Within the contracting community, the word on the street is that individuals should mention their clearances on their resumes to be more attractive to potential employers.

In the context of the job market, this makes sense: a security clearance automatically makes an employee more valuable. Military.com claims that "an established security clearance can increase your salary anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000."

Stock photo.

Some contracting companies are even known to hire on clearance alone, figuring that it's easier to train a cleared employee to perform the job's tasks than to hire a fully qualified employee who must then wait months or even years to begin work, depending on the clearance level required.

With that sort of incentive, it's very tempting to plaster your cleared status everywhere. But should you? Advice ranges from placing the clearance prominently at the top of the resume to discreetly stating that you're "eligible for a security clearance."

Margaret Dikel at Rileyguide.com has excellent advice for cleared job seekers:

• "Do not list your right-to-work or security clearance on any resume you plan to post in an online database. If you are submitting your resume to a specific employer who requests this information, then list it, but don't place it in databases on third-party job or recruiting sites. Employers or recruiters who find your resume will contact you and request this information if they like what they see and have a need to know your status.
• Never disclose what kind of security clearance you have nor the level of your clearance except in an interview. Just note the fact that you have a security clearance by a simple listing: SECURITY CLEARANCE: Yes. The details will be discussed during that interview. And remember that information you provide will be verified, so this is definitely not the place to 'inflate' your qualification. "

The National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) [PDF], which provides rules for how security clearances are processed and granted, is silent on whether individuals can talk about their clearances. According to one source, this was a deliberate choice to allow cleared individuals to float resumes. Most agency and contractor briefings given to new employees discourage them from revealing their clearances for both safety and security reasons. If you don't broadcast your clearance, you're less likely to be targeted as the subject of a protest or for social engineering or blackmail attempts.

Certain parts of the federal government have stricter rules about disclosing clearances. For example, in the intelligence community, individuals are expected to ask the relevant agency for permission before disclosing their clearances or any job duties for that agency on a resume.

Should Companies Disclose Security Clearances?

For companies, the same questions apply. Will advertising your facility clearance and cleared personnel make you more attractive to prime contractors and potential teaming partners, or a liability? Are there government regulations that address these questions?

Facility clearances are issued by the Defense Security Service (DSS). A 1997 Defense Department memo states, "You are reminded that NISPOM paragraph 2-100c prohibits the use of the FCL for advertising or promotional purposes. This prohibition is also reiterated in the Facility Clearance Letter 381-R. References to employee clearance levels and contractor performance on classified contracts on the Internet would constitute advertising."

The guidance is clear: if your company has a facility clearance, you can't use it for advertising or promotional purposes. However, the NISPOM guidance implies that it’s okay to tell another company about your facility clearance if they ask you.

What Do You Think?

Is it fair that companies aren't allowed to use facility clearances to entice partners and primes? How cautious should you be in revealing your personal security clearance? Vote our poll, and sound off in the comments below:

This article is part of GovWin.com's jobs and staffing resources. Check out the GovWin staffing section, ask the experts a question or follow @HireGovCon on Twitter for the latest govcon job listings.

Lindley Ashline is the Web editor at GovWin.com, the network that helps government contractors win new business every day. She can be reached at lindleyashline@deltek.com, or you can follow her on Twitter @lindleyashline.