Advice for Ivy League student. Internship at military defense contractor?

[Anonymous]

My son is home for break and mentioned interest in interning for a defense contractor. He is an economics major at an Ivy League college. Great GPA. His best friend is in ROTC with a long-term goal of becoming a contractor, so I think that’s what piqued my son’s interest.

His other friends are landing internships in consulting, banking, tech, politics and preparing for law or medical school. Are there highly selective and lucrative entry level positions in defense? As in similar to having Google, Facebook or Goldman Sachs experience on your resume, if that makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Not many non-STEM entry-level jobs at defense contractors are "lucrative".

With an Ivy Econ background, the obvious plum internships in this area are with the Federal Reserve, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac.

[Anonymous]

In my 20 years in defense contracting, I have only met 2 people who went to an ivy. Entry level is not lucrative.

[Anonymous]

I don't think you'd have much of a career trajectory in defense contracting if you aren't an engineer, but I am sure there are exceptions

[Anonymous]

Why don't you let your kid pursue a career that is enjoyable to them and pays decently instead of one that is "highly selective" and "lucrative?" That is the question you should be asking.

[Anonymous]

I just can't believe this question. I have worked at Ivys/elite schools. No student would even think of defense contracting.

[Anonymous]

Pp here. He should just join ROTC. It is respectable and will get him into contracting if that is what he wants to do.

[Anonymous]

I graduated from an Ivy 20 years ago and I’m a career SES in the federal government. I look at my contacts who work at Raytheon, Honeywell, or any of the other big defense contractors with a lot of envy. I have 2 college classmates who worked for defense contractors and it has been extremely lucrative for them. If that’s his interest he should go for it.

[Anonymous]

What job is he interested in? Not everyone at Lockheed is doing the same thing and getting paid the same amount. There are thousands of different paths.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just can't believe this question. I have worked at Ivys/elite schools. No student would even think of defense contracting.

+1

It’s like 10 rungs below Google, GS, etc. It’s filled with a bunch of old, retired military dudes.

What about World Bank?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't you let your kid pursue a career that is enjoyable to them and pays decently instead of one that is "highly selective" and "lucrative?" That is the question you should be asking.

My son wants to make money. We are middle middle class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just can't believe this question. I have worked at Ivys/elite schools. No student would even think of defense contracting.

Certainly does not seem to be a well-worn path. Career development office was little help. It is just a thought, maybe it will fade when he returns to campus.

[Anonymous]

Would he consider working at a think tank or similar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think you'd have much of a career trajectory in defense contracting if you aren't an engineer, but I am sure there are exceptions

He'd have to parlay his skills into program management or business development.

[Anonymous]

It's higher risk, but he's better off trying to get his foot in the door at the small, no-name defense contractors. Tysons, Reston, and Crystal City are full of them. These places are gobbled up by private equity firms, merged into a portfolio with similar companies and then sold off again. Then when the non-competes expire, the same founders start a company for the next idea, then wash and repeat.