[AlisdairSH]

"...the thought about having a government security clearance is a thrilling thought"

Meh. Nothing cinematic about it at all. You fill out reams of paperwork (address and neighbors back 10 years), get interviewed by a tired bureaucrat, and all your friends, family, and neighbors get grilled by some other tired bureaucrats.

Then, if you're lucky, they grant you an interim clearance so you can start work while they do whatever other research they need to do (polygraph, etc).

And if you're unlucky, they don't grant the interim and you're left in limbo for months on end. And you don't have any say in the matter - if the interim is denied, there is no recourse. And if they take too long, your employer may just decide waiting around isn't worth the time and send you packing before the process completes. And you never find out what red flag they thought they saw.

All in, it's a total pain in the ass.

[malyk]

And the chances of you actually seeing anything particularly interesting is pretty low.

[jgalt212]

yes, that's pretty much the case, but one definitely should be able to get some mileage with one's peers and the ladies.