For me the biggest con of the government work is that they treat contractors as 3rd class citizens. I had the hardest time doing anything useful. I worked 6 years as a Navy contractor and looking back I just don't know how I did it. The system is so restrictive that I could barely get anything done at all. The people simply did not care about anything that I did or did not do. Overall I felt completely invisible but at the same time that was the biggest pro. If I had a project, I could really get into it and took however long I wanted in completing it and getting it just right. Of course, once it got to the Navy folks or if the command change, it could suddenly go into the garbage but at the same time I could gather useful lessons from whatever I did.
How protected and/or vulnerable are contractors from espionage threats? I kind of see the govies as the strong Bison at the watering hole with a great cohesive group thing and the contractors are kind of in the same group but the straglers and the ones the hyenas start chasing mostly because they are easily accessible and not in the main herd. How safe would I be as a contractor vs. as a govie? Thank you!
I think everyone is equally vulnerable, honestly, and education requirements, legal protections, etc., while not identical for contractors and government employees, are similar. The NISPOM provides a comprehensive security framework for cleared contractors, that mirrors a lot of the government requirements. You make a good point about the community element of vulnerability - the more attached an individual feels to a mission, probably the less likely they are to take up an offer to give up government secrets or breach protocols. The government can sometimes do a better job of that - but the tools and resources to maintaining a secure workforce are there, government or contractor! - Lindy Kyzer, senior editor.
Lauren, it is near 0% of concern. The biggest benefit of working as a GS is that you get retirement benefits but generally speaking the jobs aren't open to anyone who isn't a veteran. The benefit of a contractor is you don't have to have prior military experience and all you have to do is pass the investigation for your security level. I firmly believe the whole espionage threat is something they just push out to make sure people don't try anything. Once you're working on the systems you'll realize the biggest threat to the government is the government itself. You can barely do anything on the government systems. It generally took me 2-3 hours each morning just to wait for my workstation to boot up and complete its checks. Sending emails or just doing basic work on the system is nearly impossible to do in one try. You can barely get anything done on the machine and in a given day, perhaps 3-5 hours (that's a really good day, btw) is spent doing anything useful on the government systems.
For me the biggest con of the government work is that they treat contractors as 3rd class citizens. I had the hardest time doing anything useful. I worked 6 years as a Navy contractor and looking back I just don't know how I did it. The system is so restrictive that I could barely get anything done at all. The people simply did not care about anything that I did or did not do. Overall I felt completely invisible but at the same time that was the biggest pro. If I had a project, I could really get into it and took however long I wanted in completing it and getting it just right. Of course, once it got to the Navy folks or if the command change, it could suddenly go into the garbage but at the same time I could gather useful lessons from whatever I did.
Where do you get all the education to be required for contracting? Do my military certification transfer?
How protected and/or vulnerable are contractors from espionage threats? I kind of see the govies as the strong Bison at the watering hole with a great cohesive group thing and the contractors are kind of in the same group but the straglers and the ones the hyenas start chasing mostly because they are easily accessible and not in the main herd. How safe would I be as a contractor vs. as a govie?
Thank you!
I think everyone is equally vulnerable, honestly, and education requirements, legal protections, etc., while not identical for contractors and government employees, are similar. The NISPOM provides a comprehensive security framework for cleared contractors, that mirrors a lot of the government requirements. You make a good point about the community element of vulnerability - the more attached an individual feels to a mission, probably the less likely they are to take up an offer to give up government secrets or breach protocols. The government can sometimes do a better job of that - but the tools and resources to maintaining a secure workforce are there, government or contractor! - Lindy Kyzer, senior editor.
Lauren, it is near 0% of concern. The biggest benefit of working as a GS is that you get retirement benefits but generally speaking the jobs aren't open to anyone who isn't a veteran. The benefit of a contractor is you don't have to have prior military experience and all you have to do is pass the investigation for your security level.
I firmly believe the whole espionage threat is something they just push out to make sure people don't try anything. Once you're working on the systems you'll realize the biggest threat to the government is the government itself. You can barely do anything on the government systems. It generally took me 2-3 hours each morning just to wait for my workstation to boot up and complete its checks. Sending emails or just doing basic work on the system is nearly impossible to do in one try. You can barely get anything done on the machine and in a given day, perhaps 3-5 hours (that's a really good day, btw) is spent doing anything useful on the government systems.
100% I'm a victim of espionage.
@@tpayne115 what the hell happened