Can a Bad Reference Ruin My Clearance?

Unfortunately, most of us don’t get along with every single person we meet. Occasionally, we’ll meet someone we don’t like, or someone else won’t like us. If you’re in your 20s or 30s or beyond and now you’re applying for security clearance , there’s a good chance that there’s at least one person in your past who has an ax to grind. If this person is on your background investigator’s list to call, ...

Can a Debt Collector Threaten Security Clearance?

In order to receive security clearance , an applicant must pass a thorough background investigation. There are a number of negative factors in a person’s background that can make it so they are not approved for security clearance. Such factors include but are not limited to substance abuse , a criminal record, mental illness , and poor financial habits. Poor financial habits? You read that right. ...

Security Clearance: When Will My References Be Contacted?

When you apply for security clearance , it will involve a lot of paperwork and an equal amount of details. As you fill out the references in the required fields, you may think you’re doing what is required of you by providing references, but not all references are created equal. The big question is, will the background investigator be able to reach the references you provided? Or, is the contact ...

Security Clearance: Will They Look at My Juvenile Records?

Suppose you’re seriously considering a job that involves security clearance , but you have skeletons in your closet from your youth. Perhaps you hung out with the wrong crowd and you realize you made a lot of mistakes. Or, perhaps you had a troubled childhood and you grew up in gang territory and did some bad things to survive. Regardless, you’re a changed person and you’d never repeat the same ...