The Investigator is Trying to Trick Me; or Are They?

Here's a common circumstance:

"I am 24 years old and going through a clearance for my job. Recently I received the interim or temporary clearance. Then yesterday, I got a call saying the investigator wanted to talk with me about anything I might not have divulged. This worried me until I spoke to another younger person who went through a security clearance and got the same kind of call and it turned out that this was a bit of a "trick" as the investigator had no new information that he had turned up and my friend got the clearance. Is this common?"

The investigator isn't trying to trick you. This question is standard protocol to give you the opportunity to provide new information, or any information you may have forgotten or purposely omitted to include on your submitted SF-86.

Life happens. Something new may have happened since you submitted your SF-86, or you remember that speeding ticket you received

Whatever the circumstances, You get three chances to provide correct, factual information in your background investigation process:

When you first submit your SF-86
During your Personnel Security Interview
Prior to Adjudication

Take Away Lesson: Answer every question honest with all supporting facts.

Until next time, here's to everything working out for you; or something better,

Joseph Zarek, AFI, CDE, HE, HT, SA Award Winning Author, Professional Speaker, Security Clearance Guru