we get 25% COLA and special rate for IT Specialists (i'm an EE by degree, but like it better in the IT dept...hehe).
Mav,
You are in a difficult position. That is good cash for a govt job! The job offer should contain a job code like xxxxxxx/E3H. Post the ExH number. The only other advice I can give is negotiate hard! You may get what you ask for : ) How many years of experience do you have? LM likes EE's! Do you work at the Maui HPCC? According to your AV, your in HI. There are a lot of contractors in your back yard if you like it there. I have been looking at the MHPCC myself. That sounds like a kick ass job.
Nope, i work at Pearl Harbor...hehe. The thing is i have no engineering experience, so this is damn good for an entry level position, i'm very grateful they'd offer this much for a guy with no experience. I will find out the job code tomorrow...thanks!
We've been talking to some of the MHPCC guys recently about doing some work with them - they've got some sweet stuff out there. Pork barrel politics at its best
If you ever get a chance to tour the AEOS site up on Haleakala (sp?) take it. They ussually offer tours at the AMOS conference - I'm working on a paper right now!http://www.maui.afmc.af.mil/
Awesome...yea i've been there on a field trip once i've just been to the MHPCC though. That place is just insane. But i hear the life outside of work isn't so much fun on Maui, if not, i would have applied to work for Boeing in Maui.
I thought you said that you work in IT... That counts! IT implementation is a huge part of LM's business. Have you been coding or doing sys admin stuff? Don't sell yourself short!
I am also an IT guy. I have worked in many different roles like DBA, Windows/Unix admin, Computer Security, Systems Integration. There are many opportunities for you in LM and other companies. If you are into computer security, here is something you should watch! It is an RSA conference video with the Godfathers of commercial cryptography.
http://media.omediaweb.com/rsa2006/1_5/1_5_High.asx
No thread hijacking inteneded!
http://media.omediaweb.com/rsa2006/1_5/1_5_High.asx
No thread hijacking inteneded!
sygyzy
Lifer
- Oct 21, 2000
- 14,001
- 4
- 76
If you currently work for the public sector (ie government), working for a defense contractor (private) like LHM, will not really differ. You can still expect the mandatory 3-5% per year. These huge jumps people are talking about have to do with changing grades, ie engineer to manager.
Yea, i'm just wondering if going from within the engineer I payband is the same as going up the grade scale in the GS system.
I worked as a software engineer for LM for a little while. Had to relocate though. Got two raises within the first year, and left after a little more than a year making ~18% more than when I started.
LM is a great company. Because they contract with the government, they have a lot more stability than most private companies do. They are less susceptible to "market pressures". Also, if you are a technical person, LM is great to work for becuase you can't get much more technical than what they do. Plus they are less sensitive to cost than they are to getting the job right. The product has to meet the specifications or they don't get more contracts for work. The DoD doesn't care if they have to spend another million for a defense system, but they do care if it doesn't work. Nice.
As far as your job defining the rest of your life, that's nonsense. You are going to make good decisions and bad decisions. Don't let yourself get trapped into thinking what you do define who you are. It's just a job.
LM is a great company. Because they contract with the government, they have a lot more stability than most private companies do. They are less susceptible to "market pressures". Also, if you are a technical person, LM is great to work for becuase you can't get much more technical than what they do. Plus they are less sensitive to cost than they are to getting the job right. The product has to meet the specifications or they don't get more contracts for work. The DoD doesn't care if they have to spend another million for a defense system, but they do care if it doesn't work. Nice.
As far as your job defining the rest of your life, that's nonsense. You are going to make good decisions and bad decisions. Don't let yourself get trapped into thinking what you do define who you are. It's just a job.
cKGunslinger
Lifer
- Nov 29, 1999
- 16,408
- 57
- 91
Why would you doubt that?
As a defense contractor employee, I know over a dozen AT posters in the same business - some in my company, and some for LM.They don't just employ "aerospace engineers." Large-scale firms like this have many, many facets, ranging from engineers (mechanical, computer, electrical, chemical, etc,) management, finance, IT, contracts, personnel, security, drivers, facilities, cafeteria workers, janitorial staff, etc.
