"Secret" Jobs

[firstclassx]

I appreciate this may be a little unusual but.... say you come out of fixed term contract with Company X for whatever reason, but have signed an agreement and other instruments that you are never to disclose:

 

a) That you worked there;

b) The type of work that you did;

c) The people who you worked with

d) The location of your work, or any other sites,

e) Any training or skills acquired through that position

 

No references or ANYTHING from Company X can be provided as a result, but Company X offers a rather generous "golden goodbye" package but not so generous as to last forever!

 

How do you best explain a massive gap in employment to future employers/benefits agency etc?

 

Presumably if you apply to another employer, they are going to want an explanation of a "blank" gap of (say) 6 years. Equally, if ever needing things like benefits/pensions etc, presumably the Benefits agencies would want to know your employment history?

 

If revealing the previous employment details could be classed as a criminal offence, or at best, one with a serious financial implication,what would be the recommended strategy to getting another (good paying, non-menial) job in the future?

 

So, simply, how do you explain a massive unverifiable black-hole in your CV and still get a decent job?

[altobelli]

Very interesting question - are you James Bond?

 

I'm not sure, I haven't come across this issue before. Maybe in the first instance have a word with your manager or some colleagues, just on an informal basis. I guess other people from the organisation must have experienced this and there should be some protocol or someone to give you advice.

[BazzaS]

I appreciate this may be a little unusual but.... say you come out of fixed term contract with Company X for whatever reason, but have signed an agreement and other instruments that you are never to disclose:

 

a) That you worked there;

b) The type of work that you did;

c) The people who you worked with

d) The location of your work, or any other sites,

e) Any training or skills acquired through that position

 

No references or ANYTHING from Company X can be provided as a result, but Company X offers a rather generous "golden goodbye" package but not so generous as to last forever!

 

How do you best explain a massive gap in employment to future employers/benefits agency etc?

 

Presumably if you apply to another employer, they are going to want an explanation of a "blank" gap of (say) 6 years. Equally, if ever needing things like benefits/pensions etc, presumably the Benefits agencies would want to know your employment history?

 

If revealing the previous employment details could be classed as a criminal offence, or at best, one with a serious financial implication,what would be the recommended strategy to getting another (good paying, non-menial) job in the future?

 

So, simply, how do you explain a massive unverifiable black-hole in your CV and still get a decent job?

 

The key would be to not agree to the term where you cannot disclose working for the employer, and the employer agrees to provide a most basic reference,

If covered by (for example) the Official Secrets Act (Someone used James Bond as an example):

 

No need to say : I was licensed to kill, working from Century House for "M", but instead

"Employed 1992-2012" : Government Servant.

If asked for details : "I'm sorry, I signed a NDA, and in the same way I'd respect any NDA you might ask me to sign, I'm respecting the previous NDA"

 

Employer provides a reference: "Government Servant 1992-2012" or even "Government Servant, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 1992-2012" ( interesting if you see "Government Servant" rather than "Civil Servant")

 

This avoids further questions by providing the most basic answer and only that most basic answer.

[firstclassx]

Thanks for the advice Can't get the job without agreeing to their terms! Not quite James Bond though!

 

Will check it out with the organisation.

[BazzaS]

Further thought : how / where would you be paid?.

 

If paid on PAYE in the UK, they'd have to tell HMRC they were paying you, and provide you with a payslip / P60 (and eventually, a P45)

[Bandit127]

I would simply add that period of employment to your CV as continuous employment at the level of Technician, Engineer, Manager (etc) covered by the Official Secrets Act. Don't state job title - but state level of job. You should be OK to put From and To dates.

 

I am pretty sure if you are military you can use rank - but please check somewhere else first. (After all - James Bond is Commander James Bond...)

 

You could not add "cryptography" to your skills learned but could say that "advanced mathematical skills" were required for the role.

 

Be clear to a potential employer that a formal job reference may not be possible - or find out how it might be done. Perhaps Secret Squirrel Ltd/Govt Dept might be able to say that you worked for them From X To Y. This is all a formal job reference contains from any job anyway.

 

Ask a few mates from work if a personal reference might be OK (be careful - you may not be able to name people you worked with though).

 

If you cannot use work referees for a personal reference then you will have to rely on informal ones. Your bank manger and the trainer from your tennis club for example.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Bandit127

[Calamity1]

Hi,

 

I don't know how relevant this is to your situation, or how much it helps, because I'm not allowed to say how I know this, but...

