Moving from DoD to commercial/private sectors

jvrlopez

Hi all, curious if anyone can share any insights, experiences, suggestions, etc for someone moving from the Military/DoD contracting world to the commercial/private sector?

I've known military/DoD work for the entirety of my adult life and professional career and possibly have an opportunity to make the change. The pay is a substantial raise from what I am currently making and the position is permanent (as opposed to being on contract work), however, the change of scenery has me hesitant. The possibility of my security clearance going inactive is another point that has me thinking twice.

Would love to hear from you all.

Thanks!

CyberfiSecurity

If you are comfortable to stay in Military/DoD contracting. It is hard for you to adapt for the commercial/private sectors. In the commercial/private sectors one requires to wear multiple hats. While DoD/military environment are concentrating more into separation of duty and need to know. If you doing security for the DoD/Military; commercial/private sectors start changing the culture between confidentiality, integrity, and availability because of security breaches that cost revenue losses, fines, and reputation. Therefore, the idea of security for private sectors is no longer focusing on only availability. There is nothing wrong with let the clearance to be inactive, as long as it is nor suspended or revoked. You can always start your clearance again if you decide to go back to Government.

shodown

Best move i never made. I get to work from home most of the time, I make way more money, and if I choose I could indulge in other activities without worrying about loosing everything.

jvrlopez

Thanks for the input guys!

I'm going to talk with the other party about the opportunity today but will more than likely stay where I am at.

Khaos1911

I'm actually interested in the reverse of this thread. What if I've only worked in the private sector and am interesting in an Infosec job with the gov't or gov't contractor? Any thoughts on what to expect?

jvrlopez

The hardest part would probably finding a company that would be willing to finance and take a chance on your security clearance.

Other than that, I'd say it's easy, though most of the employees already have some experience with the military (Vets, civil service, etc).

jdballinger

Moving from DoD to the private sector was the best move I ever made. I've learned more in the last year than I did in 4 years at my previous location. I actually have some input into design and optimization, plus I don't have to worry about government civilian pay freezes, or government shutdowns.