take to be implemented widely, plus why you shouldn’t job hop. “It's an honor and a privilege that the United States Government trusts us to work with them to maintain and push forward a mission that we feel is critical, whether it's at hom...
May 08, 2024•21 min
Navy veteran Matt O'Hara, Red Cyber Program Manager, shares his inspiring origin story and his efforts to build his team at Valiant. Matt emphasizes the importance of soft skills and diversity of thought that are critical in building a successful unit, plus his tips for successful interviewing and military transition. “ We're looking for you to be a good fit for the team. More so than the technical knowledge oftentimes, I'm looking for the soft skills that you bring to the team. Are you a good t...
May 01, 2024•21 min
“Be someone that people want to work with,” shares Katie Gaither, recruiting director at Edgewater Technical Associates. Edgewater supports DOE nuclear work at sites throughout the U.S., offering relocation or per diem options to test the waters of your new location. In addition, transferring your security clearance from DOD to DOE is a straightforward process. “The DOD Secret is equivalent to an L and the DOD's Top Secret is equivalent to a Q. The reciprocity or conversion, if you have an activ...
Apr 24, 2024•15 min
If you’re serving in the military and you’re notified of an issue with your security clearance, who do you turn to for help? The answer may surprise you. Plus, find out what you need to know before you separate and more in this special episode on security clearance issues when you’re serving in the military, featuring Tony Kuhn, Managing Partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC. “In the military, if you lose your security clearance, you lose your career. Is this something that you want to self-report? If i...
Apr 17, 2024•20 min
“We try to work with you, instead of you working for us,” shares John Ommert, Army veteran and partner at Constellation Technologies, Inc. (CTI). John helps lead an organization that is 60+ percent veterans and that has been named a Baltimore Sun Top Workplace for 5 years running. Though primarily focused on IT and Intel work requiring polygraphs, their portfolio is expanding to include some non-poly work as well. Learn about their $12k yearly bonus for waived healthcare benefits. “As an employe...
Apr 10, 2024•20 min
For Bob Heriford, CEO of Innovative Solutions, considering new employees is always about a will or a skill. Integrity, honesty and loyalty cannot be taught, but technical skills can. Innovative Solutions offers flexible shorter-term opportunities in addition to longer-term contracts. “It’s all about their attitude. It's all about how they build relationships. For me personally, I could really care less about your technical skills. Unless you're coming to us with say a Fortinet, NSE level 6, 7 or...
Apr 03, 2024•17 min
SilverEdge is a private-equity backed government contractor primarily working in the intelligence community in the National Capital Region, shares Kelly Douglas, Vice President of Talent Acquisition. With over 300 employees, 90% of whom have polygraphs, there is a focus on employee retention, whether that’s through flexible schedules or internal mobility to avoid burnout. Plus, we cover why it’s important to know your worth in the marketplace. “I'm very passionate about the navigation of a salar...
Mar 27, 2024•20 min
This special Bonus Episode of our podcast gives detailed advice on leveraging social networks for a more strategic cleared job search. Find show notes and additional links at: https://clearedjobs.net/leverage-social-networks-for-your-cleared-job-search-podcast/ _ This show is brought to you by ClearedJobs.Net. Have feedback or questions for us? Email us at rriggins@clearedjobs.net . Sign up for our cleared job seeker newsletter. Create a cleared job seeker profile on ClearedJobs.Net. Engage with...
Mar 20, 2024•11 min
Cleared job search is like dating, so don’t fake it in the interview process shares Kirsten Renner, VP of People Operations at Cydecor. Led by an inspiring founder, Nader Elguindi, Cydecor is expanding rapidly, offering opportunities for growth, hybrid work, and numerous CONUS options. Learn why you need to do more than just click “apply for a job” to stand out from your competition. “You have applied. You would assume that someone's going to see your application. Take a minute to reach out and ...
Mar 13, 2024•19 min
Growing people while solving the nation’s toughest problems is how Technical Recruiter Courtney White describes Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3). This employee-owned company offers an employee stock ownership program and is growing quickly, nearing 800 employees. “Make a difference while making a living.” “We solve really tough technical problems. We pride ourselves on our ability to make a difference while we are making a living and doing our jobs. We work hard, we serve hard, we compete hard,...
