This is great news, and I am happy for all the recruiters and teams who were responsible for all of the hard work getting this done. Of course the economy has helped too, but yet again, to get guys to sign up for a military service during wartime can be a tough sell.
On that note, I wonder if the security contracting industry would ever see a recruitment campaign, equal to that of today’s military? My industry has no problems in recruiting folks now, and if anything, the competition is so stiff that guys are turned away. And for war zone employment!
The other commentary I have on this, is that I have seen guys who could not get contracting gigs, go back to the military. Mostly because of money issues, or to obtain a clearance. The clearance is mandatory for jobs these days, and if you didn’t get one in the military or in a company within the last couple years, then guys are kind of screwed.
You don’t know how many readers I get, who are always asking me for job information, and how to get a clearance. I can point them in the right direction for jobs, but the clearance thing is a huge problem.
One suggestion I would have for the government, is to set up a third party accreditation service that can give guys a blessing for a clearance as well as the blessing for training and background (the whole Red Card concept). Then the companies could look at bringing in guys with these ‘interim’ style clearances, and not worry about cost or the investigation or the time waiting for all of this. They would just bring the contractor on, and sponsor his clearance without the wait.(like a day, or week at tops) Contractors should not have to wait for a year and half to get a clearance, and clearances should be something that guys can seek on their own if they want it.
As it stands now, the companies and the government is losing out on some squared away folks, all because folks do not have a clearance. I am talking about guys who have been working contracts that never required these clearances in the past. So if the companies are looking for some experienced folks, but having to turn away these guys because they do not have clearances, then what does that leave the company with? Are we hiring folks out there with little to no experience in the contracting industry, all because they have a clearance? Something to think about, and I think there is a better way.
Now back to recruiting. The other thing I wanted to touch on, is the running joke in the industry that everyone views their time in the military, like a four year degree. lol But seriously, when you are gunning for these six figure jobs in the defense industry, and the requirements are military service with a clearance, then you actually do think about the military in terms of a necessary education. I wonder how many folks have joined the military, with the idea that they would like to contract afterwards? It is probably a small number, but I do get younger guys asking me from time to time, what service and MOS to get into, in order to be marketable for contracting. Crazy huh?
It goes the other way too. I know guys that were in the military, started contracting when they got out, ran into road blocks with the clearance, and went back into the Reserves or National Guard to get a clearance and a more specialized job, and then got back into contracting later on. It is kind of like going back to school (the military) to get a Masters or Phd. in the Combat Arms, with a thesis written on contracting. lol
Even the duration of contracts are shrinking. The National Guard is like a year and half or two years now? There are some contracts in the private industry that are a year long–so both sides of the house are meeting in the middle these days (it seems). The military is trying to shorten deployments and contracts, because that is how you get guys to sign up.
The private industry has been losing guys who jump contract to companies with shorter deployment times too. Why?Because contractors have families, just like the military. Contractors also do not want to burn out, and for those of us that are serious about this business, pacing is everything. But to each their own, and everyone has their own limits and goals. That is the advantage of contracting, and guys like the choices, along with the money.
My advice to the military is to get deployments down to three months and a two to one ratio for time off. If you do three months in country, you do 6 months back home off. If you do 6 months in country, you do 12 months off at home. This seems to work well in my industry, and guys could work a long time for a company on a schedule like that. Families would be stoked too. Hell, if the military started doing that, you would see lines forming up at the recruiting offices, and probably an increase in re-enlistments. –Matt
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A Historic Success In Military Recruiting
In Midst of Downturn, All Targets Are Met
By Ann Scott TysonWashington Post Staff WriterWednesday, October 14, 2009
For the first time in more than 35 years, the U.S. military has met all of its annual recruiting goals, as hundreds of thousands of young people have enlisted despite the near-certainty that they will go to war.
The Pentagon, which made the announcement Tuesday, said the economic downturn and rising joblessness, as well as bonuses and other factors, had led more qualified youths to enlist.
The military has not seen such across-the-board successes since the all-volunteer force was established in 1973, after Congress ended the draft following the Vietnam War. In recent years, the military has often fallen short of some of its recruiting targets. The Army, in particular, has struggled to fill its ranks, admitting more high school dropouts, overweight youths and even felons.