6 ms·

Had an interview with them about three months after I applied. Well, had a phone interview with them at least. It lasted about three questions because, unfortun

Had an interview with them about three months after I applied. Well, had a phone interview with them at least. It lasted about three questions because, unfortunately, I had smoked pot in the last year (the one time I had done it in my life actually). I'm actually not sure if I should have failed it after the second question, which was whether or not I work closely with any foreign nationals. Doesn't everyone in the tech sector? I work closely with a Romanian, a Filipino, and a guy from Sierra Leone. They may all be US citizens now, but i have no idea, so I said "no", after trying to get some guidance from the interviewer (she offered none). Strangely, after my failed three question phone interview I still got an in person interview request and it took two calls to straighten that out. If I lived in the Denver or DC area, I'd probably apply again in six months or so (once my one year has lapsed), but I just don't think it's worth moving across the country for a job there.

bazillion 12y ago
The pot question won't immediately disqualify you -- you'd just have to sign a waiver saying your employment means you're not allowed to use illegal substances. They'd also ask you and confirm this in the lifestyle polygraph. The foreign nationals question is a matter of seeing how deep your clearance process is going to go. If you're in Kansas and the only people you know are from Kansas and all of your Facebook friends live in Kansas, it's going to make it easy for the FBI agents (who conduct the clearance work) to do the required interviews. If you start listing foreign national contacts, each one of them has to be investigated individually (the ones who are close relatives), and that's a lot of work. It's basically easier to fail someone on that and hire the person in Kansas.
- briandear 12y ago
  Can't speak for NSA, but CIA bans all illegal substances in the last 365 days. That may have changed in the past 10 years though. If you have any history of substances, you'll have to do the waiver.
  - vonmoltke 12y ago
    That is the standard for DOD clearances in general. No illegal substance use in the past year, and any at all needs to be adjudicated (to use their terminology).
- strictnein 12y ago
  Strange, because the phone interviewer told me that I was ineligible because of the drug usage and ended the call. Interesting point about the foreign nationals. Good to know it's not an immediate disqualifier.
  - kxyvr 12y ago
    Generally, for something like pot, agencies are going to want a year of abstinence before they'll talk to you. Likely, it'll come up in your clearance interviews and you may have to sign a piece of paper stating that you won't do it again. For longer term drug use or other drugs, the agencies may funny about it. If you're curious the Adjudicative Desk Reference (ADR) gives some guidelines on how the process works: http://www.dhra.mil/perserec/adr/ADR_Version_4.pdf http://www.dhra.mil/perserec/adr/ADR_Version_4.pdf As far as foreign national contact, most of the time, the feds just defer to the wording on standard form 86 (SF-86): http://www.opm.gov/Forms/pdf_fill/sf86.pdf http://www.opm.gov/Forms/pdf_fill/sf86.pdf It's long, but gives a pretty clear indication on the kinds of questions asked. Basically, they're looking for foreign contacts for which you've had "close and/or continuing contact" whose nature falls under 4 categories 1. Affection 2. Obligation 3. Influence 4. Common interest If I recall correctly, that fourth one was added about five years ago. Anyway, check page 59 in the link.
  - DonHopkins 12y ago
    You failed the interview for not pulling a James Clapper and lying.
- swombat 12y ago
  Surely, to investigate foreign nationals, they just put their details into XKeyscore and...
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- vonmoltke 12y ago
  > FBI agents (who conduct the clearance work) Nitpick (since I just noticed it): general clearance investigations are handled by the Office of Personnel Management; special clearance investigations are handled directly by the program or agency granting the special clearance.
locokoko 12y ago
Is asking such questions (smoking pot, questions about your social life) in a job interview legal in the US? From what I know, this would be illegal in most European countries.
- sarciszewski 12y ago
  Yes, it's totally legal, depending on the state you live in (I think there are regulations in, e.g. California, about some questions). There is no compulsion to answer, however.
  - jdmichal 12y ago
    > There is no compulsion to answer, however. With the understanding that there's also no compulsion for them to hire you if you don't answer.
- briandear 12y ago
  For national security positions; absolutely. Those questions are due to the potential for coercion as well as character determination. As far as Europe, MI6 definitely asks those questions. Not sure about DGSE in France though. If you answer in a way that's "negative" that doesn't hurt you as much as lying. If everyone knows about your transgressions, there is less leverage for cohesion by a foreign agency. But if you're keeping a secret, that's exceptional leverage that can be used to blackmail you into betraying secrets.
  - bazillion 12y ago
    You hit on a great point. The possibility to be coerced is pretty much the single biggest part of the entire security investigation. It includes being coerced because: -Financial debt, so all of your finances are inspected -Family connections, so all of your family is investigated -Marital affairs, so you're asked about it during the poly -Pirating software, again asked about it on the poly ...and all sorts of other things. The big thing you hit on is that this isn't very painful unless you try to hide it. If you try to hide something and it comes out in the investigation, you'll almost certainly be disqualified.
ddispaltro 12y ago
Regarding the pot question, they came to my college and gave a group interview and someone asked the pot question and they told a story about a girl who had applied and passed, but they found pot in the last year, even though she passed the polygraph. They figured out she was sauced at a party and smoked, and were unable to let her in. Granted this was 10 years ago, so something might have changed.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
driverdan 12y ago
Why do you want to work for the NSA?

