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Q: USPS sensitive security clearance ( No Answer,   2 Comments )
Question  
Subject: USPS sensitive security clearance
Category: Miscellaneous
Asked by: grasshop66-ga
List Price: $100.00
Posted: 04 Jan 2006 09:45 PST
Expires: 09 Jan 2006 10:11 PST
Question ID: 429022
For employment, I am required to obtain a "U.S.P.S sensitive
clearance".  I need a complete overview of the investigation process,
what will
be required of me, and specific rejection criteria.  I don't know all
what is involved, so here are
some questions that immediately pop into my head: What forms will I be
required to fill out, what questions will be on these forms, and what
are the criteria
for rejection?  How long does the process take, and what recourse is
available if an applicant is rejected?  An answer from someone who has
gone through the process would be preferred.  Thanks!

For the purposes of answering the question, I will tell you about
myself.  US born citizen, recent college grad, no arrests, no
warrants, no foriegn family members, excellent driving record, good
credit, no debts.  Please ask for other general personal information
if it will help answer the question.

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 04 Jan 2006 14:18 PST
There appears to be a pretty good overview of the process here:


http://www.usps.com/purchasing/transportation/screenguide_print.htm



that explains the security process includes documenation on:


Drug Screening 

Criminal History 

Citizenship 

Fingerprinting




There are links to some forms included here as well, though not to the
detailed personal-information questionnaires that are likely part of
the process.


Is this the sort of description you're looking for?


pafalafa-ga

Clarification of Question by grasshop66-ga on 04 Jan 2006 15:42 PST
Of particular interest to me are the detailed personal-information
questionnaires that are likely part of the process (are they similar
to the SF-86?), as well as the procedure for verifying information. 
For instance, I know people who went through secret and top secret
security clearance investigations.  An investigator was assigned to
them and interviewed family, friends, friends-of-friends,
acquaintances, etc.  Is this the same case with a USPS sensitive
clearance?

Also, the clearance is required for a USPS contractor, not the USPS itself.
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
Subject: Re: USPS sensitive security clearance
From: markvmd-ga on 04 Jan 2006 12:18 PST
 
I don't know about the post office-- I had no idea they had need for a
security clearance; what is the world coming to?-- but I have been
through enough procedures for obtaining my own clearance years ago and
being interviewed about other folks who have them to say that the
things you didn't cover in your list of "don't haves" are; alcoholism,
drug use, associating with foreign agents, membership in an
organization that advocates the violent overthrow of the US government
(wanting to overthrow other governments was a requirement for election
in 2000), and "questionable lifestyle activities." I don't know if
they still cover that last one.

I trust others will chime in with things I have forgotten or missed.

Interviews of your neighbors (based on your address, not on supplied
names) and personal references (which you supply) will include
questions about your activities, belongings, parties, and general
stuff. The interviewer is looking for things that might be out of the
ordinary-- a big boat that you haven't financed and really shouldn't
be able to afford, folks coming and going at odd hours, hordes of
Russian-speaking partygoers quaffing icy Kauffman and gulping Bandar-e
Anzali sevruga caviar, that sort of thing.

Even your dippy college roommate, who would roll you under the bus as
soon as look at you because you slept with his girlfriend the day
after they broke up, will be sufficiently cowed by the investigator's
demeanor and shiny badge to be honest. This may not be a good thing,
but as he had a self-contained "garden" taking up the entire dorm
closet and you still have pictures of him at harvest time, he'll
probably be cool. Besides, he's a judge now.

Okay, I've strayed slightly from my original comment. Any idea why the
PO needs cleared employees? If this is the investigative branch I can
understand, but for sorting Victoria's Secret catalogues...?
Subject: Re: USPS sensitive security clearance
From: cvenom-ga on 04 Jan 2006 13:52 PST
 
markvmd has pretty much covered most of the "highlights".

The security clearance is for certain positions where you may have
access to restricted information.

I am currently employed as a contractor to the USPS. I did my
background security clearance check about two years ago. The process
is fairly painless, but you may have to do quite a bit of research to
answer the questions.

The problem I had with the check is that I already held a Top Secret
clearance with the DOD, but that was not acceptable for USPS. After
having served 20+ years in the military, I had over 10 addresses in
that time frame, and had to remeber where each one was, and contacts
(references) for each location. For me that was a royal pain in the
butt. It sounds like it shouldn't be too tough for you however.

The best approach to take with filling out the forms is to be as
honest as possible. If they ask if you have ever used an illegal
subsance, i.e. marijuana, and you have, answering yes will not harm
you from getting the position. Lying and being caught afterwards,
carries a very stiff penalty, much worse than not getting a job.

Just be honest and there shouldn't be a problem. If there are big
skeletons in your closet, that you are afraid may be revealed by the
investigation, you may want to consider a different position.

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