Monday, December 16, 2013
Does credit score count at LLNL?
Hi there,
I’ve been offered a job at the lab and am going through the rigorous clearance screening process. I am not sure whether I should tell the HR department that my credit is not perfect. We lost our home during the recession and what followed was some pretty damaging stuff on our credit.
The position that they are considering me for has access to proprietary information. Can you please ask other bloggers if they have any thoughts regarding this dilemma?
Thank you in advanced.
Signed,
Midscore640
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7 comments:
It probably is not HR, which would be concerned but DOE. However, in the background investigation they will find out about this in any event.
the best thing is always to be completely open and forthcoming. DOE hates nothing more than people who are not open or even worse try to hide something.
A bad credit history could hurt you if you need to get a security clearance to get or to keep your job. The reason being that those who are in financial trouble present a greater risk of being compromised by our enemies over money issues. If you want this job, be as honest as possible about letting them know the whole situation. They'll likely find out, anyway.
The above comments are very helpful. Thank you both. I intend to be forthcoming and completely honest about what transpired. The upside is that these derogatories happened years ago and money is not an issue (I'm married to a successful doctor) but I never re-established credit and have no debt, which I guess is a good thing but it makes the low credit score that much more noticeable. Anyway, thank you once again.
It's really not a big deal, but as pointed out what will stick out on a security clearance form is a lie or an attempt to mislead. Then you will have problems, as you will have just demonstrated that you have something to hide and are therefore vulnerable to blackmail.
Just tell it like it is. They will most certainly find out about it anyway. Reviewing your credit score is a standard procedure for a security clearance. You wont have any problems. DOE might interview you, but even that is just part of the process. (sometimes) I wouldn't stress about it at all.
Your financial info, as you presented it, is probably a negative, but by all means not a show stopper (if you had chronic problems bouncing checks or late pays on credit cards, that is a different story). As someone who has went through `Q' clearance and many five year renewals, the most important thing (as others here state) is to fill out your form accurately and don't hide anything.
NNSA Fed
I know a number of LLNL employees who lost their houses during the post-2008 real estate meltdown. They kept their jobs, and their clearances.
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