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looking for any advice!

For reference, I received a CJO to the RF Development Program about 14 months ago and am still waiting on the polygraph and psych evaluation part of my clearance process.

As an RF engineer at NSA, what type of work would I be doing? My recruiter was unable to answer very well due to the nature of the development program and being able to move to different projects.

In general, would work be mostly meetings and programmatic type stuff? Like babysitting projects for contractors and managing budgets/requirements? Or will work be mostly hands on with technology, both in the design and build phases?

Just looking for a general idea, not specifics.

Hi! So I've made it to the next round of interviews for the summer language internship and I have a few questions. I know because NSA is a government agency that the whole process will take a lot longer compared to the average internship so my first question is, what does that process look like? I already have my 3.5 hour language exam scheduled but what after that? Also for the language exam something about DLAB was mentioned, is this something I should study for beforehand? Also I am going to be tested for Chinese, what does that test typically look like? Also, when I do go into the headquarters I'm assuming I will be asked for my ID, I did apply for the internship under my preferred name (looking back ik this isn't the smartest thing in the world) so should I call beforehand just to make sure everything is cleared up before I go to maryland? Also with the whole process is everything in person? Because I can't keep going back and forth between maryland and pittsburgh. Sorry I know that was a lot, thanks in advance!

It's been 5 years and 6 months after CJO & NO polygraph or Psych yet! I checked with them through out the past years and they said I still have the job but the security processing is still in progress. How can it take more than 5 years and still no end in sight?

After i passed my psych and poly i asked my recruiter what are the next steps, part of their response was that “.. the next steps will be waiting for a decision once the teams meet…” and then told me an estimated waiting time before getting contacted again, i was just wondering what they meant by saying the first bit.

https://news.clearancejobs.com/2024/10/03/nsa-hiring-over-a-thousand-in-the-next-year/

I keep reading how y’all are invited to take a polygraph test. I received a CJO in mid April and submitted my SF86 in late April with confirmation that I submitted it. So far, it’s been a little over 5 months and I have heard zero word about Polygraphs. Should I be worried or are polygraphs required after clearance?

I am rather stressed out so any info would be nice.

Hi,

Last year I was in consideration for a summer internship. Did my security interview and psych. I then took 5 polys over 2 months, and was invited back and scheduled for my 6th. I was told I passed the CI portion. Before I could do my 6th, I was notified that since my processing was not likely to be done before the start of the summer, my clearance would be put on hold, but since I'm graduating, I'm being placed in a candidate pool where hiring managers may reach out with an interview request.

Given that I was told that I didn't pass any of the polys, I'm guessing that I don't have the clearance which is strange because in the email they sent me, they said they would be putting my clearance on hold (maybe they meant putting my clearance *processing* on hold).

I'm not really sure if I should remain hopeful for this process or where to go from here. I did have some red flags, but I was truthful throughout the process. I did end up getting a DOE Q clearance through my current internship, so maybe that could be helpful.

Some red flags:

• drug use (MJ + harder drugs) around 2 years prior to SF-86 submission
• traffic ticket (< $200)
• had a $200 debt in collection in 2018. paid off immediately

I'm just really confused. 5 polygraphs over 2 separate trips is crazy to me, and they still scheduled me for a 6th! I kept being told that I was either lying or using techniques to manipulate the data. Do I keep applying or is this the end of the road for me for any career that requires an FS poly?

Has this happened to anyone else? I feel like I wasted 4-5 months (grateful it wasn’t longer) and even turned down another job offer waiting on this one. Hoping this just means there is something better in my future.

I'm taking my second polygraph tomorrow for the CI portion. I passed the first one after 4 hrs of being drilled, does anyone know if they ask the questions from the drug/violence portion again?

Edit: Just took it yesterday, it was just the CI part, which went much better than the suitability one. I guess it also depends on the examiner, mine didn't do the leave and comeback thing multiple times, just at the end.

NSA just released a podcast

https://www.nsa.gov/Podcast/

First episode talks about how they found Bin Laden

Still not sure if I'm victim of a hiring freeze/slowdown or the adjudication black hole is to blame for the radio silence on my end. I finished my poly a few months ago and haven't heard anything aside from requests for additional information.

As we're about to enter September, has anyone progressed in their hiring timeline recently, gotten an EOD/FJO, etc? I'm seeing a couple more jobs on the agency website, but they seem to be very "exclusive" jobs so I'm still not sure if the agency is full steam ahead on hiring yet.

