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Inside SAIC

Posted by michael on from the desmond-llewelyn dept.

An anonymous reader submits this profile of SAIC, Science Applications International Corporation, the behemoth defense contractor/research outfit/spymaster.

3 of 289 comments (clear)

  1. Working at SAIC by jelwell · · Score: 4, Informative

    I worked at SAIC and the oddest thing there was that as an employee you were really dealt with like a contractor. You worked on your project until it was done, and when it was done you were left to your own accord to find a new project to work on. You could hope that your manager would take you with him/her to their next project - but your skillset wouldn't always allow that.

    Very strange indeed, having to worry about your job all the time.
    joe.

    1. Re:Working at SAIC by envelope · · Score: 4, Informative

      My wife worked at SAIC, and the uncertainty of the job was part of the reason she left. Ironically, she spent the last couple of months there developing the re-bid to keep the project she was working on. She won the re-bid but quit anyway.
      She liked the employee ownership though. We made some money on our shares when she left.
      I've got another connection to SAIC: I was in the field artillery in the army and our fire direction control computers were made by SAIC.

      --

      appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars
  2. Re:employment and advancement by William+Tanksley · · Score: 4, Informative

    Partially true, but SAIC pays you to get those degrees and certs, since they are required by most of SAIC's customers. They pay for the class and and books in full so long as you make a C or better.

    Their policy here makes sense, considering that most of their customers (well, their biggest customer, at least; the US gov't) explicitly check each employee assigned to work on the project, and they don't take the time to verify specific knowledge, only certs, degrees, and experience.

    The managers, as far as I've found, are very good at cutting through the BS to find real skill; you will get picked if you've got what it takes, but the manager may have to "sell" you to the customer based on some of your other credentials until you actually get something formal.

    Good place to work.

    -Billy