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dot.com Bust Gotcha Down? Try the Gubmint!

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the going-out-for-the-jobs dept.

dsoltesz writes "This coming week is the Government's first Virtual IT Job Fair. A number of agencies are participating, including NASA, the Smithsonian, and the National Gallery of Art. While government jobs aren't exactly the highest paying in the nation, IT positions do rate in a special pay category (see tables 999A-F depending on where you want to work). The online job fair lasts from April 22 to 26, and hopes to fill 230 positions. Here's a quick list of IT Series 2210 specialties, or if you want a little light reading, try the 155 page, 1.7 MB detailed spec."

2 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. Site doesn't work by Animats · · Score: 3, Informative
    Try to apply. The instructions read "When you are ready to begin, click here to start your On-line Application and enter Vacancy Identification Number WA139180 and press the SUBMIT button. Then follow the instructions in the On-line Application."

    Now, having to copy a number from the page into their own form is dumb enough. But worse, the number is rejected with "This vacancy is not currently open." Bozos.

  2. Why the government is hiring by SoupaFly · · Score: 2, Informative

    Some people seem to be suffering from an illusion that government is actually growing right now - why else would they be hiring? The simple truth of the matter is that most government IT workers are OLD. And I'm not talking, old like 30. They're old like 50, 60, 70. Yes, I used to work with a guy that was 70. Used to because he was diagnosed with cancer and died about a month later. Add to that the fact that like 1/4 or 1/3 (I can't recall the exact number) of government IT workers are retirement eligible.

    The other issue is that not a lot of people want to work for the government. The government is pretty much 180-degrees from any sort of hacker ethic. No reward for risk, HUGE levels of red tape and you're pretty much surrounded by frickin idiots. Case in point, another person I work with just got a promotion and raise of around $10,000/yr... why? not because she was qualified or an outstanding performer, but because the position was open.

    If you're out of work, you have to take what you can get... but the mediocrity of government is killing me.