Questions & answers

Frequently asked questions

What is a Facility Security Officer?

A Facility Security Officer (FSO) is the cleared employee a company appoints to run its facility security program under 32 CFR Part 117, the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM). Under § 117.7(a), the company's senior management official (typically the President or CEO) is accountable to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) for the program, and the FSO is the cleared employee they appoint to supervise and direct it — personnel security, safeguarding, security education, insider threat support, reporting, and more. Every company with a facility clearance must appoint one.

What does the free review include?

A written assessment of your resume, your strengths and gaps organized by category, and specific, prioritized recommendations — measured against DCSA expectations for FSOs and the 32 CFR Part 117 program duties. If you also provide a target job description and hiring company, your free review instead centers on the FSO Readiness Score™: how well your resume matches that specific role, with your biggest gaps for the posting. Either way, the free review is feedback only; we never rewrite your resume unless you ask us to.

What is the FSO Readiness Score™?

A 100-point score of how well your resume matches a specific job posting — so it exists only when you provide a target job description (and hiring company). It is not a fixed grade of your resume in isolation. Three pillars are weighed: NISP Program Command (40 points), Role & Company Fit (40 points), and Resume Craft & Evidence (20 points), and your score maps to one of four bands: Strong Match (85 and above), Competitive (70–84), Developing (55–69), and Not Yet Aligned (below 55). Each criterion is graded from evidence found in your resume, and the number is calculated from those grades. The score and band are free; the full item-by-item breakdown is included with the job-targeted rewrite. It is an informational indicator only: not a DCSA rating, and not a prediction of clearance eligibility or hiring outcomes.

What is the job-targeted rewrite?

Our $149.00 rewrite for when you're pursuing a specific opening. You provide the job description, the hiring company's name, and (ideally) the company's website. We score your resume against the role for free, then — if you purchase — rewrite your resume tailored to that posting and that company: re-emphasizing your real experience toward what the role requires and lightly mirroring the company's own language. One purchase covers one role; scoring another role is free, and each additional tailored rewrite is a separate purchase. You can also add a tailored cover letter for $49.00.

What do you do with the company website I provide?

We review the hiring company's own public website — and only that site, never the broader web — to understand its values, products, culture, industry, and customers. That context sharpens your FSO Readiness Score™ and helps a purchased rewrite or cover letter speak the company's language. We never use it to invent facts about you or the company; if the site is unreachable or you leave the field blank, your score and rewrite still run from the job description alone.

Is the feedback written by a person?

No. Your feedback — and any rewrite or cover letter you purchase — is generated by artificial intelligence using review criteria developed by Monoc. It is not individually reviewed by a human. If something in your feedback looks wrong, contact us and we'll look into it.

Do you rewrite my resume for free?

No. The free step provides feedback (and, with a job description, your free FSO Readiness Score™) — recommendations only. The rewrites are optional paid services.

How much do the rewrites cost?

There are two rewrite products, each including your resume in one format (Word .docx or PDF). The general rewrite is $99.00: your resume strengthened across the board for industrial security and general business impact. The job-targeted rewrite is $149.00: your resume tailored to a specific job description and hiring company, with the free FSO Readiness Score™ and its full breakdown included. For either product you can add the second format for 15% of the base price ($14.85 on the general rewrite, $22.35 on the job-targeted rewrite) at checkout or later from your download page. Job-targeted customers can also add a tailored cover letter for $49.00. Payments are processed by Stripe; card payments only. All sales are final once generation of your rewrite begins.

Will the rewrite invent experience or clearances?

Never. Both rewrites — and the cover letter — preserve every factual detail: employers, titles, dates, degrees, certifications, and clearances. Your experience is reframed and re-emphasized, not fabricated. Deliverables use the security-professional resume format the cleared industry expects: your clearance or eligibility line up top, program-management scope, quantified security outcomes, and certifications presented prominently.

What criteria do you measure against?

On the program-management side: ownership of a facility security program under 32 CFR Part 117, facility clearance administration and DCSA engagement, self-inspections and security reviews, insider threat support, required reporting, and FOCI (Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence) awareness where it applies. When you provide a job description, we additionally measure role and company fit: the clearance level the posting requires, experience and seniority, duty and special-program scope, and alignment with the hiring company. And always resume craft: quantified results over duty statements, clear program scope, and certifications a reviewer can find.

Should my resume list FSO certification and training?

Yes. DCSA requires FSOs to complete security training appropriate to their facility, and completed coursework — such as the FSO curricula from DCSA's Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE) — along with industry credentials belongs on your resume. Our review checks whether your certifications and training are present, current, and easy for a reviewer to find.

How is my information handled?

Your resume, any job description and company details you provide, and your contact details are retained and shared with the site operator to prepare your feedback and follow up. Resume and job-description text and feedback are encrypted at rest, transport is HTTPS-only, and we don't sell your data. You can request deletion at any time — see our Privacy Policy.

I'm looking FOR a Facility Security Officer — can you help?

Yes. Monoc places vetted Facility Security Officers with cleared companies. If your company (or a client) needs an FSO, tell us about it on our Find an FSO page and we'll be in touch — typically within one business day.

Are you affiliated with DCSA?

No. We are an independent service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of DCSA. Our feedback reflects our interpretation of publicly available guidance and is informational only.