Mar 06, 2024•22 min
Don’t underestimate the power of being easy to work with in your career, shares Uri Robinson, Co-Founder at Robinson Consulting Group. He heads a small DC-area firm focused on Systems Engineering. If you’re looking to have access to the C-Suite and grow with the company, this may be a stop for you. “They say your network is your net worth at the end of the day. So build those relationships across the board with anybody and everybody, because I always think about the story of the Seven Degrees of...
Feb 28, 2024•20 min
Straightforward, actionable uses of artificial intelligence for your cleared job search. This special Bonus Episode of our podcast shares how to use artificial intelligence to save time, improve your communication skills, and broaden your knowledge, to improve your cleared job search. “It is still recommended that you tailor your resume for every single role you apply for. If you're applying for 30, that's a lot of time. You can revise your resume yourself for all 30 roles. But why would you nee...
Feb 21, 2024•30 min
How do you navigate salary transparency? Mike Barnum, Talent Acquisition Leader at Raytheon, shares how. Plus, he answers the eternal question of how many jobs you should apply for at one company, how to ask for feedback on the spot in an interview, and the importance of confidence…just not too much. “If we're reaching out to set up an interview with you remember you were chosen. Whatever your application said, whatever conversation you had with a recruiter, we chose to take our time to speak wi...
Feb 14, 2024•28 min
Shae Gee is a 30-year Air Force veteran and Chief People Officer for a growing small business, Paragon Cyber Solutions. Hear her first two questions in an interview and why she asks them, plus Shae’s perspective after having recently transitioned from the military to the civilian sector. “Sometimes we discount what we actually did in the military. If you're doing maintenance, yes, you're a leader. Yes, you're dealing with people. If you're going for a specific route on People Operations, you may...
Feb 07, 2024•26 min
Senior Program Manager Chad Clary leads the V2X C5I portfolio. He highlights the company's focus on soft skills development, diversity in the workplace, their success with the SkillBridge program, plus what to ask if you don’t get the role you applied for. “For those that don't quite make the cut, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're not going to be a fit for a future role. So, I do tell people that if you don't get hired, always ask the person who interviewed you for constructive feedback...
Jan 31, 2024•27 min
This special Bonus Episode of our podcast demonstrates how to get your full value from a potential cleared employer by negotiating the offer that makes sense for you. “I need to renew my CISSP. Do you give me time off for it? Do you pay for it? Do you pay for the travel? Those are benefits that really change depending on the company you work for." Find show notes and additional links at: https://clearedjobs.net/negotiate-your-salary-and-benefits-podcast/ _ This show is brought to you by ClearedJ...
Jan 24, 2024•14 min
ITIC hires cleared IT professionals for the Northern Virginia intelligence community. Staffing Manager Eric Voelkel shares they offer six weeks PTO right out of the gate, as well as the importance of being able to speak to what you still need to learn, or don’t know, when interviewing. “I just don't want to be able to hear all the things that you've accomplished. I want to hear someone speak about the areas that they need to actually work on. If someone can come to the table with that, I know th...
Jan 17, 2024•20 min
ICF has an inspiring backstory and a wide variety of cleared opportunities in the DC metro area and beyond. Ruth Robertson, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner for Technology, shares the company’s commitment to DEI, illustrated by being named a 2023 Forbes Best Employer for Diversity and Best Employer for Women. Plus, Ruth reminds us to always include contact information on our resume! “Growth definitely means a lot of things to people. And so when we are able to provide both vertical and horizont...
Jan 10, 2024•20 min
Oasis Systems is now Astrion, a cleared employer focused primarily on supporting the FAA, NASA and the Air Force in engineering and cybersecurity roles. Learn from cybersecurity recruiter Ashley Owens, how to use AI in your cleared job search, SkillBridge opportunities and more. “If you don't see an opportunity available right now, please, please keep networking and keep looking at the career site, because most of our hiring partners are able to forecast what their needs are in advance. I find m...
Jan 03, 2024•32 min
Welcome to this special edition of Security Cleared Jobs: Who’s Hiring and How . Today’s episode is a “producer pick” featuring a past episode with Shannon Morgan of Ball Aerospace. If you missed it the first time, enjoy learning all that Ball Aerospace has to offer, from a fast-paced environment that sees a lot of change to SkillBridge opportunities for transitioning military personnel and much more. View the show notes and transcript from the original airing of this episode here: https://clear...
