The Rise in Demand for Security Cleared IT Professionals
This means organisations that previously would not have required security clearance are now expecting at least Basic Checks (BC) as a minimum and a Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) or Security Check (SC) for those working on what are deemed to be more sensitive projects.
For IT professionals, this means that obtaining security clearance can prove very useful, especially for contractors, as it can lead to a wealth of additional job opportunities. Having security clearance in advance of applying for jobs will greatly enhance your prospects and open up a wider variety of roles for you to choose from.
There are a range of security-cleared IT roles available in both the public and private sector, from developers to project managers and using skills such as Java, Oracle, Cisco and J2EE. The increase in national security as a result of terrorist threats means that there is notable demand for security-cleared personnel in sectors such as defence and government.
However, while government departments may be the biggest employers of security cleared IT personnel in the UK, there are still a number of vacancies within the private sector particularly for financial institutions.