Think, then post. :thumbsup:
I work for a top ten defense company. The benefits, pay, and low stress level are plusses. You get yearly raises like clockwork. Those are the plusses. Very little OT, and whatever OT you do have to put in, you get paid for. Let's not kid ourselves. It's steady work. With the war on terror with no end in sight, govt contracts, especially for those in high tech defense, not necessarily building weapons platforms, it's going to be good work for the forseeable future. You work with some interesting high tech programs. It's not as sexy as Google, Yahoo, MS, but it's neat in it's own, hush, hush way.
Negatives include too much low stress. Nobody cares about what you're doing, when you get it done, etc. It's government work. You're on the taxpayer's dime, so coming from a commercial world, it's very hard to get used to. A lot of things don't make sense as far as paperwork, accountability, etc. are concerned. Also...it's bloated with tons of employees. What can usually be done by 1 person in the commercial world, can take 4 in defense. Basically, if you show up, put in your time, and anything short of burning the facility down, you're not going to get fired. However, there's 50,000 other people with more seniority than you and promotions are generally based on seniority rather than a meritocracy, so major promtions are slow in coming. I've been with my company for over 5 years, and I've made a lot of lateral moves, but no promotions yet. Guys ahead of me have something like 10 to 40 years of time put in. Raises are like clockwork, but they're not fabulous. If you're a good employee, expect to beat inflation by 1 to 2%. If you're an average employee you'll keep up with inflation.
So that being said, if you're looking for steady work it's a good job. If you like gogogogogo type of atmosphere, you may want to look someplace else.
Negatives include too much low stress. Nobody cares about what you're doing, when you get it done, etc. It's government work. You're on the taxpayer's dime, so coming from a commercial world, it's very hard to get used to. A lot of things don't make sense as far as paperwork, accountability, etc. are concerned. Also...it's bloated with tons of employees. What can usually be done by 1 person in the commercial world, can take 4 in defense. Basically, if you show up, put in your time, and anything short of burning the facility down, you're not going to get fired. However, there's 50,000 other people with more seniority than you and promotions are generally based on seniority rather than a meritocracy, so major promtions are slow in coming. I've been with my company for over 5 years, and I've made a lot of lateral moves, but no promotions yet. Guys ahead of me have something like 10 to 40 years of time put in. Raises are like clockwork, but they're not fabulous. If you're a good employee, expect to beat inflation by 1 to 2%. If you're an average employee you'll keep up with inflation.
So that being said, if you're looking for steady work it's a good job. If you like gogogogogo type of atmosphere, you may want to look someplace else.
i like steady. It sounds like you work for the govt, (which i do now). I would think that places like LM have huge stress levels (in comparison to working for the fed govt). Man, an 18% increase, that is less than i'd be getting at my current job...hmm...
i guess it is basically
technical experience/latest technology work vs stability/regular pay increases.
except for that, from what you guys are saying the environment would feel almost the same...
i guess it is basically
technical experience/latest technology work vs stability/regular pay increases.
except for that, from what you guys are saying the environment would feel almost the same...
CaptnKirk
Lifer
- Jul 25, 2002
- 10,053
- 0
- 71
Not sure what the internal policies are out at 'Silly-Con', but having worked with Lockheed in Palmdale, Martin in Orlando,
& now with the resulting comglomerate in Fort Worth, there are plenty of chances for advancement, as well as re-direction.
There are annual reviews - with you setting the goals to acheive, and you share in the composition of the results of the review.
You pretty much can determine how successful you want to be with your personal work ethics, attendance, and quality of work output.
Biggest personal trap I see is that people overstate their goals - and subsequently fail to meet them at the review board.
You can always pre-state a slightly lower goal - and then 'Meets or Excedes Expectations'.
The second thing I see as a stumbling block, is that many a new-hire, especially with the 'First job out of college' types
is that they haven't learned that they have a job to do . . . and assignments to complete.
Many (who have since departed the company) only got about half a job task done, then wandered aimlessly off
to another attempted task, never to return and finish the previous one.
That will haunt them and make an acceptable review rather difficult, so before they get demoted they leave to another place.
(Unfortunately they list Lockheed as a springboard to their next job, and fail there too)
Pay is based on work ethics, attendance, and job task completion - so if you actually do go to work,
perform the work, and finish the job . . . you'll do fine, and the raises will come on a regular basis.
