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Clearance is a funny business. They want to weed out things which can be used as leverage against people with clearance. So - financial stuff is their number

by RajT88 3y ago

Clearance is a funny business. They want to weed out things which can be used as leverage against people with clearance. So - financial stuff is their number 1 clearance issue I've heard. If you're deep in debt, or otherwise demonstrate poor control over your financial life. Next up is being part of the LGBT community - if you're in the closet. I've heard they don't care about people being gay per se, just the secret aspect of it. Anecdotally, I had a govvie friend mention an FBI analyst who had a side hustle in gay porn. Totally OK. Being open about drug use, as long as it's not the hard drugs, I could see someone getting a pass for.

myself248 3y ago
A friend of mine says that his coming-out moment happened while undergoing a polygraph to work at the CIA. Basically "you're still hiding something, what is it?", and that was it. He admitted it to the polygrapher at the same time he admitted it to himself. He didn't get the job, not sure if that was why.
- RajT88 3y ago
  Who knows? NPR recently had a segment where they had told a lady for months during the interview process that she was a perfect fit for the agency. At some point they went cold on her, and then told her to reapply the following year (which she tried for a few years). She'll never know why it didn't work out. I know at least one person who was not intimidated by the lie detectors, and were able to conceal things which might have been an issue.
matwood 3y ago
Anything that can be used as blackmail and/or show lack of good judgement/trustworthiness. Different agencies have different requirements, but past drug use is usually not an issue as long as it's disclosed. The FBI/DEA has/had stricter rules on drug use likely because part of the job could entail dealing with drug seizures.
red-iron-pine 3y ago
> So - financial stuff is their number 1 clearance issue I've heard. If you're deep in debt, or otherwise demonstrate poor control over your financial life. True -- can't handle your money why would you deserve to handle the gub'mnts? But also people massively in debt will get desperate and take bribes. And bribes work.

by RajT88 3y ago

myself248 3y ago

A friend of mine says that his coming-out moment happened while undergoing a polygraph to work at the CIA. Basically "you're still hiding something, what is it?", and that was it. He admitted it to the polygrapher at the same time he admitted it to himself. He didn't get the job, not sure if that was why.

RajT88 3y ago
Who knows? NPR recently had a segment where they had told a lady for months during the interview process that she was a perfect fit for the agency. At some point they went cold on her, and then told her to reapply the following year (which she tried for a few years). She'll never know why it didn't work out. I know at least one person who was not intimidated by the lie detectors, and were able to conceal things which might have been an issue.

matwood 3y ago

Anything that can be used as blackmail and/or show lack of good judgement/trustworthiness. Different agencies have different requirements, but past drug use is usually not an issue as long as it's disclosed. The FBI/DEA has/had stricter rules on drug use likely because part of the job could entail dealing with drug seizures.

red-iron-pine 3y ago

> So - financial stuff is their number 1 clearance issue I've heard. If you're deep in debt, or otherwise demonstrate poor control over your financial life. True -- can't handle your money why would you deserve to handle the gub'mnts? But also people massively in debt will get desperate and take bribes. And bribes work.