 

I happen to know, that, in the majority of cases, when you have a 'secret job', you are given a job title, for example, Senior Communications Development Manager, and you are also given a company name, to declare as having worked for. Sometimes even a well known company name. Often, you really are 'officially' an employee of this company, but you work in a department, for someone else, that you can't talk about. I hope that makes sense.

 

So, for all intense purposes, you are some kind of Manager, in Electronics, or Communications, in a recognised, respected company and when you leave, then you have no gap and good references from someone reputable. You're just not allowed to tell anyone what you really did. But you can say I'm an expert in blah blah blah.

 

Sorry I can't be more specific, other than I know this to be accurate, from my experience.

[numbers666]

Hi,

 

I don't know how relevant this is to your situation, or how much it helps, because I'm not allowed to say how I know this, but...

 

I happen to know, that, in the majority of cases, when you have a 'secret job', you are given a job title, for example, Senior Communications Development Manager, and you are also given a company name, to declare as having worked for. Sometimes even a well known company name. Often, you really are 'officially' an employee of this company, but you work in a department, for someone else, that you can't talk about. I hope that makes sense.

 

So, for all intense purposes, you are some kind of Manager, in Electronics, or Communications, in a recognised, respected company and when you leave, then you have no gap and good references from someone reputable. You're just not allowed to tell anyone what you really did. But you can say I'm an expert in blah blah blah.

 

Sorry I can't be more specific, other than I know this to be accurate, from my experience.

 

I agree totally with this post - i cannot either confirm or deny knowledge of such

 

Even Commander James Bond worked for Universal Exports !!!

 

N

[Calamity1]

Lol numbers666, I didn't know that about Commander Bond, as I have never seen a James Bond movie.

 

I know, I know... incredulous!

 

There is a very good reason why I never watched one, but it links in to how I know about the usual done thing when it comes to 'secret jobs', so, once again, I can't explain :O

[firstclassx]

Thanks again. Fingers crossed for the interview

[Calamity1]

Good Luck!

 

Btw, at some point, usually before you sign the secrecy agreement, they do usually explain what you tell people you do etc.

 

[Calamity1]

firstclassx,

 

Btw, have you had your interview yet?

 

Because, if not, I can give you what sounds like really basic advice, but they see it as very important.

 

Although, I'm not sure which level/position you're going for, but it's best to start on the right foot, as, although, it appears that you leave, many people 'leave', but are really transferred to a different, higher security level department.

 

C

[firstclassx]

No, I haven't had my interview yet... it is mid-October! All advice is gratefully received!

 

They do acknowledge that the lack of information available about the role "may cause some frustration", and that once further in the recruitment process, it will be "clarified".

[Calamity1]

firstclassx,

 

 

This may sound like really simple advice, but the best advice I can give you is, tell the truth; about everything!

 

Because they check; before the interview and after.

 

I don't know which level of job you're going for, but they will probably ask you questions that, ordinarily, employers are not supposed to ask.

 

For a lot questions, they don't care what the answer is. What they care about is whether you're trustworthy and what you may want to hide and how far you'd go to hide it.

 

For example: If you're gay and you say you're not, then there's a risk that you could be blackmailed. I know that sounds far fetched, but I do know they ask questions to find out how much of a risk you are.

 

I don't know if they always do it, but, they have also asked things like political affiliations (they really don't care, whether you say, Tory, Labour, whatever) and have asked whether you have borrowed money, or have loans and depending on the level you're going for, they may also ask questions about your family e.g. 'Does your wife have any loans?'

 

Say, for example, your wife does, but you didn't know, (this is a real life example), so you say 'no, she doesn't' and they call you back in for another interview and they say 'Why didn't you mention your wife's loan of blah amount, over blah amount of time?' So long as you can honestly answer it, that you didn't know, then it's ok. (That person still got the job.)

 

Also, for the higher level jobs, they really do check out your family members too and people you associate with.

 

It doesn't mean you won't get the job if someone in your family is say, a member of the Communist Party, (sorry, in joke, but this really happened to someone).

 

It's just that they want to know how aware you are about people you're close to and whether you'd lie to cover up for them, rather than tell the truth to the organisation that you work for.

 

So, yes, my best advice is, tell the truth.

 

Don't know if it helps, but that's about all I can give you.

 

C