I don't work for the government but our client is government so I had to go through all the hoops to get the job. As far as clearance, if you already have secret, getting top secret is just a matter of paperwork. Some people need to take a polygraph test, drug test, etc. You might also have to report any time you spend abroad (where, why, with who, etc etc). But if you have no skeletons in your closet, you should be fine. It just takes forever for them to go through the paperwork. Good luck! And gov't did go through some layoffs, they were just nowhere near as bas as the private sector (especially technology).