Negotiate Your Salary and Benefits

Cleared job search is like dating, so don’t fake it in the interview process shares Kirsten Renner, VP of People Operations at Cydecor. Led by an inspiring founder, Nader Elguindi, Cydecor is expanding rapidly, offering opportunities for growth, hybrid work, and numerous CONUS options. Learn why you need to do more than just click “apply for a job” to stand out from your competition.

“You have applied. You would assume that someone's going to see your application. Take a minute to reach out and send a message and say, “Hey, Kathleen, I noticed you posted XYZ. I went ahead and applied for it. Let me know, is there anything else you need from me? Is there anything else that you're looking for?” And a good recruiter is going to answer you. And they're also going to point you in the right direction. They do not want to ghost you, I promise.”

Find show notes and additional links at: https://clearedjobs.net/cydecor-opportunities-for-career-growth-during-expansion-podcast/

Growing people while solving the nation’s toughest problems is how Technical Recruiter Courtney White describes Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3). This employee-owned company offers an employee stock ownership program and is growing quickly, nearing 800 employees. “Make a difference while making a living.”

“We solve really tough technical problems. We pride ourselves on our ability to make a difference while we are making a living and doing our jobs. We work hard, we serve hard, we compete hard, and we play hard.”

Find show notes and additional links at: https://clearedjobs.net/i3-employee-owned-with-an-esop-podcast/

Don’t underestimate the power of being easy to work with in your career, shares Uri Robinson, Co-Founder at Robinson Consulting Group. He heads a small DC-area firm focused on Systems Engineering. If you’re looking to have access to the C-Suite and grow with the company, this may be a stop for you.

“They say your network is your net worth at the end of the day. So build those relationships across the board with anybody and everybody, because I always think about the story of the Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon. It's very true, here in the DC area, you may be seven relationships away from the President. Get out there and make sure people know who you are.”

Find show notes and additional links at: https://clearedjobs.net/robinson-consulting-group-engineering-opportunities-podcast/

Straightforward, actionable uses of artificial intelligence for your cleared job search. This special Bonus Episode of our podcast shares how to use artificial intelligence to save time, improve your communication skills, and broaden your knowledge, to improve your cleared job search.

“It is still recommended that you tailor your resume for every single role you apply for. If you're applying for 30, that's a lot of time. You can revise your resume yourself for all 30 roles. But why would you need to do that when you can simply use a tool like this? Do your due diligence, go back, read through, revise, and send off. You're still doing the same thing that you would -- tailoring your resume -- you're simply using a reliable tool to do it instead.”

Find show notes and additional links at: https://clearedjobs.net/use-artificial-intelligence-for-your-cleared-job-search-podcast/ 

How do you navigate salary transparency? Mike Barnum, Talent Acquisition Leader at Raytheon, shares how. Plus, he answers the eternal question of how many jobs you should apply for at one company, how to ask for feedback on the spot in an interview, and the importance of confidence…just not too much.

“If we're reaching out to set up an interview with you remember you were chosen. Whatever your application said, whatever conversation you had with a recruiter, we chose to take our time to speak with you too. So be confident that the manager wants to fill their position, they hope you're that person. Do what you can to show that you can be that person. You want to be confident that you deserve to be in the room.”

Find show notes and additional links at: https://clearedjobs.net/raytheon-an-rtx-company-salary-transparency-confidence-podcast/

Shae Gee is a 30-year Air Force veteran and Chief People Officer for a growing small business, Paragon Cyber Solutions. Hear her first two questions in an interview and why she asks them, plus Shae’s perspective after having recently transitioned from the military to the civilian sector.

“Sometimes we discount what we actually did in the military. If you're doing maintenance, yes, you're a leader. Yes, you're dealing with people. If you're going for a specific route on People Operations, you may need to highlight the people, the leadership piece, more so than the maintenance piece. Because some civilians won't understand how that pertains to you wanting to do HR, for instance. I think we discredit ourselves a lot when people don't understand our resumes. And so I highly encourage folks to get that help, because we all have to learn from each other and grow.”

Find show notes and additional links at: https://clearedjobs.net/paragon-cyber-solutions-cleared-cyber-roles-podcast/

Senior Program Manager Chad Clary leads the V2X C5I portfolio. He highlights the company's focus on soft skills development, diversity in the workplace, their success with the SkillBridge program, plus what to ask if you don’t get the role you applied for.

“For those that don't quite make the cut, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're not going to be a fit for a future role. So, I do tell people that if you don't get hired, always ask the person who interviewed you for constructive feedback. A lot of us are scared to do that. We don't want to hear what we do wrong, because we just don't like to hear it. But that's going to stunt your growth. If you know what you did wrong in an interview, or what gaps you need filled, hearing that information is going to make you a better person. And make you a better-qualified candidate for the next time you're up.”

Find show notes and additional links at: https://clearedjobs.net/v2x-focus-on-soft-skills-and-diversity-podcast/

This special Bonus Episode of our podcast demonstrates how to get your full value from a potential cleared employer by negotiating the offer that makes sense for you.

“I need to renew my CISSP. Do you give me time off for it? Do you pay for it? Do you pay for the travel? Those are benefits that really change depending on the company you work for."

Find show notes and additional links at: https://clearedjobs.net/negotiate-your-salary-and-benefits-podcast/

ITIC hires cleared IT professionals for the Northern Virginia intelligence community. Staffing Manager Eric Voelkel shares they offer six weeks PTO right out of the gate, as well as the importance of being able to speak to what you still need to learn, or don’t know, when interviewing.

“I just don't want to be able to hear all the things that you've accomplished. I want to hear someone speak about the areas that they need to actually work on. If someone can come to the table with that, I know there's a level of self-awareness and confidence, because confidence is knowing what you can do, what you can't, and where you want to go. Having that in their pocket with them that I can't see on a resume, that's what's going to pique my interest that much more, because competition is tight.”

Find show notes and additional links at:  https://clearedjobs.net/itic-hiring-it-needs-for-the-ic-podcast/

ICF has an inspiring backstory and a wide variety of cleared opportunities in the DC metro area and beyond. Ruth Robertson, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner for Technology, shares the company’s commitment to DEI, illustrated by being named a 2023 Forbes Best Employer for Diversity and Best Employer for Women. Plus, Ruth reminds us to always include contact information on our resume!

“Growth definitely means a lot of things to people. And so when we are able to provide both vertical and horizontal opportunities, it is something that we see employees really get excited about, being able to experience new opportunities, like a fresh project, and then being able to also move within that organizational structure or program based on skills that they will obtain while in that particular program.”

Find show notes and additional links at:  https://clearedjobs.net/icf-rich-heritage-and-focus-on-inclusion-podcast/