Has anyone been investigated for similar stuff and if so what was the process and what can I expect? I am not sleeping, eating or able to focus. The anticipation of the outcome is killing me. I was notified over a month ago this investigation was being conducted when I had my spin done. No word since then. Any help would be really appreciated.

Thanks

From this point the company started going down hill. With the sale of the company, most of the senior managers retired. This left a vacum of qualified people in mamagement positions. USIS started putting people with little or no management experience into these slots making decision that affected the lives of people who have been doing this job for years. (This caused major Problems) I worked for USIS from 1999 to 2003. I converted to a contractor the day after I received my check from the ESOP. I still have lots of friends in the field, either with USIS or with Kroll. (since they are the only ones left) My advice to anyone thinking about going to work for any contractor is dont! If you are serious about being an investigator, this is not the place for you. As a contractor you are a fact checker and that is it.

Having a favorably adjudicated SSBI is just as good as having a TS clearance when you go looking elsewhere for employment.

Take care and good luck!

Just some food for thought.

Also, I forgot to ask but as a new investigator is your clearance TS or Secret?

Thanks!

THANK YOU… and AMEN!
When I was in training I had wondered why it seemed that everyone that worked for USIS had only been with the company for a few years. I got the answer to my qeustion after about 6 months on the job. Also, to the metrics response. Agree fully. If you are an investigator that has a 150 mile radius and has to drive 2.5 hours one way just to conduct a spin and turnaround the next day and drive 2 (one way)to obtain a specific release.. Well lets do the math. 18 moc for spin and 3 moc for a relese. And you have just blown 9 hours in obtaining 21 MOC. It may be easier for investigators to knock out there mocs if you only have to drive 30 minutes per day.

When you say USIS has outstanding performance, who are you kidding. I as a contract investigator w CACI have been working the same type of cases as before and have worked pieces of cases left by USIS investigators. If USIS is so great on performance why is their reputation so bad with other investigators and with govt agencies I deal with?

1)Why has OPM given more of the investigative contract to its direct competitors?
2)Are you working on any of these new contracts they have acquired?
3)Why does USIS, have reviewers who work for USIS reviewing the work of fieldwork done by its own investigators? See any conflict there?

And you talk about metrics, that is not how you measure whether an investigator is good or bad. I didn’t care how many testimonies per day, items per hour, test per week or months of coverage I completed. I got my work done and if that didnt measure up to these stupid stats then I was fussed at. Let me tell you one thing, I am paid now on the cases I complete, my supervisor doesnt care about the stats because I get the work done. So, the whole metrics thing is just a load of BS.

I am thankful that I got experience at USIS, but dont you think for one minute that most other former employees of USIS, buy the stuff you said and if you bother to listen and talk to your co-workers, I bet that they wouldn’t buy it either. And I am talking about those that have been there longer than you.

And I dont know who is lower than USIS in the field of investigations. It certainly isnt CACI (I work for them) nor KROLL (three former co-workers of mine work there and they make much more at KROLL). I am about to start with MSM Security and they dont make less than USIS. Why dont you say which company pays it s investigators less. I would love to know.

I’m sorry if it made you sad to read these posts, but ask yourself do you think that everyone who posted here is an angry former employee who is lying. What has been said in the blogs about USIS is the truth, your view is the distinct minority on this subject.

The role of an investigator compared to that of an “office job” is that the time that you “work” is really that- it’s total productive time. Most “office workers” are able to charge a full day’s work without really doing so. The role of an investigator is not so- it does not allow one to slack off, because then your metrics will reflect this.

Are the metrics stressful? Yes, they can be. I live in one of the busiest areas for security clearances- the Washington, D.C. area. Our metrics are perhaps the highest for any investigators within the United States. Are they attainable? Of course. It’s not impossible to make one’s statistics if he or she is really working the full forty hours. And not everything is based on stats; there are certain cases that require more time.

For me, USiS is perhaps not a company I’d like to remain at until I retire (being that I am very young and hope to eventually “move up” in the investigative world)… however, it’s probably the most stable government contractor for background investigations out on the market. The next coveted role is to work for OPM, directly. Plus, due to USiS’s oustanding performance (maybe this is why USiS is so concerned about its performance!), the company has recently acquired several new contracts, which allows its investigators to receive higher security clearances (only eligible on those particular cases- just like any other job in the work force), which offer variety.

