Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Patience -Updated

One of the most often asked questions I get is "When will the recruiter call me?". This is usually after a friend or family member has submitted their resume to KBR, Fluor, etc. My answer always is "patience". From the outside it would appear there is no rhyme or reason to the timing of these big companies. You could wait for weeks or months and then get 2 days notice to fly for processing. It really comes down to the demands of the customer, the US Military. When they need, they need it now, otherwise "don't call us, we'll call you.". It's really as simple as that. 

Update: For those wanting to go to Iraq and possibly risk a shorter duration, there is a large demand there right now.  With the mission winding down people are leaving in droves, so if you're willing to deal with the uncertainty it is a good time to be there.  It could be that troops end up staying in Iraq for a much longer term, and if that's the case you'd be in a good position.  Of course you could get caught up in a PAR and end up going home.  There is a risk/reward equation there for you to consider.  The reward could be a mult-year contract with good advancement potential as senior level folks either make enough money and go home or leave for other opportunities due to the uncertainty.  Something to consider for sure.

If you haven't done this before, here are a few tips for you:

1. Make sure you have everything at hand for your background investigation. This will greatly speed up the process. You can go here to http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf85p.pdf download the form you will be either filling out online or hard copy depending on the contractor you go with. Seriously, this will save a ton of time. You will need to be sure all of your dates match, any overlaps or gaps are addressed in both employment, residence and that you have references for each item with current location, address and phone number.  This is a major deal, if you have any concerns about this, read further.

2. US Expaters:  If you are currently undergoing any type of legal issue whether it be DUI, arrest, any type of court proceeding both criminal or civil be prepared to address this in full detail. If you cannot or do not anticipate this issue getting resolved prior to filling out the SF85/86 save yourself some heartache and wait. Otherwise you could be setting yourself up for failure as you will not likely get cleared. Be honest with yourself and the issues. Generally, if you've had a felony in the last seven years, DUI's that are unresolved have been committed for any reason, assault, drugs, etc you probably will not get cleared. The downside is you could wait for 6 months to wait to hear you aren't getting cleared. Then you will be left with having to wait atleast a year to reapply. So think thru this. I can't stress this enough, do not kid yourself. If you're a foreign national as long as you can pass a basic police check you are fine.

3. If you have previously underwent a security screening and your clearance is either expired or inactive. Make sure that you get copies of what you previously submitted and make sure any new information you provide matches exactly. If there are discrepancies between the two for whatever reason be sure to explain those differences so as not to arouse any undue questioning. The clearer you can make it the clearer it will be.

4. For your medical. Some of the largest disqualifiers are blood pressure (140/90 is border line), weight (BMI less than 40) and of course serious medical issues. Make sure you're prepared for this. If you frequently get 'white coat' syndrome when doing your blood pressure be sure to be ready going in and explain to the nurse that you have this issue. They are very understanding and will work with you . If you know you have this issue, I would go to the doctor and get your issue evaluated in advance of starting the process. This will save you heartache and possible disappointment later. Trust me, if you fail the medical, you won't be going anywhere.  I've seen guys get sent home for the silliest of things, so please be prepared, lose weight and get in decent shape if you have time.