Guest Post by Diane Griffin

Today’s economy is one of the most difficult times in recent history to find work, and many people are not even making use of their college degrees as related to employment!  The number of people unemployed is staggering, and the overall lasting impact on our nation as a whole is, I believe, still not completely understood.  There is hope, however.

President Obama plans on hiring 270,000 people for federal jobs.  Many of those positions will require a security clearance.  These jobs will become available in varying fields, and encompass all types of skills sets.  The war on cyber crime has been declared, but our country is facing a shortage of computer professional holding valid security clearances, 

Federal jobs, as I am sure you know, provide an opportunity for a solid career path complete with its own set of benefits and rewards that are becoming less and less common as small business America is forced to spend less and less money on these things for its employees in a tough economy.  As I mentioned, most of the federal jobs that will be available for your students will require a security clearance of some type.  For those with the skills to obtain a high-paying or advanced position, higher and higher levels of security clearances will be needed.  This is nothing new, but with the changes that have taken place since the Patriot Act was enforced, the process is quite complex.  Many people are discouraged by this and end up taking jobs elsewhere as a result when they could be quite successful if they could just get past that initial phase of getting the security clearance. 

For the past 20 years, I have been walking people through this process and helping them get on the right path to security and success. My company, Security First and Associates, has assisted individuals, government contractors,   and entire companies in getting the security clearances they needed in order to get the job, be awarded that contract, or be able to continue working as a vendor to the federal government. 

Bio:    Diane Griffin, President and owner of Security First & Associates, says her motivation for writing Everything You Wanted to Know About the Security Clearance Process, But Are Afraid To Ask: Professional Guidance for Obtaining and Maintaining a Security Clearance came from the more than two decades of people she has assisted, both in her role as a private security contractor, and as the head of personnel or security within major governmental contractors, in finding their way through the complicated security clearance chain. Diane,  is nationally recognized as an expert in the design and delivery of security throughout the intelligence community and has worked with a variety of clients throughout the US Government and industry. Diane is a past membership chairperson and current secretary of the National Classification Management Society (NCMS) and is active in several professional security organizations.

Diane  received her B.S. degree in Human Resource Manager from Colorado Christian Univ. and  MBA degree in Management  from University of Phoenix. Author of several articles on  Security and she volunteers with shelters, collecting used Cell phones for Women of Domestic Violence. In addition, volunteers with the foster care program, creating a program called Bags & Bears for Foster care, collecting pack backs and teddy bears for children in the foster care program.  Diane is single again and has one child. 

Synopsis: If you have plenty of time to click around through myriad government websites and the patience to cut through red tape and make sense of confusing bureaucratic talk, you may be able to find some of the answers to your questions about the security clearance process,” Griffin says. “Chances are, however, that you will still be left with some of your questions unanswered, because there are some questions that the government just doesn’t address. So, unless you know someone who is well acquainted with the process from a first-hand perspective, good luck.

“What I sought to do was compile all of these answers into one easy-to-read compendium of advice and guidance, giving my readers signposts along the way to assist them in navigating through the clearance process. I believe I’ve come up with a volume that will greatly help its users, and being able to assist folks in working through this process is extremely gratifying to me.” GROUNDBREAKING SECURITY CLEARANCE EBOOK A ONE-STOP KNOWLEDGEBASE FOR THOSE CONFUSED BY THE SECURITY CLEARANCE PROCESS

Everything You Need to Know About the Security Clearance Process, But Are Afraid to Ask is now available for $19.95, from my website, amazon & lulu. 

Security First Associates

Promote Your Page Too

5.0 out of 5 stars Actionable guidance in 65 pages, June 14, 2010

By	L. Evans "collaborative-action" (Pacific NW) -

This review is from: Everything You Need To Know About The Security Clearance Process But Are Afraid To Ask (Kindle Edition)

When I read an instructional book, I'm looking for help. That means it needs to be easy to understand and formatted in a way to quickly find what I'm looking for.

Diane Griffin's book, "Everything you need to know about the security clearance process, but are afraid to ask" does this and more.

She even adds a bit of humor that may address some people's real fears about the security clearance process.

... all in a fully-packed 65 pages of actionable instruction. Well done!

-Lori Leavitt Evans, Performance & Risk Management Expert
Abrige Corp. ([...]) & C-Secure Systems ([...])

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive Guide On The Security Clearance Process- Highly Recommended!,June 12, 2010

By	CFH "chillnhill" (Blue Ridge Summit, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Everything You Need To Know About The Security Clearance Process But Are Afraid To Ask (Kindle Edition)

"Everything You Need To Know About The Security Clearance Process But Are Afraid To Ask" is an excellent resource for individuals and companies that need to understand the often intimidating process of obtaining a security clearance. Back in the early 1990s I went through the Security Clearance process to get access to DoE and FAA facilities in order to work on Data Networks and truly wish that Diane Griffin's comprehensive book was availible to me at that time!

The book is easy to read, leaving out unnecessary jargon, and covers all of the questions that an applicant will have and many that I didn't think of on my own. The inclusion of sample forms was very helpful but most importantly, the chapter containing the "odd" questions Diane has been asked will likely put a few minds to rest about what will and won't be a considered an impediment to obtaining a clearance. 

Highly Recommended!

CFH