bazillion 12y ago

The pot question won't immediately disqualify you -- you'd just have to sign a waiver saying your employment means you're not allowed to use illegal substances. They'd also ask you and confirm this in the lifestyle polygraph. The foreign nationals question is a matter of seeing how deep your clearance process is going to go. If you're in Kansas and the only people you know are from Kansas and all of your Facebook friends live in Kansas, it's going to make it easy for the FBI agents (who conduct the clearance work) to do the required interviews. If you start listing foreign national contacts, each one of them has to be investigated individually (the ones who are close relatives), and that's a lot of work. It's basically easier to fail someone on that and hire the person in Kansas.

briandear 12y ago
Can't speak for NSA, but CIA bans all illegal substances in the last 365 days. That may have changed in the past 10 years though. If you have any history of substances, you'll have to do the waiver.
- vonmoltke 12y ago
  That is the standard for DOD clearances in general. No illegal substance use in the past year, and any at all needs to be adjudicated (to use their terminology).
strictnein 12y ago
Strange, because the phone interviewer told me that I was ineligible because of the drug usage and ended the call. Interesting point about the foreign nationals. Good to know it's not an immediate disqualifier.
- kxyvr 12y ago
  Generally, for something like pot, agencies are going to want a year of abstinence before they'll talk to you. Likely, it'll come up in your clearance interviews and you may have to sign a piece of paper stating that you won't do it again. For longer term drug use or other drugs, the agencies may funny about it. If you're curious the Adjudicative Desk Reference (ADR) gives some guidelines on how the process works: http://www.dhra.mil/perserec/adr/ADR_Version_4.pdf http://www.dhra.mil/perserec/adr/ADR_Version_4.pdf As far as foreign national contact, most of the time, the feds just defer to the wording on standard form 86 (SF-86): http://www.opm.gov/Forms/pdf_fill/sf86.pdf http://www.opm.gov/Forms/pdf_fill/sf86.pdf It's long, but gives a pretty clear indication on the kinds of questions asked. Basically, they're looking for foreign contacts for which you've had "close and/or continuing contact" whose nature falls under 4 categories 1. Affection 2. Obligation 3. Influence 4. Common interest If I recall correctly, that fourth one was added about five years ago. Anyway, check page 59 in the link.
- DonHopkins 12y ago
  You failed the interview for not pulling a James Clapper and lying.
swombat 12y ago
Surely, to investigate foreign nationals, they just put their details into XKeyscore and...
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
vonmoltke 12y ago
> FBI agents (who conduct the clearance work) Nitpick (since I just noticed it): general clearance investigations are handled by the Office of Personnel Management; special clearance investigations are handled directly by the program or agency granting the special clearance.

locokoko 12y ago

Is asking such questions (smoking pot, questions about your social life) in a job interview legal in the US? From what I know, this would be illegal in most European countries.

sarciszewski 12y ago
Yes, it's totally legal, depending on the state you live in (I think there are regulations in, e.g. California, about some questions). There is no compulsion to answer, however.
- jdmichal 12y ago
  > There is no compulsion to answer, however. With the understanding that there's also no compulsion for them to hire you if you don't answer.
briandear 12y ago
For national security positions; absolutely. Those questions are due to the potential for coercion as well as character determination. As far as Europe, MI6 definitely asks those questions. Not sure about DGSE in France though. If you answer in a way that's "negative" that doesn't hurt you as much as lying. If everyone knows about your transgressions, there is less leverage for cohesion by a foreign agency. But if you're keeping a secret, that's exceptional leverage that can be used to blackmail you into betraying secrets.
- bazillion 12y ago
  You hit on a great point. The possibility to be coerced is pretty much the single biggest part of the entire security investigation. It includes being coerced because: -Financial debt, so all of your finances are inspected -Family connections, so all of your family is investigated -Marital affairs, so you're asked about it during the poly -Pirating software, again asked about it on the poly ...and all sorts of other things. The big thing you hit on is that this isn't very painful unless you try to hide it. If you try to hide something and it comes out in the investigation, you'll almost certainly be disqualified.

ddispaltro 12y ago

Regarding the pot question, they came to my college and gave a group interview and someone asked the pot question and they told a story about a girl who had applied and passed, but they found pot in the last year, even though she passed the polygraph. They figured out she was sauced at a party and smoked, and were unable to let her in. Granted this was 10 years ago, so something might have changed.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

driverdan 12y ago

Why do you want to work for the NSA?