What is the interview/hiring process like at federal contracting companies?
Posted by postnasal7459@reddit | ExperiencedDevs | View on Reddit | 19 comments
I got a call from a recruiter for a federal contractor since they now have positions available after being awarded a contract. She said there's some form that will need to be filled out (sounded like she said VAP form) and that she'll send my resume to the client and get back to me in about a week. This is for a software engineering position.
Is the interview/hiring process similar to swe positions at tech companies? I know that getting a security clearance is part of the process if an offer is sent and accepted.
Also, what usually happens once the contract ends? I'm assuming if the contract is renewed, you just keep working on the same project but what if your company loses the contract? Do you get reassigned, laid off, hired by whoever wins the next contract?
GrumpsMcYankee@reddit
Can't speak to the hiring process, probably standard fare with fewer panels and self-flagellation. If you really connect with the role and do good work, if / when the contract ends, there can be opportunities to continue with other contractors or other work through the agency. But federal contracting companies and their contracts are pretty varied.
postnasal7459@reddit (OP)
Yeah the uncertainty makes me worried but it's not like other jobs in the field guarantee any stability either
GrumpsMcYankee@reddit
There's definitely more security during the contract, versus a private firm that may have a bad quarter and trim headcount to appease investors. Usually federal contracts are for multiple years, though right now things are definitely more volatile with the current circus.
postnasal7459@reddit (OP)
That's one reason why I'm hoping to get an offer from the contractor. As long as I'm able to get clearance and perform well, I'd imagine I get to stay for at least the length of the contract.
I have an offer from a tech company but the constant layoffs are worrying me.
Does your team use fairly up to date tech? What's AI usage like?
GrumpsMcYankee@reddit
It's a mix. Can't say you'll work with bleeding edge, often there's business rules and regulations that can hinder / guide architecture (fewer SaaS products in the mix, more standard AWS / Azure). AI use is as annoyingly big here as everywhere else. Contractors need to appear competitive, and current admin loves AI.
engineered_academic@reddit
Depends on the contract, but the security screening process is the worst part. You have to be employed by the contractor to get the clearance (assuming you don't already have one), meaning you have to quit your current job. If you don't pass the background check and are unable to obtain clearance, you will languish or be fired. Some agencies don't allow you to touch things until you are cleared. So it can be a bit stressful.
Pay isn't as great as working for private industry, usually but the gigs are stable for a while. Most of them just need warm bodies. This was 15 years ago but my interview was just fizzbuzz on a whiteboard.
Some of the people can be great, but upper mgmt is usually not technical and only focused on costs and keeping the customer happy. You will need to recompete every X years, and this can be stressful as well. Usually you just rebadge with the new prime, but it can mean losing seniority, vacation time, etc. Benefits at contractors are a shadow of what they used to be.
postnasal7459@reddit (OP)
You have to be employed before applying for security clearance? Is that for all clearance levels?
I know pay will be worse but it seems like the benefits are at least pretty good (for this particular company at least).
I got to meet and speak with some of the directors and even the ceo and they all seemed knowledgeable. Is it almost guaranteed that you'll either have to move to the new prime or be laid off instead of being reassigned to a different project in the company?
engineered_academic@reddit
Yes. You have to be employed by either the prime or the sub before submitting your forms to OPM. It can take months for them to do their assessment. Defense office of Hearings and Adjudications publishes all their findings for people seeking a clearance with the DOD that have appealed their rejection. Civillians go through OPM which AFAIK do not publish their decisions.
Sometimes you can move to a new project within the company if there are open positions, or sit on the bench while they line up your new project.
postnasal7459@reddit (OP)
I know some places will put you on projects that don't require clearance while you wait but I think I remember them saying they'll give conditional offers of employment and begin the application process after you sign. What are the biggest things they look at to see if you'll be approved or not?
engineered_academic@reddit
The clearance checkers generally cares about honesty and compromisability. Debt is a huge disqualifier. Omitting something is easy because they look back at least 7 years and go and interview past employers. Any kind of dishonesty or theft is immediately disqualifying. It can be VERY easy to lie by omission just because you forget. You can read the Defense Office of Hearing and Appeals cases. Some of these are wild to me.
i_exaggerated@reddit
5 minute screener call to make sure I’m legal to work in the US. Then I had a 12 minute call with the VP while he took a break from mowing the lawn. Got the offer after that.
Once the contract ends, if the company has another contract they might move you over. Otherwise that’s the end.
netderper@reddit
Sounds solid. lol. This explains the quality of work on many government contracts. They're looking for butts-in-seats they can bill out for $250/hr.
i_exaggerated@reddit
Yeah, they need to maintain a body count in order to qualify for certain contracts. And the background check takes 6 months so they try to get that started ASAP.
Also lots of title inflation, hence the “senior” in my flair.
I will say, though, the biggest hindrance we face is federal employees and processes, not the skill level of our developers.
postnasal7459@reddit (OP)
Was this with a big or small contractor? That seems relatively easy and straightforward. If the contract renews or there's some sort of extension, you're likely to be kept on though?
i_exaggerated@reddit
I think the contract I’m on is around $200m and has around 150 developers.
Yeah, we got an extension this past cycle and everything continued as normal.
postnasal7459@reddit (OP)
I read that work can be fairly slow going compared to F500/big tech. Is that the case at your place?
i_exaggerated@reddit
In some aspects yes, mainly security. It’s a pain. Otherwise no, it’s a greenfield project and we have a huge amount of autonomy.
AliensProbably@reddit
Australian Federal (Commonwealth) agency? It's hard to say for sure - was there more information provided about the security clearance levels they were looking for?
postnasal7459@reddit (OP)
No it's for a US company. They didn't say which clearance level. I could ask one of the directors that I met at an event and connected with on LinkedIn.