I was working as a Systems Administrator and was hired when the position accepted both U.S. citizens and permanent residents. After I joined, the company won a large government contract that changed the role's requirements. Everyone in the position now needed to be eligible for a security clearance, and as a permanent resident who is not yet eligible for naturalization, I could not meet that requirement. The company ended my employment even though my performance was good and my coworkers and manager were supportive.
I had been there for about six months and enjoyed the job. My previous experience includes Active Directory, Microsoft 365, SCCM/MECM, WSUS, CrowdStrike, networking, Intune, Entra ID, Microsoft Defender, Wazuh, ThreatLocker, UniFi, CMMC/NIST 800-171, manufacturing and OT networking, and other infrastructure and security tools. I am now applying for Systems Administrator and Azure/Microsoft Administrator positions.
I am worried that recruiters will see the short employment period and assume I was fired for performance or another negative reason. How should I explain what happened during applications and interviews, and will this short stint realistically hurt my chances?
4 Answers
Ask your former manager and coworkers for written recommendations or permission to use them as references. Ideally, the recommendation should confirm that you performed well and that the job ended because the role changed to require clearance eligibility. Also ask whether they can introduce you to companies doing commercial, healthcare, manufacturing, or other non-cleared infrastructure work.
Focus your search on roles that do not require a clearance, and read the eligibility requirements carefully before applying. Your experience with Intune, Entra ID, Defender, Microsoft 365, endpoint security, networking, and NIST 800-171 gives you several directions beyond government contracting. A short period at one employer is unlikely to define your career if the rest of your resume shows steady experience and useful technical skills.
A six-month job will usually need a brief explanation, but this is a reasonable one. You were not terminated for poor work; the employer changed the eligibility requirements after hiring you. If asked, emphasize that you were in good standing and that the position became unavailable to you because of the new contract.
I would not hide it or make the interviewer guess. A vague explanation can sound worse than the actual situation, which is outside your control.
Be direct and keep the explanation factual: “I was hired into a role that accepted permanent residents. After I joined, the company won a government contract that added a security-clearance requirement. Because I am not a U.S. citizen, I was not eligible for the clearance, so the position ended.” This makes it clear that the decision was caused by a change in business requirements, not performance or misconduct.
That wording helps a lot. I was worried that mentioning the clearance issue would make recruiters reject me immediately, but I also don't want them assuming I was fired for cause.
My manager and some coworkers have been very supportive, so I will ask for recommendations and referrals. I am also going to look more closely at CMMC and compliance-focused roles because I helped collect audit evidence and prepare for assessments.