What is factor v security interview?

The interview process will usually occur a short time following the submission and review of the completed security clearance materials by the investigator. Security clearance investigators will review and confirm the information that the individual has supplied in the security clearance submission.

21 posts · 11 authors"For those who had their Subject Interview (meeting with the investigator & review of the SF-86/85), two questions: 1. How long did it take start to finish? 2.

— The Personal Subject Interview (PRSI) is a required part of all . The Cleared Brief - Latest security clearance news - delivered monthly. . Additionally investigators are trained to determine and report the following factors:.

Before you can start a security cleared job, however, you'll have to go through the vetting process. What exactly this involves depends on the level of clearance required for the position, but for higher classifications, an in-person interview will be compulsory.

This can be a stressful process. However, ensuring you're well-prepared, including understanding what topics will be covered and what materials you'll need to provide, will help make the process as smooth as possible.

Will I require a security clearance interview?

Not every security cleared position will require a face-to-face interview. Some lower-level clearances, such as Security Check (SC) or Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) roles, will often only require a written questionnaire and a background check.

For higher level clearances, an interview is a must. In particular, if you're applying for a position that needs a Developed Vetting (DV) or NATO clearance, an interview is essential, as this will require you to handle highly classified information on a regular basis.

Occasionally, an enhanced SC or CTC position may also require an interview depending on the materials you'll be working with, so it's important you establish early if this will be necessary.

Key things to remember when preparing for an interview

Like any other interview, preparation is vital. But unlike a traditional job interview, where a lot of the questions will relate to your professional skills and experiences, a security vetting interview is about you as a person. The interviewer will be looking to determine whether you have the temperament, integrity and background to be entrusted with sensitive data.

Therefore, here are a few things you can do to make sure you're ready for the experience.

1. Know who's conducting the interview

Interviews for clearances such as DV are carried out by a vetting officer from the United Kingdom Security Vetting service, which is part of the Cabinet Office. Staff are trained to be professional, respectful and culturally sensitive, and it's a good idea to familiarise yourself with the organisation's charter beforehand so you know what to expect.

Remember that these interviewers are professionals and are trained to be open-minded and not to make moral judgements. Whatever issues you have, they'll almost certainly have heard them all before. If you would feel more comfortable with an interviewer who is the same gender, ethnic background or religion as yourself, you can ask the vetting team to arrange this.

2. Familiarise yourself with the format

As is the case with any interview, it pays to know beforehand what kind of questions you can expect. A full DV interview will be very comprehensive and aims to build up a complete picture of you as a person - how responsible you are, your honesty and loyalty, and whether you could be vulnerable to bribery or blackmail.

Some topics that are likely to come up include:

Such interviews can also be very lengthy - up to two hours is to be expected, but they may last up to three hours in some circumstances. Therefore, you'll need to be ready for this.

3. Bring the right documentation

You'll receive a list of documents that you are required to provide prior to the interview, which may be referred to during the session, as well as used for more detailed background checks. These include, but are not limited to:

Where possible, these should all be originals rather than photocopies. Make sure you have all your documents in order well before the interview. If you need more time to obtain a document, ensure you let the vetting officer know as early as possible.

4. Emphasise how your experience will help

Some parts of the interview will be more familiar to anyone who's applied for a job before. Use these as an opportunity to highlight your experience and skills, and how they can be transferred to the specific role you're applying for.

For example, if you've served in the armed forces, you may well be asked to go into detail about your duties, where you served and what type of information you regularly had access to. Being able to showcase how you've used your skills and integrity in the past will help demonstrate your character to the interviewer.

5. Be ready to answer in-depth, personal questions

You have completed your e-QIP / SF-86 and you are waiting to be interviewed in the next step of the investigative process in order to obtain your Top Secret security clearance.  This is often referred to as the Personal Interview or Personal Subject Interview stage.  Given that this next step in the process is very important to your ultimate security clearance review, it is important to go in as prepared as possible. The interview process will usually occur a short time following the submission and review of the completed security clearance materials by the investigator.

Security clearance investigators will review and confirm the information that the individual has supplied in the security clearance submission.  For instance, the investigator will speak with former supervisors, neighbors, co-workers, in addition to references to get a full background of the individual seeking the clearance prior to the interview. The investigator assigned to the case will also check with law enforcement agencies in areas where an individual has lived and will have reviewed other important background information.  When this review is complete, the investigator will then generally contact an individual for their personal interview.

Preparation for the Interview

It is important for an individual to prepare for their interview with the investigator.  As mentioned above, the investigator will have reviewed the individual's submissions prior to the interview and will have identified any significant areas of concern prior to the meeting.  In our experience, generally, the individual involved will have some idea about potential areas of concern that might be brought up in the interview and thus will generally have time to prepare.

Preparation for the personal interview, as to these areas of potential concern, is a must.  For instance, if there is a recent arrest on your record, the individual should be prepared to fully explain the incident to the investigator and toprovide the relevant details.  This is just one example.  Another example is where the individual has had an alcohol related offense.  In that type of situation, the individual should go into the interview fully prepared to discuss the incident and what steps the person has taken to avoid the issue from happening again.

If your case involves known security concerns then it is also important to gather any important and relevant documents, especially those that can be helpful in explaining or mitigating the potential security concerns at issue in advance.  We advise going over these issues, in advance, with counsel so that the interview will go smoothly.

The Personal Interview

The interview stage itself tends to last usually 1-2 hours, although different cases can result in varying times for the interview process.  Most times, there is just one investigator assigned for the personal interview, but there can be two investigators in some cases. If there are two investigators usually one of them will be assigned to ask the majority of questions, while the other may ask some follow up questions.

It is recommended that an individual bring a copy of his/her SF-86 / e-QIP application for the questions that will be discussed.  An investigator will generally go over an individual's security materials thoroughly, but may also have other questions not covered on the security forms such as issues related to illegal downloading of materials, viewing of inappropriate materials and other types of misconduct which could raise security concerns.

As mentioned above, it is important to be prepared, in advance, to address the most likely areas of concern.  It is also important to be as responsive as possible on the areas of concern raised by an investigator during the interview process.  This is clearly not the time for an individual to be defensive or to refuse to answer an investigator's questions.  Doing so may delay the individual's ability to obtain a security clearance (at best) and in some situations may result in the denial of a security clearance application.

Post Interview

When finished with the first interview, many times investigators may have follow up questions.  They may conduct these follow up interview questions by telephone or in person.  We advise clients to be responsive to such requests and to attempt to provide investigators enough information to conclude their investigation successfully.  An individual does not want an investigator to give up on a clearance application and conclude that the security concerns are too significant to overcome.

— . they said the Security people rejected me based on my Factor V/Security Interview. I have one of the most boring Factor Vs you can imagine.