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J U LY 2 0 1 5 A U G
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portunity to receive a security clearance – take
that opportunity – jump on it. Possessing a se-
curity clearance is more likely to equate to job
stability in private industry as well as increased
salary during your future career.
If you brought a security clearance to your
new company, and they value that credential, it
can bring an increase of 2 - 3% to the original
base salary offer; historically equates to a 5 - 7%
of base salary as a sign-on bonus; and, in a 10+
year career beyond your public service can av-
erage $20,000 more per year than the colleague
working with you who is without a security
clearance. For those still in the negotiating phase
of your new career position, review the value of
security clearances at
•
•
infographic.html
•
CompensationSurvey2012.pdf
•
security-clearances;
For those who don’t possess a security clear-
ance, read the above information regarding the
value of security clearances as well and begin to
position yourself within your company to ac-
quire a security clearance for both job stability
and increased salary.
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS ARE
MORE IMPORTANT
All professional certifications, especially
a Project Management Professional (PMP),
Computer Information Security System Profes-
sional (CISSP) and a Professional Human Re-
sources (PHR) or Senior Professional Human
Resources (SPHR) are valued by performance
based businesses, are the BACKBONE of re-
quired competencies and are both needed and
transferrable within private industries. If you al-
You will experience transitional emotions
and a myriad of unknowns as you crawl,
walk, run and “drink through a fire hose” regarding
your new role and the responsibilities you have
accepted. You will be fine – what kept you alive in
your law enforcement career was the acceptance
of your role, the training you received and the
continued learning and knowledge you gained –
you will experience the same thing all over again
– but this time with more salary, other compensa-
tion benefits and a retirement check too!
You will not only survive, but you will ex-
cel if you understand the level of importance in
three areas: security clearances, professional cer-
tifications and business acumen – all needed as
you live your new life outside of your law en-
forcement career.
SECURITY CLEARANCES ARE IMPORTANT
You may be fortunate to have brought a
security clearance with you or are offered the op-
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