The Nuclear Option – Immediate Six-Figure Cash (100% Legal, Slightly Evil)
Step 1: Apply for unemployment the same day you’re RIF’d (most states pay 50–70% of your old salary, retroactively).
Step 2: Immediately accept the highest-paying defense contractor offer (even if it’s in Alabama or Colorado).
Step 3: Negotiate a sign-on bonus of $25k–$75k (they’re desperate).
Step 4: On day 89, quit and take the next higher offer (recruiters will poach you instantly).
Step 5: Repeat every 3–12 months.
This is called “clearance whoring” in Northern Virginia. Average practitioner clears $350k–$600k/year with zero loyalty. The same companies that laid you off via budget cuts will pay you double to sit in the same cubicle wearing a different badge.
Bottom line: The government trained you at taxpayer expense, gave you a clearance worth six figures, and built you a network money can’t buy. Now go collect.
Disclosure: Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you click them and make a qualifying purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This supports the free resources we provide.