Fed or Amazon

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP are you technical or business side?
What level fed?

technical. GS15 non supervisory

Isn't that kind of the fed position everybody wants? I mean, I am sick of federal work so I'd do anything to get away from it. Still, you're in a pretty good position.

well yeah, i loved my job and was going to retire here. but times have changed drastically and its likely my agency will be wound down like USAID etc.

NRO is hiring right now, with direct hire authority, including positions up to GS-15. Their hiring waiver is limited - mostly targeted for technical positions (GS-1550, -801,-854,-855, and more). They need software people and engineers with technical experience. They also are not going to be eliminated, so more stable than most Fed jobs.

A smart Fed might transfer there.

What are the implications of going from a career fed to a direct hire? Won't you be probationary?!

No. “Direct hire authority” merely means the hiring org can make the hiring decision internally. They do not need send an HR package to OPM to approve the offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feel like I am a top performer (but who doesn’t) but I have no desire to work anywhere that is culling 15% or whatever of the workforce every year. I mean the politics alone must be a nightmare.

You had to be Brahmin caste to survive long term.

And probably also speak the correct regional language at home…

[Anonymous]

NRO has two potential catches:

1) Must maintain security eligibility. This also is true for most other DoD jobs, so not very unusual.

2) It requires a limited-scope (aka: CI) poly. This asks the “are you a spy?” type questions, and does not ask lifestyle questions.

There is one other potential win that results from the above. All of their work must be done by US Citizens. Permanent Residents are not eligible to do that work. F, H, or J visa holders also are not eligible to do that work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP are you technical or business side?
What level fed?

technical. GS15 non supervisory

Dude. Stay. You’d be crazy to leave for AWS if you’re in a non-sup 15. Unless you’re at an agency that’s about to disappear? Why do you want to leave?

Yes my agency is going to be nuked, budget already shows that; I expect my division will be privatized, where consumers pay a fee for the services we provide today for free (like private firefighters of old).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NRO has two potential catches:

1) Must maintain security eligibility. This also is true for most other DoD jobs, so not very unusual.

2) It requires a limited-scope (aka: CI) poly. This asks the “are you a spy?” type questions, and does not ask lifestyle questions.

There is one other potential win that results from the above. All of their work must be done by US Citizens. Permanent Residents are not eligible to do that work. F, H, or J visa holders also are not eligible to do that work.

Any gotchas about these? I live a very boring life, spouse, kids, never did drugs or any crime. My spouse is a naturalized citizen, refugee but all family is here in US that we have contact with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP are you technical or business side?
What level fed?

technical. GS15 non supervisory

Isn't that kind of the fed position everybody wants? I mean, I am sick of federal work so I'd do anything to get away from it. Still, you're in a pretty good position.

well yeah, i loved my job and was going to retire here. but times have changed drastically and its likely my agency will be wound down like USAID etc.

NRO is hiring right now, with direct hire authority, including positions up to GS-15. Their hiring waiver is limited - mostly targeted for technical positions (GS-1550, -801,-854,-855, and more). They need software people and engineers with technical experience. They also are not going to be eliminated, so more stable than most Fed jobs.

A smart Fed might transfer there.

What are the implications of going from a career fed to a direct hire? Won't you be probationary?!

No. “Direct hire authority” merely means the hiring org can make the hiring decision internally. They do not need send an HR package to OPM to approve the offer.

it also means that when transferring from another agency they can subject you to a one-year probationary period.

source: transferred to a different agency on a direct-hire 2210 posting as a career fed, was placed back on probationary status.

that said, a NRO position is probably better than a random AWS one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Surprising because my child (23) out earns me (a 14-10 fed) at AWS. They enjoy the job. It seems pretty flexible. No strict accounting for hours. Office work is required but not for the whole day so people just pop in. Insurance is so much better than federal. DC did not wait till 26 to leave ours.

AWS is all in office except for those cheating the system. They are fine for a few years but at some point they will be forced out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AWS chews people up and spits them out. The only reason to move is the money. If they’re not giving you the money walk away. Let someone who actually lost their job deal with that mess.

Few at AWS seem to manage to finish 36 months there. Some jump out of frustration. Others get caught up in the annual mandatory 15% layoff. Some managers now hire people with a plan to lay them off, in order to protect their other employees. Much less stable than even current Federal employment. Terrible place to work.

