Security Clearance Monster, a global leader in online careers, presents our 2010 Security Clearance Talent Assessment, which highlights online candidate resume activity across the United States. This report leverages Monster’s extensive database coupled with information collected from third parties, partners, and affiliations to provide a comprehensive picture of the Security Clearance space. Monster’s data and analysis uncovers information to help HR professionals and hiring managers optimize and gain a competitive edge in the constantly changing world of talent acquisition.

1. Brought to you by Monster Intelligence
September 2010
2010 TALENT ASSESSMENT
U.S. Market
SECURITY CLEARANCE
PERIOD COVERED: AUGUST 2009 – JULY 2010
Sponsored by:

2. About the Sponsor:
For over 70 years, Yoh has provided the talent needed for the jobs and projects critical to our client’s success, by providing
comprehensive workforce solutions that focus on Aerospace and Defense, Engineering, Federal Services, Health Care, Life
Sciences, Information Technology, and Telecommunications. Yoh fulfills immediate resource needs and delivers enterprise
workforce solutions, including Managed Services, Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Vendor Management Systems,
Independent Contractor Compliance, Statement of Work and Payroll Services.
For more information, visit yoh.com.
2
Security Clearance
Monster, a global leader in online careers, presents our 2010 Security Clearance Talent Assessment, which
highlights online candidate resume activity across the United States. This report leverages Monster’s
extensive database coupled with information collected from third parties, partners, and affiliations to provide
a comprehensive picture of the Security Clearance space.
Monster’s data and analysis uncovers information to help HR professionals and hiring managers optimize
and gain a competitive edge in the constantly changing world of talent acquisition.

3. U.S. Talent Assessment │ Security Clearance
Overview
> About Security Clearance
> Levels of Security Clearance
> Security Clearance Demand
Talent Assessment
> Level of Clearance
> Geography and “Hot Spots”
> Professional Interests & Skills
> Candidate Profile
> Compensation Needs
IT Talent Assessment
> Level of Clearance
> Geography and “Hot Spots”
> Professional Interests & Skills
> Compensation Needs
3
Sponsored by:

4. OVERVIEW:
SECURITY CLEARANCE

5. A security clearance is “a determination that a person is able and willing to safeguard
classified national security information”
A wide range of roles require security clearance, everything from janitors to senior
management, as long as they have access to or work in a location that has access to
classified information
> The military have the highest number of individuals with security clearance
> Other positions requiring clearance include federal contractors and government jobs
If you leave the position that required you to obtain a security clearance, the clearance is
typically good for two years or until the date a review is required, whichever comes first
The Department of Defense (DoD) awards a majority of clearances, though their
clearances are not necessarily transferable to other federal agencies
> The investigations are performed by the Defense Security Service (DSS)
> The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) does most of the investigations for other
federal agencies
5
Security Clearance │ Overview
Source: U.S. Department of State; Federal Computer Week’s “GAO:DOD needs to improve security clearance
timeliness, quality” by Mary Mosquera, 12/23/08
Sponsored by:

6. As seen in the chart below, there are three levels of security clearance
> Access to specific classified areas also requires a Sensitive Compartmented Information
(SCI) or Special Access Programs (SAP) clearance, in addition to a Top Secret one
> An estimated 854,000 people have Top Secret clearance; 265,000 of those are U.S.
contractors
6
Security Clearance │ Three Levels of Clearance
Source: U.S. Department of State; Federal Computer Week’s “GAO:DOD needs to improve security clearance timeliness, quality”
by Mary Mosquera, 12/23/08; About.com Guide’s “Security Clearance Secrets” by Rod Powers; Washington Post’s “Top Secret
America”” by Dana Priest and William Arkin, 7/19/10
Security
level
Disclosure of
info would
cause…to
U.S. security
Processing
time
Reinvestigate
every:
Average
cost to
process
Steps in clearance
process
Top Secret Grave damage 1+ year 5 years $3,000-
$15,000
Below, as well as:
•Reference interviews
•Record check from
employers, courts, etc.
•Subject interview
Secret Serious
damage
4-8 months 10 years Several
hundred to
$3,000
Same as below
Confidential Damage 1-3 months 15 years n/a •Computer search
•Review criminal history
•Financial check
Sponsored by:

7. The number of companies and buildings requiring security clearance has expanded
rapidly since 9/11; a recent Washington Post investigation revealed:
> About 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on
programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in
approximately 10,000 locations across the U.S.
> 33 buildings with 17 million square feet of space have been built or are currently
under construction since 9/11
Having an Active security clearance is a significant benefit to a job candidate, saving
an employer thousands of dollars and months of potential down-time
7
Security Clearance │ Talent Demand
Source: U.S. Department of State; Washington Post’s “Top Secret America”” by Dana Priest and William Arkin, 7/19/10
Sponsored by:

8. TALENT ASSESSMENT:
SECURITY CLEARANCE

9. Security Cleared Talent │ Level of Clearance
Source: Monster Internal Data, 12-month average, Aug‘09-Jul‘10, U.S. Only
9
768,000+ active job seeker accounts
are managed each month
46,000+ new resumes monthly
64% have Military experience
46% have “Active” clearance
49% have “Secret” clearance
28% have “Top Secret” clearance
Sponsored by:

10. 10
Listed below are the top 10 states and top 10 regions with Security Cleared Job Seekers
> The top ten states account for 59% of the Security Cleared talent pool while the top ten
regions consisted of 40% of the supply
> California has a much higher share of Security Cleared Job Seekers compared to the
other states across the nation primarily based on the state’s share of the population
Source: Monster Internal Data, Aug ’09 – Jul ‘10
Security Cleared Talent │ Top 10 Locations
Sponsored by:

11. Security Cleared Talent │ Job Seekers “Hot Spots”
Source: Monster Internal Data, Aug’09-Jul’10, U.S. Only
11
Security Clearance
% of Total Job Seekers
High
Midpoint
Low
As a percent of total
job seekers by state,
the following locations
reported the highest
share of Security Cleared
talent or “hot spots”
for candidates:
1. Virginia (15%)
2. Alaska (15%)
3. Hawaii (14%)
4. District of Columbia (12%)
5. Maryland (11%)
Sponsored by:

12. 12
IT
Software
Development
11%
Administrative
Clerical
7%
Project
Program
Management
7%
Security
Protective
Services
6%
Engineering
7%
Manufacturing
6%
More than half (53%) of Security Cleared professionals are targeting the below categories
for new opportunities
Security Cleared Talent │ Resumes by Target Category
Business
Strategic
Management
6%
Installation
Maintenance
Repair
5%
Sponsored by:

13. Security Cleared Talent │ Most Common Job Titles
Source: Monster Internal Data, Aug’09-Jul’10, U.S. Only
1. (General) Manager
2. Project Manager
3. Administrative Assistant
4. Software Engineer
5. Customer Service Representative
6. Sales Representative
7. Records Management Analyst
8. (General) Director
9. Program Manager
10. Security Officer
11. Warehouse Manager
12. (General) Supervisor
13. Information Technology Manager
14. Office and Administrative Support Workers, Other
15. Sr. Software Engineer
16. Systems Administrator
17. Executive Administrative Assistant
18. Electronics Technician
19. Law Enforcement and Security Management, Other
20. (Retail) Assistant Manager
21. IT Operations Manager
22. Network Administrator
23. Consulting Manager
24. Intelligence Analyst
25. Office Manager
26. PC Technician
27. Executive Management
28. Human Resources Manager
29. Group Leader
30. Business Systems Analyst
31. Vice President
32. Sr. Sales Executive
33. Network Engineer
34. Industrial Maintenance Mechanic
35. General Manager
36. Mechanical Engineer
37. Consultant
38. IT Operations Support Analyst
39. Hardware Test Engineer
40. Information Technology Project Manager
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Sponsored by:

14. 14
Security Cleared Talent │ Most Common “Hard” Skills*
Source: Monster Internal Data, Jul’09-Jun’10, U.S. Only
* “Hard” skills are typically teachable, on-the-job training attributes
Note: Monster Job Seekers may target from zero to many skills per resumes; skills represent those used most frequently
Sponsored by:

15. 15
Security Cleared Talent │ Most Common “Soft” Skills*
Source: Monster Internal Data, Jul’09-Jun’10, U.S. Only
* “Soft” skills are typically personal and interpersonal attributes
Note: Monster Job Seekers may target from zero to many skills per resumes; skills represent those used most frequently
Most common
“soft” skills*
listed among
Security
Cleared
Professionals
Sponsored by:

16. Security Cleared Talent │ Work and Academic Experience
Source: Monster Internal Data, Aug’09-Jul’10, U.S. Only
1
16
The charts below give a detailed profile of the Security Clearance working population
> Nearly all (92%) of candidates are mid-career or higher
> The majority (58%) of job seekers have more than 10 years of working experience
> Over two-thirds (68%) hold an Associate’s degree, have had some college
experience, or graduated with a Bachelor’s degree
Sponsored by:

17. 17
JOB DURATION
79% of Security Cleared talent
desires permanent placement only
20%are willing to step into any
type of opportunity
1% are partial to temporary or
contract opportunities
JOB STATUS
85%of Security Cleared talent are
seeking full-time opportunities only
14%are willing to consider either a
full-time or part-time placement
1%prefer part-time employment only
Security Cleared Talent │ Type of Employment
Source: Monster Internal Data, Aug’09-Jul’10, U.S. Only
Sponsored by:

18. Security Cleared Talent │ Compensation
Source: Monster Internal Data, Aug’09-Jul’10, U.S. Only
1
18
Security Cleared Job Seekers expect to
receive higher compensation than those
without any Clearance
> Half (or 50%) of Security Cleared Job
Seekers expect to receive $20-40,000
compared to 67% of Job Seekers
without any Clearance
As seen on the bottom chart, the largest
gap between Job Seekers with Security
Clearance and those without is at $60,000
> 49% of Security Cleared Job Seekers
expect to receive at least $60,000
> 32% of Job Seekers without any
Clearance expect to receive at least
$60,000
Sponsored by:

19. TALENT ASSESSMENT:
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SECURITY CLEARANCE

20. Security Cleared IT Talent │ Level of Clearance
Source: Monster Internal Data, 12-month average, Aug‘09-Jul‘10, U.S. Only
20
186,200+ active job seeker accounts
are managed each month
6,800+ new resumes monthly
61% have Military experience
51% have “Active” clearance
50% have “Secret” clearance
34% have “Top Secret” clearance
Sponsored by:

21. 21
Listed below are the top 10 states and top 10 regions with IT Security Cleared Job Seekers
> The top ten states account for 63% of the IT Security Cleared talent pool while the top
ten regions consisted of 44% of the supply
> Virginia has a much higher share of IT Security Cleared Job Seekers compared to the
other states across the nation primarily based on the state’s proximity to government
agencies
Source: Monster Internal Data, Aug ’09 – Jul ‘10
Security Cleared IT Talent │ Top 10 Locations
Sponsored by:

22. Security Cleared IT Talent │ IT Job Seekers “Hot Spots”
Source: Monster Internal Data, Aug’09-Jul’10, U.S. Only
22
IT - Security Clearance
% of Total Job Seekers
High
Midpoint
Low
As a percent of total
IT job seekers by state,
the following locations
reported the highest
share of Security Cleared
IT talent or “hot spots”
for candidates:
1. Hawaii (42%)
2. Virginia (33%)
3. Alaska (32%)
4. Maryland (30%)
5. New Mexico (29%)
Sponsored by:

23. 23
Software
Engineers
25%Systems
Analysts
15%
Information
Systems
Managers
16%
Support
Specialists
5%
One-quarter (25%) of Security Cleared IT professionals are Software Engineers
Security Cleared IT Talent │ Resumes by Occupation
Network
Administrators
15%
Data
Communication
Analysts
7%
Source: Monster Internal Data, Aug ’09 – Jul ‘10
Sponsored by:

24. Security Cleared IT Talent │ Most Common Job Titles
Source: Monster Internal Data, Aug’09-Jul’10, U.S. Only
1. Software Engineer
2. IT Manager
3. Sr. Software Engineer
4. Systems Administrator
5. IT Operations Manager
6. Network Administrator
7. PC Technician
8. Business Systems Analyst
9. Network Engineer
10. IT Operations Support Analyst
11. Hardware Test Engineer
12. IT Project Manager
13. Computer Networking
14. Data Processing Manager – IT
15. Management IS Director
16. Software Project Manager
17. Programmer Analyst
18. Telecommunications Network Engineer
19. Information Security Specialist
20. Software Quality Assurance Engineer
21. Sr. Network Engineer
22. Technical Services Vice-President
23. Systems Architect
24. Programmer – Entry Level
25. Help Desk Manager
26. Systems Analyst
27. System Security Analyst
28. Help Desk Representative
29. Information Specialist
30. IT Strategy Consultant
31. Information Systems Vice-President
32. IT Help Desk Clerk
33. Windows Systems Administrator
34. Software Quality Assurance Analyst
35. Visual Basic Programmer
36. Technical Support, Other
37. System Security Manager
38. Lead Software Quality Assurance Engineer
39. Programmer
40. Webmaster
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Sponsored by:

25. 25
Security Cleared IT Talent │ Most Common Skills
Source: Monster Internal Data, Jul’09-Jun’10, U.S. Only
* “Hard” skills are typically teachable, on-the-job training attributes
* “Soft” skills are typically personal and interpersonal attributes
Note: Monster Job Seekers may target from zero to many skills per resumes; skills represent those used most frequently
The chart on the right displays the top 25
“Hard” skills noted among Security
Cleared IT talent.* The top five include:
1. Networking/IT
2. SQL
3. Project Management
4. Java
5. Microsoft Word
Top “Soft” skills listed among Security
Cleared IT talent included:**
1. Leadership
2. Communications
3. Problem Solving
4. Training
5. Organization
Sponsored by:

26. Security Cleared IT Talent │ Compensation
Source: Monster Internal Data, Aug’09-Jul’10, U.S. Only
1
26
Security Cleared IT Job Seekers expect to
receive higher compensation than those
without any Clearance
> 45% of Security Cleared IT Job
Seekers expect to receive more than
$80,000 compared to 34% of IT Job
Seekers without any Clearance
As seen on the bottom chart, the largest
gap between IT Job Seekers with Security
Clearance and those without is at $60,000
> 67% of Security Cleared IT Job
Seekers expect to receive at least
$60,000
> 55% of IT Job Seekers without any
Clearance expect to receive at least
$60,000
Sponsored by:

27. View additional reports and articles at the Monster Resource Center:
http://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices.aspx
27

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