Dec 27, 2023•20 min
In this special Bonus Episode of our podcast, our hosts share some of their favorite moments from our 2023 podcast episodes. From TikTok, to unlimited PTO (how can that be bad?), to employment scams, we know you’ll enjoy these clips we’ve prepared for you. Find show notes and additional links at: https://clearedjobs.net/highlights-of-our-2023-podcast/ _ This show is brought to you by ClearedJobs.Net. Have feedback or questions for us? Email us at rriggins@clearedjobs.net . Sign up for our cleare...
Dec 20, 2023•21 min
Recorded live at the recent ISC2 Security Congress, this panel discussion features Kirsten Renner formerly of Accenture Federal Services and now with Cydecor, and Kris Rides with Tiro Security. Hear about top certifications, steps you need to take when you apply for a job, the eternal power of networking, and more. “They apply and wait, apply and wait, apply and wait. There's a good chance, no one's gonna see, sorry, your resume. Go find out who the recruiter is, or go find out who the hiring ma...
Dec 13, 2023•23 min
In this special Bonus Episode of our podcast, we share the best resume tips from our 2023 podcast guests, to help you create your cleared resume. Find show notes and additional links at: https://clearedjobs.net/best-cleared-resume-advice-from-our-2023-guests-podcast/ _ This show is brought to you by ClearedJobs.Net. Have feedback or questions for us? Email us at rriggins@clearedjobs.net . Sign up for our cleared job seeker newsletter. Create a cleared job seeker profile on ClearedJobs.Net. Engag...
Dec 06, 2023•16 min
BCubed Engineering is an advanced software engineering firm that offers a unique office environment and amenities. A brewery? Check. Vineyard? Check. Plus, they offer individual benefit accounts, which are a hard find in the cleared community today. Learn more in our discussion with Michele Randall, Senior Advisor of Talent Acquisition. “I will have a conversation, a nice short chat, that really just gives us time to get to know each other. My primary reason for doing that is to see if you're a ...
Nov 29, 2023•22 min
Welcome to this special edition of Security Cleared Jobs: Who’s Hiring and How . Today’s episode is a “producer pick” featuring a past episode with Kearstin McGinnis of TekSynap. If you missed it the first time, enjoy learning all that TekSynap has to offer, from referral bonuses and company cruises, to tech dollars and job search tips you won’t want to miss. View the show notes and transcript from the original airing of this episode here: https://clearedjobs.net/teksynap-innovation-in-the-hirin...
Nov 22, 2023•23 min
Cleared professionals who kick a lot of tires and consider many employment options, end up working at Leading Path Consulting, shares Jason Immediato, Lead for Cleared Talent Acquisition and Retention. Their cleared work is primarily IT-related and located in Northern Virginia. The Leading Path leadership team is committed to treating people well, and they value their personal connection with employees…even taking the entire company on cruises and trips to warm-weather locations. “They really be...
Nov 15, 2023•21 min
Katmai Government Services is an Alaska Native Corporation primarily serving DoD and CDC contracts. Their unique culture and backstory supports Katmai’s indigenous shareholders as well as their employees. Taylor Hayes, Talent Acquisition Assistant Manager, talks about flexibility in considering experience in lieu of education, remote opportunities for cleared technical positions, and the power of saying thank you. “ Here at Katmai, we absolutely take your experience and include it in lieu of a d...
Nov 08, 2023•17 min
At ATS you can #owntheseat, not just fill it, shares Dorion Baker, Vice President of Talent Acquisition. ATS features an employee stock ownership plan, plus they’ve been named a Washington Post Top Workplace winner for each of the past 10 years. Sixty percent of their new hires come through existing employee referrals. “We have hired a lot of people, but 60% of those people are the result of our employee referral program. Sixty percent, which if you do your own research, you'll see industry aver...
Nov 01, 2023•22 min
Tell a potential employer why you’re the best candidate and advocate for yourself, shares Shannon Morgan, Ball Aerospace RF Engineering Senior Manager. Flexibility and adaptability are the keys to success at Ball, where the fast-paced environment is very different from a typical defense contractor. “Make sure that you know your worth. Make sure you know what you're bringing to the table. And don't be afraid to tell a potential employer about it. The interview process is for you to get to know us...
Oct 25, 2023•20 min
How severely does filing for bankruptcy or using illegal drugs impact your ability to hold a security clearance? Is the government looking to catch you in a mistake and end your cleared career? Find out the reality behind common security clearance misconceptions in this special episode featuring Tony Kuhn, Managing Partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC. “Don't just call your security officer and say, ‘Hey, I smoked a joint this weekend.’ That's probably going to result in you having your clearance strip...
Oct 18, 2023•17 min