This, most people we know lasted 2-5 years, my spouse made it more but was pushed out. Its near impossible to succeed after your 4 year contract is up. Its very cut throat and backstabbing and you take it for the money or experience and leave. It wasn't so bad years ago when it was all work from home, but with the RTO it wasn't worth it. There are also higher paying jobs out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure it's a great time to jump. They're doing another big round of layoffs coming up in January. Friend of mine works there and does well and says it can be very team dependent, but you won't know that going in. He's basically forced to layoff some on his team even though in his words they're all great employees. RSU's look great on the offer letter but it doesn't mater if they fire you after a couple years. Wouldn't go there myself except as a last resort.

might have DOGE 2.0 come January..

AWS has quietly forcing people out for years and outsourcing to other countries where labor is cheaper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprising because my child (23) out earns me (a 14-10 fed) at AWS. They enjoy the job. It seems pretty flexible. No strict accounting for hours. Office work is required but not for the whole day so people just pop in. Insurance is so much better than federal. DC did not wait till 26 to leave ours.

AWS is all in office except for those cheating the system. They are fine for a few years but at some point they will be forced out.

In theory but not in practice. Lots of team dependant discretion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprising because my child (23) out earns me (a 14-10 fed) at AWS. They enjoy the job. It seems pretty flexible. No strict accounting for hours. Office work is required but not for the whole day so people just pop in. Insurance is so much better than federal. DC did not wait till 26 to leave ours.

AWS is all in office except for those cheating the system. They are fine for a few years but at some point they will be forced out.

In theory but not in practice. Lots of team dependant discretion.

You need to be careful as they will say that and monitor it then use it to terminate you. Not a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AWS chews people up and spits them out. The only reason to move is the money. If they’re not giving you the money walk away. Let someone who actually lost their job deal with that mess.

Few at AWS seem to manage to finish 36 months there. Some jump out of frustration. Others get caught up in the annual mandatory 15% layoff. Some managers now hire people with a plan to lay them off, in order to protect their other employees. Much less stable than even current Federal employment. Terrible place to work.

This, most people we know lasted 2-5 years, my spouse made it more but was pushed out. Its near impossible to succeed after your 4 year contract is up. Its very cut throat and backstabbing and you take it for the money or experience and leave. It wasn't so bad years ago when it was all work from home, but with the RTO it wasn't worth it. There are also higher paying jobs out there.

where are those higher paying jobs that you can just snap up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NRO has two potential catches:

1) Must maintain security eligibility. This also is true for most other DoD jobs, so not very unusual.

2) It requires a limited-scope (aka: CI) poly. This asks the “are you a spy?” type questions, and does not ask lifestyle questions.

There is one other potential win that results from the above. All of their work must be done by US Citizens. Permanent Residents are not eligible to do that work. F, H, or J visa holders also are not eligible to do that work.

Any gotchas about these? I live a very boring life, spouse, kids, never did drugs or any crime. My spouse is a naturalized citizen, refugee but all family is here in US that we have contact with.

No obvious gotchas above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP are you technical or business side?
What level fed?

technical. GS15 non supervisory

Isn't that kind of the fed position everybody wants? I mean, I am sick of federal work so I'd do anything to get away from it. Still, you're in a pretty good position.

well yeah, i loved my job and was going to retire here. but times have changed drastically and its likely my agency will be wound down like USAID etc.

NRO is hiring right now, with direct hire authority, including positions up to GS-15. Their hiring waiver is limited - mostly targeted for technical positions (GS-1550, -801,-854,-855, and more). They need software people and engineers with technical experience. They also are not going to be eliminated, so more stable than most Fed jobs.

A smart Fed might transfer there.

What are the implications of going from a career fed to a direct hire? Won't you be probationary?!

No. “Direct hire authority” merely means the hiring org can make the hiring decision internally. They do not need send an HR package to OPM to approve the offer.

it also means that when transferring from another agency they can subject you to a one-year probationary period.

source: transferred to a different agency on a direct-hire 2210 posting as a career fed, was placed back on probationary status.

Correlation is not causation.

Direct Hire Authority -by itself- does not cause / require a new probationary period, it was something else about the new position or new organization that required the new probationary period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NRO has two potential catches:

1) Must maintain security eligibility. This also is true for most other DoD jobs, so not very unusual.

2) It requires a limited-scope (aka: CI) poly. This asks the “are you a spy?” type questions, and does not ask lifestyle questions.

There is one other potential win that results from the above. All of their work must be done by US Citizens. Permanent Residents are not eligible to do that work. F, H, or J visa holders also are not eligible to do that work.

Any gotchas about these? I live a very boring life, spouse, kids, never did drugs or any crime. My spouse is a naturalized citizen, refugee but all family is here in US that we have contact with.

No obvious gotchas above.

By the way, it is common for the poly examiner to say one has to come back and sit the poly a second time. My guess is that this partly is done just to create stress -- so they can see how one reacts under stress.