DoD Hiring announcement for computer scientists | Hacker News Reader

DoD Hiring announcement for computer scientists

usajobs.gov

Government jobs suck. Period.

Here is the actual text for the requirements to be a GS-13 employee (and they are strict on these)

"GS-13 Federal Employee Base Salary GS-13 government employees will receive a base salary of between $76,687.00 and $99,691.00, depending on their General Schedule Step. The educational and experience requirements for most GS-13 government jobs are: Master's or Ph. D."

For most companies in that area, you can paid that salary or more right out of a Bachelor's. I've worked a government job before amd always felt undervalued, even compared to contractors who were ok n the same team as me (they were making nearly 40% more than I made with similar experience).

And I'm almost positive if you take this position, you'll be working on propping up old, irrelevant tech from who knows how many years ago.

Just like any large organization, some jobs will suck. Some will not.

For this job announcement the pay is $99,172 to $166,500 per year, depending on experience.

I was a GS-14 with just a B.S.

The best thing about government service is finding a position where you think the mission is important.

Also, the benefits are really good.

Yes, there are poeple that are retired in place in some organizations, but often good people do well. They tend to get recognition, but there are bad bosses there, too. You need to work with HR to move ASAP to a good team if you find yourself in a toxic place.

Did you stay with the govt? I've wondered if it'd be hard to get a job in silicon valley if your first job was with the govt or another "less trendy" employer.

I would really like to be able to apply for this position but I don't meet the GS-13 requirement I bet. If they called me tomorrow to do this job for $76K a year I would do it (assuming moving expenses were paid for). The thing that gets me was I when I desperate for work everyone told me to apply for a government job (army, navy, etc.) but it was always experience, experience, experience and a connection. I got experience now but without a connection I know applying is pointless. I even tried to get an army job with a connection once but they turned me down because I didn't have experience.

I'm more interested in the benefits than the salary at this particular point in my life.

Ah this is so refreshing! I'm glad to see something completely different in the CS job ads sector. And Pentagon, Arlington, VA as a location? Oooff, every single one who grew up with X-Files would be excited about that!

Salary is average at best, completely agree, but the other major bummer I can call out is this:

> This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing

This is such an outdated, self-limiting, and practically barbaric requirement modern days! Can you imagine the amount talent they are blindly passing on.?

I would even dare to bring up the Bill Gate's (yes that guy!) alleged talk in Saudi Arabia [1], which goes as something along these lines: "..if you’re not fully utilizing half the talent in the country, you’re not going to get close to the goal you have set for yourself..."

[1] Bill Gate's precedent was about the issue that is an order of magnitude more severe/significant than a drug testing: women's rights, but I find the analogy quite applicable and illustrative here

All the hate for government work here is pretty out of place. Look, there’s something like 5 cities benefitting from the tech work this site revolves around by the vast majority. There’s an entire country of hundreds of cities and even more towns and localities not benefiting from SV venture capital. From what I read here, lots of our current greatest minds spend their time creating really creative marketing. If you want to shrug off governments place in employing society then get out there and make work that really will employ numbers similar to the government and with its pay and benefits. The FAANGs clearly can’t.

> From what I read here, lots of our current greatest minds spend their time creating really creative marketing.

Heh, yeah, how to store or transfer bits efficiently so that shop selling Chinese-made shit doesn't go down on Black Friday, or so people can get their crisp Marvel movie on their 4K TV. Or so some bikini-clad girl can optimally promote that "detox drink" to her "followers"...

Data scientist using advanced ML techniques to work in DC for $99-165K/yr? That seems like they might be looking a while and still settling for less than top talent.

And the job is probably about how to more efficiently kill people. No thanks.

There are Federal pensions involved. Try to get that at a Valley startup. Plus the opportunity to really change the world (for better or worse).

Pension for life + up to 26 vacation days a year

After 15 years you get 26 days.

I couldn't find a single valley company that would give me a 401k match

Can't tell if you're being facetious. Google and Facebook both do 50%.

(Apologies if I'm humor-impaired this evening. I suspect you're being sarcastic, on second read.)

I meant startups sorry

It's not like the direction you're trying to change the world will necessarily be very different!

But you have to take into account the great long term benefits. True. The GS scale seems a bit low.

Why is this on the front page? It's 1 position at the Pentagon. Did I miss something about the Pentagon being accepted into YC?

OP appears to be a govt employee. I bet this is a "hey i made a post, yall go upvote it" situation.

OP here. I didn't write this. I just thought the HN crowd might like to have visibility on this world.

What do you consider interesting about it?

Go ahead, if you want to risk the board (Congress) and the CEO (President) shutting down the "corporation" when they can't agree on a budget.

Or have your work twisted to support a lie.

For $99,172 to $166,500 per year, you'll get to help the American government commit atrocities in other countries.

What a sell lol

Rock-star programmer sought for grade GS-13 to GS-15 role! Promotion Potential is 15!

IT is now "IT (Cyber)".

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