Job Responsibilities
As a contract specialist, I drafted and negotiated contracts on
behalf of the Department of the Army. In this capacity, I
interfaced with engineers, project managers, and the soldier in
the field to procure the best equipment for our military
peronnel. I spent most of my day drafting contracts and
negotiating with contractors.
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Job Requirements
I was hired under the Outstanding Scholar Program, which required
an undergrad degree with at least a 3.5 GPA. Once hired, I was
required to take extensive classes including contract law,
accounting, ethics, and program mangement.
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Uppers
The workload was managable and the hours were only 40 per week. The people were
nice, friendly, and helpful. In addition, the government paid for my masters
degree.
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Downers
The work became boring after a while and there were frquent times
when I had little work to do. The pay was also a bit low.
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Lifestyle
Dress code was business casual, although many people wore business attire. As
noted, the hours were about 40 per week. If you got on a big project, there
could be frequent travel.
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Compensation
My salary when I left after six years of service was
approximately $55,000. The government paid for my masters, and
matched my retirement savings dollar for dollar. Health plan was
pretty good too.
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Advice to Jobseekers
With the war on terror continuing, the government is always
looking to hire bright people looking to serve their country.
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