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I read "current secret clearance required" in a blog and I don't understand this expression. What does it mean?

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"Secret clearance" is a type of security clearance. It's a qualification government agencies can give to you. If you have this qualification, you're allowed to see privileged information.

Here's how Wikipedia describes security clearance:

Security clearance levels are used as part of a method to control access to information that should not be freely available to all personnel.

This is from a page about United States security clearance, and the term is also used in some other countries, so the exact definition may depend on what country you're talking about. But this should give you the general idea, in any case.

If enough time passes, your security clearance can expire, and then you won't have the qualification anymore. If that happens, your security clearance will no longer be "current". The blog is saying that this kind of security clearance is required for something, and it cannot be expired.

Required for what? It could be for a job―but see Adam's comment below for another possibility.

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  • "Secret clearance required" could be a prerequisite for a job, or it could be a prerequisite for access to a certain physical or virtual space. There are rooms in my federal workplace which I cannot enter because I do not have sufficient clearance. There are computer systems I cannot operate for the same reason. (Neither circumstance bothers me one bit - I prefer not having the burden of maintaining a secret clearance.)
    – Adam
    Commented May 19, 2015 at 16:35
  • Getting clearances can be very expensive and time consuming, particularly for contracting companies... so they like to find people (often recently retired military) who already have the clearance when they have job openings.
    – Catija
    Commented May 19, 2015 at 16:46
  • nb Secret is the middle tier of US government security clearances, above Confidential and below Top Secret. "Classified" information refers to materials which have been restricted to someone with the corresponding clearance. These terms are bandied about all the time in spy movies, but I never knew they were real things until I entered the job market.
    – choster
    Commented May 19, 2015 at 17:51

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