Hush-Hush: Obtaining a Government Security Clearance

Clearances are required by the government based on the specific needs of certain positions. This means you can't apply for them on your own: The government or its contractors are the only groups that can start the clearance process, and as such you (and the employer) don't foot any of the bill.

The check begins when an offer is extended. You'll be asked to fill out the National Security Questionnaire, which when submitted kicks off the process. (Experts insist that it is in your interest to be as honest and thorough in your answers as possible so that no inconsistencies are unearthed by investigators later. If they believe you're withholding information or, worse, lying, that could mean rejection.)

Two separate procedures follow: the background investigation and the adjudication process. (Neither is conducted by your hiring manager, who won't see any of the information or details involved -- only professionals who conduct clearances do.)

The background investigation, conducted by employees of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) or its contractors, involves:

A National Agency Check, during which investigators review records held by federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations and OPM.

A Local Agency Check, which calls in criminal history records held by local law enforcement agencies such as police departments and sheriffs with jurisdiction over the areas where you have lived, gone to school or worked.

Financial checks.

Field interviews of individuals including co-workers, employers, friends, educators and neighbors. The candidate provides a list of contacts, though the investigator may (and often does) talk with others beyond the names submitted.

Checks of records held by employers, courts and rental offices.

A personal interview with you.

The Decision

After the background investigation, the investigators give every report to adjudicators, who begin their work -- "an examination of a sufficient period of a person's life to make an affirmative determination that the person is eligible for a security clearance," according to the Adjudication Desk Reference, a tool developed to assist security clearance adjudicators, investigators and security managers.