Security Clearance Careers Podcast

The 2025 AI Expo for National Competitiveness, held from June 2–4 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., brought together over 15,000 attendees from government, academia, and industry to explore the future of artificial intelligence and its role in national security and economic leadership.For today's episode of the Security Clearance Careers Podcast we give you the highlights of AI Expo, put on by the Special Competitive Studies Project – a non-partisan U.S. think tank and private foundation focused on technology and security, created by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. ClearanceJobs hosted the Talent Marketplace at the expo where companies and talent were able to meet, and career coaches were able to guide attendees, wherever they are at in thei job search.

Google Public Sector joins the podcast to discuss Google Veterans Career Week. Mike Benedosso, global leader of Google's Veterans Network (VetNet), tells us more about his own transition, tips for veterans looking for a job at Google, and why he has stayed for nine years supporting Google's Brand Marketing (Brand Social): Influencer Marketing as a Strategy Leader. Google is hosting its 5th Annual Google Veterans Career Week, a free, virtual three-day event (June 10-12) offering veterans, military spouses/partners, and service members tools, support, and advice to advance their civilian careers. The week includes functional and industry roundtables, an exclusive fireside chat, and skill-building sessions – all designed to provide valuable networking, learning, and tactical career advice. The event is open to anyone supporting the military community and so tune in to this sneak peek.

Today our episode of the Security Clerance Careers Podcast focuses on navigating ClearanceJobs.com as a job seeker. We have Brent, ClearanceJobs Manager of Client Success who runs our candidate how-to webinars. This is an engaging, informative episode that highlights both practical tips and strategic insights for cleared professionals navigating ClearanceJobs.com, ultimately getting you on the phone with a recruiter which can be pretty difficult nowadays in such a saturated candidate market.

Optimizing your online profiles for professional networking is essential in today’s digital-first professional landscape. Your ClearanceJobs profile is often the first interaction someone has with you—whether it's a recruiter, hiring manager, or other executive leader using our platform.Platforms like ClearanceJobs rank profiles against Boolean searches (or Intellisearch) that recruiters key in to match the most qualified candidates. By strategically using keywords related to your industry, roles, and skills you improve your chances of appearing in searches, making it easier for hiring managers to find you.

Welcome back to the ClearanceJobs podcast—where national security professionals stay informed, inspired, and maybe even a little entertained. Today, we’re bringing you the official recap of SOF Week 2025—arguably one of the most impactful defense community events of the year. Whether you were boots-on-the-ground in Tampa or just watching from afar, we’ve got the highlights, insights, and maybe even a few behind-the-scenes moments you won’t find anywhere else.

Pay transparency—openly sharing salary ranges and compensation practices—has been gaining traction in both private and public sectors. But how does this shift impact employee morale? The answer: it depends on how it’s implemented.New pay transparency laws are shining a light on compensation—but they’re also exposing workplace tensions that many leaders aren’t prepared to manage. When employees discover salary discrepancies, it can spark resentment, disengagement, and internal conflict.Richard Birke, Chief Architect of JAMS Pathways, joins the podcast to discuss how organizations can promote trust and transparency while preventing conflict from undermining culture and morale.

Gwen Clavon, Senior Vice President for Digital Security and Analytics at Amentum, joins ClearedCast to discuss leadership, resilience, and wellness in cleared careers—and why it’s okay to not be okay in national security. To learn more about careers at Amentum, visit their ClearanceJobs profile.

Lindy Kyzer and Sean Bigley of ClearanceJobs spitball about the truth and lies when it comes to the polygraph process. One of the realities of the polygraph is that even experts agree it's dubious at actually checking for lies. What it is good at is getting people to have a spiritual epiphany and suddenly start sharing details they hadn't before. That's one reason why maybe the security clearance polygraph should go the way of Scientology's eMeters, and the experts should agree, they're really only used for 'spiritual purposes.'

Mika Cross is a workplace expert known for her work in areas like government workforce innovation, flexible work environments, employee engagement, and talent management. She has held senior roles across federal agencies, including the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Department of Labor. Mika often speaks about future of work trends, public sector workforce reforms, and ways to make workplaces more inclusive and high-performing.She's also active in consulting and thought leadership spaces, especially around how government and private sectors can better adapt to changing workforce needs.Mika joins the podcast to talk about the current landscape and why federal work still matters.