Where else should I look for a job?

[wantarace17]

All of these suggestions are excellent. Also make sure you launch a linkedin profile it will help people searching for you alot. As a recruiter I don't think I am that bad

Also look at Dahlgren, VA lots of chemical and bio weapons programs there.

[Slateman]

With a Chem Bio background, try the Aberdeen Proving Ground. They do lots of research there. Try the DARPA website also.

All of these suggestions are excellent. Also make sure you launch a linkedin profile it will help people searching for you alot. As a recruiter I don't think I am that bad

Also look at Dahlgren, VA lots of chemical and bio weapons programs there.

Ya'll know any company names?

So ... yea, the job search thing is a lot tougher than I thought. Kind of looking for more ideas, if anyone has any.

[renaissance]

All of these suggestions are excellent. Also make sure you launch a linkedin profile it will help people searching for you alot. As a recruiter I don't think I am that bad

Also look at Dahlgren, VA lots of chemical and bio weapons programs there.

I was about to suggest linkedin. A lot of companies advertise jobs there as well.

Here are a few companies to start with: http://washingtontechnology.com/toplists/top-100-lists/2010.aspx

[The Brave Little Toaster Oven]

Ya'll know any company names?

Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, SAIC, Deloitte, BearingPoint all do contracting work with places like DARPA

[frostyj]

Have you tried any veteran expos?

MilitaryStars Mid-Atlantic Regional Hiring Event

Thursday, October 27th, 2011 10am - 4pm

Crystal City Sheraton

1800 Jefferson Davis Highway

Arlington, VA 22202

Attendance and registration are FREE. Employers including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Amazon and Sears will be available to speak with you from 10am - 4pm and will be looking to hire individuals for positions throughout the greater DC metro area, Mid-Atlantic, nationwide, and overseas.

All will be looking to hire candidates with your background for career opportunities in:

Information Technology

Programming

Mechanical / Technical

Engineering

Security and Law Enforcement

Construction (Civil, Project Management)

Consulting

Management

Networks

System Analysis / Operations

Operations

Production

Logistics

Admin

Electrical

Training

Sales

Customer Service, and more

[ixcuincle]

All about who you know

I myself had to expand my contacts recently in order to branch out

[Slateman]

and now I have two within a month.

So I was working as a temp receptionist at a major government contractor. 2-4 week gig. Then someone tells me the receptionist position is open.

I'm doing a good job, staying on top of things and generally being a good employee so I get recommended for the job. Apparently the office I work at and another office close by share phone lines. So the receptionist over there asks me to send her my resume. I do, think nothing of it.

I get a job at another company that's a consulting firm, asking me to come in for an interview. I come in, interview and it goes well because they offer me the position. Not having anything better (it was 10+ thousand more than the receptionist job), I signed the offer. The position is called Emergency Management Exercise Analyst.

Well today, I got a call from the government contractor, essentially offering me a position. Only not for the reception position that I thought. Its for the Facilities Operations Manager position. I was kind of surprised and then ... well ... now I don't know what to do.

I've had a few threads on job searching and everyone asks me what I want to do. I honestly don't care. However, I did come up with 4 "dream jobs"

1. Be the starting shortstop, catcher or closer for the Washington Nationals. Will never happen.

2. Federal law enforcement. Actually been a desire of mine for a while. But, the federal government isn't really hiring. When they do take applications, its only for a small time window and its usually a lot of more applicants than they thought.

3. Any job that gets me a 7+ figure salary and won't result in me getting a disease or thrown in prison

4. Operations center work. I love them. Did them in the Marine Corps. Then I discovered that in the civilian world you actually get an equal number of days off for the days you work (4 days on, 4 days off). I pulled 12+ hour shifts every day in Iraq and Afghanistan.

