Delay in starting my new job.

[katbuad]

I think that I have found the perfect job. Interviewed at the beginning of Oct. The offer letter came at the first of Nov. Talked to my future boss and set a start date of Dec 3rd. Dec 3rd came and she pushed my start date to Dec 17th. Dec 17th came and now my start date is "guarnteed" no later than Jan 15th. It is a government job. I am "executvie tracked" instead of the normal "cival service" tracked. I am going into a supervisor role. It is security cleareance. It is financial. Supposedly everything concerning the background check is fine. She says that I am ok, it is just the steps that she is having to do to open the job. She says that this is the way it is working for the governement at this security level. Does anyone else work for the gov? Can anyone confirm all the red tape? Does it really take this long to get hired/started?

I am frusturated by the delays. We planed for me to be out of work for a while, so that I could travel. But I feel like this is streatching a bit further than I had plannned. I don't want to give up on this oppotunity. I really want this job. I am getting a little concerned that it might surpass the point where I need a job, if the delays go on too much longer.

[Kristie]

it certainly can take that long to not only set up a job of that type but also get the security clearances you need. if you didn't need the security clearance, i betcha there'd be a lot less red tape.

there are some interview times here in phx (just for a basic city job) that can take up to 6 months to interview, prepare and start.

Is it a fed gov't job or city or county or what? sometimes county and city can be faster but feds are typically quite slow just because they "can be" knowing that they'll always get paid kwim?!

[katbuad]

It's a state job, but I will be admistrating fed money to 66 state agencies, including military, homeland security, and TN State Troopers. I won't be fundraising but I will make sure that money that has been granted goes to the correct place and is spent in accordance to the agencies' missions and the guidelines of how it was granted. I am not an auditor (thank goodness) because I will be actually approving the spending of funds, just an accountant.

[Kristie]

yea...state job can be just as foreboding as a federal job. it may be that she started the process early enough but those down the line are slacking. that happens a lot.

[spotty4]

katuad, I work for the Navy ... indirectly. I am a contractor and I work on-site at the Naval Research Lab. My role requires a security clearance. I was hired on an interim clearance to get me started. I worked w/ that interim status for ~6 months, at which point my security clearance application was approved and finalized.

There was no delay in my hiring b/c of that red tape. That could be the difference b/t being a direct government employee vs. being a contractor. But now that I've been here for almost 4 years, I can DEFINITELY tell you there is red tape ... and a lot of it!

Hang in there ...

[Kristie]

now there's an idea.. maybe she could get you started on an interim clearance??