Xator Interview Questions
& Process

The team at Dayton is pretty small and they don't really have a physical office there. Most of the interviews happened over the phone, but the last one was super casual, just grabbing a coffee with the manager who would be my direct boss. Overall, the experience was way better than other jobs I've interviewed for with companies that contract with NASIC.

I applied online and was contacted by a headhunter shortly after. I interviewed with the head drafter at their Virginia office. The interview was easy, and I was well-qualified. They mentioned international travel, which seemed manageable. I was told security clearance would take time, but I'd get temporary clearance to start sooner. The interviewer was odd, not giving me a business card and implying I shouldn't contact him unless he recommended me. The recruiter said I'd hear back in a few days, but I heard nothing for two and a half months. Then, out of the blue, they made an offer with a two-day deadline to accept. I accepted and was passed to an FSO for clearance paperwork. She was difficult, sending incorrect information and never apologizing, and things like fingerprint cards never arrived. I had to contact HR to find out the status, and they didn't know how long it would take. I had my top-secret clearance interview over the summer, but there were paperwork issues because the FSO gave me incorrect instructions. The agent was confused why I didn't have temporary clearance already. The process dragged on, and in November, HR called to offer me a start date for the next week. I had another job and couldn't start immediately, so they eventually agreed on a start date two weeks later, sending more paperwork and only then starting my temporary clearance. They had me sign a risk agreement about traveling to dangerous countries, which seemed like something I should have received much earlier. Meanwhile, an automated system kept sending me reminders for paperwork every couple of hours. The whole experience felt unorganized and unfriendly, so I declined the job. A month later, a friend told me the clearance agents were trying to contact her, indicating the FSO hadn't told them to stop the review. I felt I made the right choice turning it down.

For this temporary contract role, they were seeking veterans with security clearances. After I applied, there was a long silence of several months before I was contacted and invited for an interview. The interview was very casual and relaxed, conducted by the CEO and contract manager. I was hired on the spot. A key requirement for most of their contract positions is having a security clearance.

The interview process was very straightforward and uncomplicated. I was interviewed by three individuals simultaneously. No difficult or deceptive questions were asked; rather, they were direct and to the point. Note that Xator, the former company, no longer exists as it was acquired by Parsons Corporation in May 2022.