Final year cybersecurity student with 2 internships (one TS clearance) how do I convert this into a job before graduation?

Looking for advice on how to play my cards right going into my last year.

Quick background: I’m finishing up a cybersecurity degree and managed to land two federal government internships back to back. The one coming up this summer is with an agency whose core operations are heavily focused on digital forensics. My role is technically “cybersecurity,” but I’ll be operating in that forensics environment and I was granted a Top Secret clearance for it.

Here’s where I want to be strategic.

What I think my advantages are:

TS clearance alone is a massive differentiator. Most new grads don’t have one. Federal forensics exposure is niche and highly marketable private sector firms, DOJ, FBI contractors, and Big 4 forensics teams all pay well for it.

What I’m unsure about:

Should I be targeting federal contractor roles specifically so the clearance stays active post grad? How early should I start applying if my internship ends in August? Is it worth leaning into the forensics angle even though my degree and title are general cybersecurity? Are there certs I should be stacking now to complement this profile, like EnCE, GCFE, or Sec+?

I don’t want to fumble this. Two federal internships and a TS clearance feels like a real launchpad and I just want to make sure I land somewhere worth jumping to.

Any advice from people who’ve been in a similar spot or who hire for these roles is hugely appreciated.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​