I think what it comes down to is PASSION. Do you have a passion for what you do? Perhaps it’s the flexible hours or the independence that have driven several of these individuals to the role of an investigator. Or, maybe even the company car… but really… what it comes down to is PASSION. It’s passion that will take over when you have to do a residence item at 1900 hours on a dark, chilly evening.

Okay, I’m off my soapbox. Yes, there is a fleet charge personal use charge. But believe me- it’s SO nice to have the Dodge Charger to use instead of having to put miles on my personal car. Plus, it’s nice to have my company care for the insurance, maintenance, etc etc. It’s also nice that USiS provides me with the tools I need to complete my job.

Are there areas within USiS that could improve? Of course. In reality, no company is without its faults. Next time, I hope that some of these individuals can really respect what USiS has done for them, over the years. It made me sad to read these posts…

It might have changed since I left in 5/07,however I was charged $145.00 monthly for the use of a chrysler sebring which was my co car. I know they went to the dodge brand so I dont know if it went up or not. But be aware this comes out of your paycheck, in addition to all the deductions you see. The pay increases were inconsistent and small, promises were made that were not kept. The amount of work v. the amount I was paid was not worth it and the time that you had to dedicate to doing the work did not allow for much of a personal life. On a personal note, I would tell you that during my time w USIS I went on 7 one month long work details and the first five details were with my personal car which made the detail financially worth going on, however the last two were w the co car and I was not reimbursed for the mileage, they were not worth the trouble of going. Hope this helps.

Jonathan

I run into USIS investigators from time to time, all they have to say is bragging about their company car. I tell them that caci treats me like an adult who can handle my own vehicle buying and operating. I get at least 10 times more work done then any of the ones i’ve talked to.

have fun, its a great job.

I wanted to respond to Mike’s question about working for USIS and MSM. A few years ago, USIS changed their policy so that someone can contract to multiple OPM contractors (ie. USIS, MSM, SACI, Kroll), but I do not think you could contract to MSM while employed full time at USIS. USIS employees are required to inform their District Manager of any outside work and state that it won’t affect their performance. I don’t know specifically the USIS policy on contracting for another company, but I’ll bet they don’t let you do it. They would fear that your MSM work would have a negative impact on your USIS work, that it could happen on USIS time, or that you could reveal proprietary information.

On a personal note, I don’t think you’ll have time do both! As an investigator, you’re somewhat at the mercy of your subjects … you knock on an important source’s door 3 different times, and when they finally call you, you arrange to to out to their house at 7pm that night. That’s just an example, but it would be hard to have such an unpredictable and busy schedule with both your employer and your contract company.

Just my 2 cents … I wish you the best!

I too have recently signed on to do contract investigations with MSM. MSM is the company sponsoring my top secret clearance investigation. How do you like it so far? Jon, the other thing is that I also accepted a job as an employee investigator with USIS. Are you allowed to work at USIS as an employee and MSM as a contractor. If so, why didn’t you do both. This is my first job out of college….. any advice you can give me would be great! Thanks!

I contacted Mantech, Omniplex, and USIS. Omniplex offered me an interview then a job in December of 2006. I was excited about my first job out of college, but in February of 2007, I was told that the contract I was supposed to work was cancelled (OPM) and with that, my job was cancelled. After that I received an affer from Mantech, now known as MSM to become a contract investigator and I accepted. Now I am going through the process of receiving a Top Secret Clearance. One month ago, I was told by MSM, that I had been granted an interim secret clearance and soon realized I could not do anything with that.

The security department now says my investigation is underway, OPM says everything is correct, and the contacts I listed will now be contacted as well as any the investigator learns about during the investigation. The security department is expecting everything to be done by August 1st. I have read some of the other responses in this blog and am not sure what to think. Is it foolish to believe I will have a Top Secret Clearance by 8/1/07?

Also, any advice regarding good companies to work for on a contract basis would be much appreciated. Once I am working, please give some tips on how to do a good job and be in the companies good graces as a contract investigator. I’m from Maryland if that helps at all!

Thanks! This site has taught me a lot.