Career Blog

Expert advice on security clearances, career development, salary negotiation, and everything you need to know about working in the Huntsville defense industry.

Browse the Contract Roundups series

Browse by Category

All Clearance Guide Career Advice Salary Insights Huntsville Living Industry News Interview Prep Space Command Contract Vehicles Programs & Commands Certifications Remote & Hybrid

Featured

Secret Clearance Timelines: Four Official Numbers, One Fiscal Year, a 105-Day Spread

DCSA says 197 days. The PAC says 92. Both are official, for the same clearance level, in the same fiscal year — here is why, and what it costs to plan around the wrong one.

September 8, 202610 min read

Read Article

Latest Articles

Career Advice

Huntsville Defense Contracts: September 28, 2026 – October 2, 2026 Roundup

226 Pentagon contracts touching Huntsville hit the wire this week, totaling $51.95B. Here is what each award means for cleared talent in the corridor — anchored in live job counts from our marketplace.

October 5, 2026160 min read

Career Advice

Huntsville Defense Contracts: July 6, 2026 – July 10, 2026 Roundup

51 Pentagon contracts touching Huntsville hit the wire this week, totaling $9.55B. Here is what each award means for cleared talent in the corridor — anchored in live job counts from our marketplace.

July 13, 202644 min read

430

Career Advice

Huntsville Defense Contracts: June 29, 2026 – July 3, 2026 Roundup

54 Pentagon contracts touching Huntsville hit the wire this week, totaling $8.01B. Here is what each award means for cleared talent in the corridor — anchored in live job counts from our marketplace.

July 6, 202648 min read

356

Career Advice

Huntsville Defense Contracts: June 1, 2026 – June 5, 2026 Roundup

36 Pentagon contracts touching Huntsville hit the wire this week, totaling $3.78B. Here is what each award means for cleared talent in the corridor — anchored in live job counts from our marketplace.

June 8, 202632 min read

415

Career Advice

Huntsville Defense Contracts: May 25, 2026 – May 29, 2026 Roundup

25 Pentagon contracts touching Huntsville hit the wire this week, totaling $2.14B. Here is what each award means for cleared talent in the corridor — anchored in live job counts from our marketplace.

May 25, 202624 min read

433

Career Advice

Pentagon's $828M May 12 Defense Contract Wave: What 9 of 18 Awards Mean for Huntsville Hiring

On May 12, 2026, the Department of War posted $828 million in new defense contract awards across 18 companies. Two list Huntsville addresses on the award. A $213M PATRIOT modification was contracted out of Redstone Arsenal. And several multiple-award IDIQ winners run major Huntsville operations. Here is what the day means for cleared talent in the corridor.

May 17, 202610 min read

2318

Clearance Guide

Security Clearance Interview: What the Background Investigator Actually Asks

The 'subject interview' for a security clearance is not a job interview. It is a 60–120 minute sit-down with a federal background investigator who has already read your SF-86 and pulled your records. Here is what they ask, what they are looking for, and how to handle the questions that catch people off guard.

May 17, 20268 min read

780

Career Advice

Defense Resume Keywords: 150+ Terms That Beat ATS Filters in 2026

Defense ATS systems screen on a specific vocabulary the rest of the job market does not use. Here are the 150+ keywords that determine whether your resume reaches a hiring manager at Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop, RTX, SAIC, Leidos, or Booz Allen.

May 17, 20266 min read

507

Stay Updated

Get the latest career advice, salary insights, and job opportunities delivered to your inbox.