Drift without direction, flounder in the shallow water, and you, like the Titanic - will discover what an iceberg looks like -
up close and personal.
By the way, it's one place that I know that people are not forced out from at 65 years of age,
we have many people still working that are in their 70's & 80's - because they like thier work - and are good at what they do.
Experience still counts on some things.
JSF
Check out the picture gallery
& now with the resulting comglomerate in Fort Worth, there are plenty of chances for advancement, as well as re-direction.
There are annual reviews - with you setting the goals to acheive, and you share in the composition of the results of the review.
You pretty much can determine how successful you want to be with your personal work ethics, attendance, and quality of work output.
Biggest personal trap I see is that people overstate their goals - and subsequently fail to meet them at the review board.
You can always pre-state a slightly lower goal - and then 'Meets or Excedes Expectations'.
The second thing I see as a stumbling block, is that many a new-hire, especially with the 'First job out of college' types
is that they haven't learned that they have a job to do . . . and assignments to complete.
Many (who have since departed the company) only got about half a job task done, then wandered aimlessly off
to another attempted task, never to return and finish the previous one.
That will haunt them and make an acceptable review rather difficult, so before they get demoted they leave to another place.
(Unfortunately they list Lockheed as a springboard to their next job, and fail there too)
Pay is based on work ethics, attendance, and job task completion - so if you actually do go to work,
perform the work, and finish the job . . . you'll do fine, and the raises will come on a regular basis.
Drift without direction, flounder in the shallow water, and you, like the Titanic - will discover what an iceberg looks like -
up close and personal.
By the way, it's one place that I know that people are not forced out from at 65 years of age,
we have many people still working that are in their 70's & 80's - because they like thier work - and are good at what they do.
Experience still counts on some things.
JSF
Check out the picture gallery
GuitarDaddy
Lifer
- Nov 9, 2004
- 11,465
- 1
- 0
I have many friends that work at LM's Ft. Worth plant and they love working there, except for the parking
Do you work for DOD? (As in you can access your leave & earning statements through the DFAS website)
If so NSPS will supposedly increase your room for higher pay within the govt.
Currently GS-13 earns $74K-$96K for the Rest of the US locality (any of the specific areas will earn more). Forgot about your special pay table (I'm under it too) because by GS-12 next year the difference in pay will be total of $120.
To the person who said you can always go back to govt, that isn't as easy as it sounds. First some of the best jobs are open for internal applicants (current Federal employees). Second, you lose your continuous time in service which will hurt your annual leave earnings and hurts your retirement.
If so NSPS will supposedly increase your room for higher pay within the govt.
Currently GS-13 earns $74K-$96K for the Rest of the US locality (any of the specific areas will earn more). Forgot about your special pay table (I'm under it too) because by GS-12 next year the difference in pay will be total of $120.
To the person who said you can always go back to govt, that isn't as easy as it sounds. First some of the best jobs are open for internal applicants (current Federal employees). Second, you lose your continuous time in service which will hurt your annual leave earnings and hurts your retirement.
Yes. I can access DFAS, i'm dod. I'm not sure how the NSPS system will work here, i'm just confused about it. Will pay go up? down? How will COLA work? will they match the salary with the COLA increase? There has been lots of talk but more confusion about NSPS around here. I'm currently a co-op with career conditional status, i'm a 7. will be a 9 next year, then an 11 the year after that. hopefully 3-4 years from now i'll be a 12.
I think if i leave the govt, it will be hard for me since i do not have my 3 years, so i don't have permanent status. I'll break my bridge here because they reall don't want me to leave.
I work for Raytheon, and my experience so far has been quite the opposite. I am usually very busy, opportunity for plenty of OT. Our customer is the MDA and they are very schedule driven, being that Missile Defense has a very high priority.
cKGunslinger
Lifer
- Nov 29, 1999
- 16,408
- 57
- 91
It's typically seasonal and based on contracts. I've had to work some OT, but I've also had to charge to overheard for a week. It's also department-based. I've rarely had to work OT as a Software guy, but as a Test Set guy, I've worked many a Saturday evenings to meet Flight Qual tests schedules.
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