Cleared careers

Security Clearance Guide

Plain English on Confidential, Secret, Top Secret, SCI, and DoE L/Q — and how to put yours to work in the civilian job market.

Confidential
Every 15 years

Information whose unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause damage to national security.

Secret
Every 10 years

Information whose unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause serious damage to national security. Roughly equivalent to DoE 'L' Access Authorization.

Top Secret
Every 5 years + continuous evaluation

Information whose unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security. Roughly equivalent to DoE 'Q' Access Authorization.

TS/SCI
Top Secret + special access

Top Secret plus a formal 'need-to-know' determination for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). Read-in per program.

Clearance FAQs

Translate your clearance into offers

JobSearchFix AI tailors your resume for cleared roles — highlighting your level, agency sponsors (in general terms), and the civilian skills defense contractors actually search for.

Source material adapted from public U.S. Government references on personnel security. JobSearchFix AI is an independent career-coaching platform and is not affiliated with DoD, DoE, or any federal agency.