Many positions in the military require a security clearance, but did you know that there are plenty of job opportunities in the civilian world where veterans can use them too? Some career fields may be more obvious than others, such as the space industry, intelligence jobs or cyber security positions, but there are also administrative, financial, writing and training jobs veterans can use their security clearance for. Below are eight career fields that may surprise you where veterans can use their security clearance:
Administrative Assistants:
Administrative assistants are called upon to draft correspondence, manage filing, maintain calendars and schedule appointments. However, they may have to enter information into secure databases, handle classified material, process confidential documents or answer phone calls for government agencies that may require a security clearance.
Customer Service Representatives:
You may be really wondering why customer service and call center representatives would need a security clearance.
However, there are government contractors who hire call center representatives to answer incoming calls for programs involving national security or emergency operations centers.
Customer service representatives for some organizations also speak with and handle confidential information, which may necessitate a public trust security clearance.
Electrical Technicians:
Electrical technicians perform troubleshooting on electrical components and circuits. They can be hired to work on satellites, circuits or surveillance systems and may have to read or update classified schematics, making it necessary to hold a security clearance.
Financial Analysts:
Financial professionals have access to budgets, expenses, proposals, financial reports and audits.
They need to comply with federal laws and regulations and may have access to classified information regarding specific government financial business practices, including government contracts or program costs and schedules.
Instructors and Training Specialists:
Instructors and training specialists are needed to teach employees across a variety of career fields.
Military pilots may find success as an instructor for a flight simulator company. Operations and intelligence personnel may transition to instructional design for e-learning programs.
These professionals are considered subject matter experts in their field, oftentimes requiring them to communicate with stakeholders about procedures that may contain classified information.
Scientists:
Scientists with backgrounds in geophysics, biomedical, marine biology and meteorology are often needed to perform research and development for national agencies. They may also manage clinical laboratories or studies containing high-level data warranting the need for a security clearance.
Technical Writers:
Companies hire technical writers to create and edit manuals, procedures and specifications documenting critical or technical information.
To draft and review these publications, technical writers need to gather knowledge of programs and systems that may be classified in nature. Without a security clearance, a technical writer may not have the ability to gain access to the information they need to write about.
Website Developers:
Website developers are often considered to be creative professionals, which is not generally associated with the need for security clearances.
However, website developers can be tapped to create websites, user interfaces and databases for government contracts. Website developers may also need access to servers, which can hold classified information as well.
Now that you know some civilian jobs veterans can use their security clearance for, make sure you know how to civilianize your resume so that employers will want to hire you!