Originally posted by Byrd
It should be about the same as getting a civillian job at NASA, JPL labs, Raytheon, etc.

They actually do have websites (Nellis) where you can apply to work. You'd have to find a job you were qualified for (the "oh man, take me because i'm cool!" wouldn't go. You have to apply for a specific job.) You'd have to have good work experience and you might need to be a member of a union (not sure about the last one.)

Now... my spouse works at Raytheon and most of my family holds security clearances (son still has top secret clearance from the Navy.) I'm going on what it takes to work at one of those places.

Once you're declared a potential candidate for the job, you have interviews. They conduct a THOROUGH background check of you and your family and talk to your friends and contacts.

If you're accepted, you're put on probation and there's another background check. Eventually you can get higher and higher security clearances, but it takes a number of years.

Shortcuts to getting in would include advanced degrees in areas they're interested in: certain physics PhDs, math PhDs, engineering PhDs would be accepted (ditto the Masters' level) -- particularly if they had research in areas that the base was interested in (knew a prof who (25 years ago) was doing optical recognition work for them on the high speed computers of the time. He was at a university, though, not working on their base.)

You might get in as security guard if you join the Air Force, get certified, get top secret clearances, have a good record, and if there's an opening at the base you can apply along with everyone else.