How do you get "security clearance" to apply for a job that requires this?

It is not something that you can initiate. If you are selected for a position that requires clearance, the employer will initiate the process. A government agency will investigate you and, if you are deemed trustworthy, you will receive the clearance.

@ratboy But this job says you have to have it before you can apply. Does that mean they only accept people who were cleared by previous employers?

a security clearance will come from jobs that require security so yes in a sense it has to come from past experience as ratboy has said

ex: military law /enforcement

@master_mind413 Sounds like I can’t apply then. I thought maybe there was some service that does this. That sucks. Would have been a great job.

Willingly offer all your connections with the UFO underground, MIB, ex KGB and your current status with Area 51. You’ll get that clearance in a matter of minutes.

I would tell you but then I would have to kill you !
This must be a Black OPS job if you need to have a security clearance just to apply,what do they do for the interview ;blindfold you and drive you to an undisclosed location.

When a security clearance is required for a position, the hiring company takes care of setting that up. You simply agree to the terms.

@SoulSearcher I don’t know. It says “Security clearance must be current.”

@colliedog If it states that, they probably mean you need to provide a current police record. You can obtain a copy from your county police dept.

You only have a security clearance while you are in a position that requires it. If you leave a secured position for something that doesn’t require a clearance, your clearance is automatically revoked.

@ratboy Actually, your clearance goes “inactive” if you leave the position that required it and take up something that doesn’t.

My parents and my boyfriend have various levels of security clearance for their jobs. Apparently the process takes a long time and costs about $10,000, so usually when you get clearance your job has to sponsor you for the process. This means that you can’t just walk in and apply for most cleared jobs. You might just have to start working in an uncleared government position or government contracting position, and move into a cleared position later. Or you may be able to convince an employer that you’re so qualified, they should hire you for a cleared job and sponsor you to get a clearence. It will probably be really difficult to do it by yourself if you don’t have the job yet.

There are several different levels of security clearance. The wikipedia article explains some of them and how to get the forms. Scroll down the the United States section.