Anyone know what's going on?

Hey guys, maybe a dumb question here. The clearance process involved me getting laid off of my last position. I took up a new job last month and am going back for a second polygraph.

I already took off three days to perform the polygraph the first time. I need to take off two more for the second, and maybe two more for the third. So my question is… how do you frame these time off requests to a current employer? PTO, especially when starting a new job, is very limited and my pool is already in the negative. I’m trying to find a way to get this time off without 1) alerting my employer to my processing status and 2) lying to my current employer.

Any thoughts or past experiences?

UPDATE: Don’t overthink it - respectable employers won’t ask why you need time off. I stated I needed time off and worked out a plan with my employer.

I know that that answer is probably classified but to what degree can the NSA spy on American people electronically?

Can they just willy nilly spy on me just because or do they need probable cause?

And what degree of privacy do I truly have on the internet or my private messages? I have nothing to hide but trying to figure out what the NSA can or can't do is hard to understand. And how it is all constitutional?

Some organizations that value advanced research work, or that hire highly qualified or specialized candidates, will have the option to submit a cover letter and CV/resume to no role in particular and let the organization see if there might be a good fit.

Does NSA have this? If so, where? Because I've only been able to locate links to the intel careers portal.

So I’m the anxious overthinking type, and I’m constantly fighting the instinct to assume the worst. Take that for what it’s worth.

CJO came in many months ago. I’ve done the poly and the psych interview. After not hearing anything for 6-8 weeks, I reached out to my recruiter to ask where I was at in the process. No response. Called the number they give you in the Candidate Screening email, who told me to send an email somewhere else. Someone with that group responded and said they were forwarding my email. Still nothing from my recruiter.

Has anyone else experienced this during their hiring process?

Do you usually get an email or something if the position gets filled or you fail the candidate screening?

I understand the need for discretion, believe me. But it would be nice to know if I need to go back to square one with submitting more applications, or maybe someone decided the IC isn’t for me and I can therefore continue serving humbly in my present paygrade and agency. Whatever the reason, I’m on board with it. Just need like a smidge more info though!

Anyone else an out-of-state new grad (with CJO or FJO) looking for a place to live? What areas are you considering? I've been looking near the base-- Laurel, Odenton, Severn-- but also considering DC or Baltimore bc the demographics are more fitting for me personally (single and no kids), though the commute with traffic is not ideal.

I was offered a CJO, i just passed my poly and already completed all steps in the Suitability process ,when do you guys think im going to hear back from them?

Has anyone been asked to re-apply externally after going through the entire process of Hirevue and an interview with the recruiter only to be told after that you are overqualified for the position and to re-apply externally instead of putting your application in a hiring pool?

Have people started having their CJOs rescinded? It seems they have basically no appointments to schedule polygraphs.

I eceived COnditional job offer from the NSA on January 2024. invistigate questionair approved on feb . On average what is the next step and approximatly when?

I keep reading that its pretty normal to take multiple polygraphs test, is each test performed on an individual day?

Seeing talk of a hiring freeze and only a few jobs on the agency's job board. Has anyone had any movement in the past month or so on their hiring timeline? I've finished everything on my end and it's been radio silence, which I understand is usually normal anyways, but I'm wondering if things are still happening in the background or they're on hold at the moment.

I’ve never been able to find puzzles that satisfy the itch quite like the daily puzz did. I miss it 🥲

Does anybody have any recommendations or maybe a location where some of them have been posted externally?

Has anyone ever gone to or received a link to register for this event? I applied for a position back in March and have been going through the testing / interview process thus far.

The email/event says “Getting settled at NSA…” and uses other terms that would signify employment but I haven’t received a CJO or anything else.

Noticed everything but part time was pulled ? Anyone tracking if NSA froze, looks like other agencies are still hiring

There's now only one job opening on their website and it's for retired folks. Have they stopped hiring? I heard a rumor that perhaps they are suddenly finding themselves overstaffed due to people not leaving as regularly as in the past.

I am in the process for a job presently. I've completed the "interview" that involved my answering some questions by recording video of myself as well as writing. I was then given some HR documents to fill out, and was told I'd hear from a recruiter "soon", but that was three weeks ago, going on four. My status on my profile is also still in "Interview/Testing".

Worried that I'm out of the running for entering the process just a little too late, and they haven't notified me yet.