So with that in mind, these are the two job break downs

Consulting Firm (Emergency Management Exercise Analyst)

Very much a sit down job. It's a contract for Dept of Homeland Security. Would be a lot of sitting down and and working at a computer. Would get to design exercises for DHS and state governments, primarily their ops centers

+ EM work with DHS could be very career enhancing

+ Got the impression from the interview that they are expecting me to rise quickly and take on a different billet. This has been confirmed in post interview emails and talks ("we have big plans for you")

-/+ Shirt and tie type of place (this doesn't bother me as much as I thought, but I'm betting it could get old)

- Less money (by at least 10k)

- Hour long commute (each way) that would be at least 6 bucks a day to ride Metro. Driving there and parking would take longer and cost more

Defense Contractor (Operations Facilities Manager)

Essentially running day to day type stuff. Making sure maintenance gets done, supplies are ordered and delivered and handling moving of offices and personnel. Would also supervise facility leads and administrative staff. If you're familiar with the Marine Corps, this is essentially they type of position a Company Gunny would be. A lot of mix and match type jobs. A lot of improvising and moving around

+ More money (again, by at least 10k)

+ Company is much larger than the consulting firm. A lot of opportunities to move up. Always a lot of new contracts coming in too

+ Much shorter commute (20 minutes)

+ Great people. Liked working there when I was the receptionist. Fun and laid back

+ Casual dress code. My supervisor there wore blue jeans and a company polo shirt

-/+ Clearance. Not sure if it would be renewed or activated since the position doesn't technically require it

- Would have to bail on a job I've accepted

- Would end up with a lot of odd ball jobs that no one else wanted to do

- Not sure if I would be able to get back in to an operations center type environment

So ... what should I do?

[ixcuincle]

Go after that money.

[Madison Redskin]

Congrats Slateman! :applause: Always nice to hear a fellow ESer is doing well.

As far as the job choice is concerned, I can't offer you any specific advice. However, as a general rule, you should take the job that is in your best long term interests. Consider the salary, but given greater weight to how it affects your earning potential, how many doors it will open for you, whether it sets you on the path to where you want to be in 20 years (not 2), and perhaps most importantly, whether you will like the work and the people you work with.

Best of luck and congrats again.

[skinsmarydu]

Do what makes you happy. Obviously, you're young, and saving for the future may not be on your mind yet, but it should. The extra 10K and shorter commute will help you save time and money, and if you don't have to make a "wardrobe investment", all the better, even more money saved. Never forget how blessed you are to have options, some are not so fortunate. Now, go get'em, Tiger...(oops, I mean, Dude!)

And thanks for your service. HTTR

[renaissance]

Well, nobody can really tell you which job is best, or which you want, because I'm betting deep down you know which one you want. And that's the one you should take.

However, I will say that as someone who has a 1 hour commute each way, I don't recommend it to anyone. It seriously sucks the life out of you, and takes up a bigger portion of your day than you'd think. I only put up with it now because I know I'm moving this summer when my current lease is up.

Also don't be swayed by any 1 factor of an opportunity. Consider everything as a whole, including salary, commute, future opportunities, day-to-day work, coworkers, environment, BENEFITS, work schedule, etc.

Regardless of your choice, major congrats on getting two offers. Always seems to work out that you hear nothing, nothing, nothing, then BOOM! Everyone wants to hire you. It's a good position to be in

[pjfootballer]

Being my age, when I went looking for a job, I weighed all the factors like everyone else (salary, benefits, commute, etc.) but I found that there was only one criteria for me. Happiness. Will I be happy doing that type of job. I was fed up after 10 years of putting up with a bad job and even worse management. I went out last December and found another job. I'm pretty happy. My commute is longer, but the pay increased by 17K. Management is better and so is the environment. Even the benfits are better. But I had to be happy. That was it for me.

[DCBnG21]

Not sure about the top end prospects for facility management - my guess is though, that with your background, if you start killing it in the emergency management analyst position you have a much higher ceiling.

Most importantly - do what you're happy doing & if it's not either of those things, figure out what it is and what you need to do to get there. Don't waste your life doing stuff you don't like.