Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is an outstanding candidate?
An outstanding candidate is one that has dedicated themselves to excellence in their career while balancing life and work. He or she has focused on reaching their career goals while playing a key part in helping their employers reach their goals. An outstanding candidate is committed to providing exceptional value their customers (whether internal or external) and doing it with a smile, everyday.

What is a great company?
A great company is not characterized by age, size, industry or function. A great company is characterized having their values centered on their customers and their employees and by living their values everyday. Great companies provide the tools for their employees to be successful and reward them for their successes with the opportunity to grow in their career. Great companies respect the balance of life and work.

What is Top Echelon Network?
Top Echelon Network is America's most successful network of recruiters. The recruiters work together cooperatively, one partner represents the employer and one finds the job seeker. They work together to help the candidate and employer through the interview process to fill the position. They share job openings and job seeker information similar to how real estate agents work together on multiple list home sales. The recruiters of Top Echelon Network list their jobs in the Search Jobs section of this site. Continental Search & Outplacement, Inc. is proud to be a top producing Preferred Member of Top Echelon.

How do I get a clearance?
This is not meant to be official information, but simply what I have learned and believe to be true. The 4 ways to get a security clearance that I know of include:

1) Go to work for a government agency that handles confidential/secret information in a capacity that you would "need to know" this type of information. (We cannot help with this; visit www.governmentjobs.com)

2) Go to work for a firm that provides services under contract to a government agency described above. This agency must be willing to invest the 3 - 12 months and thousands of dollars necessary for you to be "cleared". (If we have a position like this, it will state that you must be "eligible to obtain a clearance". If one of our jobs does not state this and requires a clearance, this hiring firm is NOT willing to make the time/money investment required.) Applying for positions that require a current clearance without having a current or very recent clearance is a waste of your time and ours!

3) Join the military. Yes, enlist in the military and follow a track in actual defense or intelligence. (We cannot help you with this; visit www.goarmy.com.)

4) Become an elected official at the federal level and sit on committees that handle sensitive material. (We cannot help you with this; visit www.elected.com.)

We know of no other way to obtain a clearance. If you do know of other ways, we would be happy to hear from you. Write dan@consearch.com.