Anyone ever deal with overseas jobs with the company Vectrus?

guy9

After passing the phone interview how long did it take any of you to get the offer letter? I just had my phone interview today and I passed it. I will be working in Kuwait.

joelsfood

It took me 14 days, but I also knew someone there who helped fast track it.

anhtran35

I've contracted for 3 years overseas( Iraq and Afghanistan ).

Housing: If you are lucky you get connex housing. If not you get a large room with 7 other guys. Think massive dorm room. You will need to purchase strings and duct tape it to the lockers/walls and use bed sheeting to make a room divider. Food is cafeteria style. Be warned: You may get stuck in a transient camp for a week or 2 till they assign you housing. Bring pad locks to secure your locker.

Internet: YES IT SUCKS. Downloading sucks. Skype is uhhhhhhh. Youtube would be AOL level slow/delay.

Recreation: They have basketball courts; weight lifting/treadmills and MMA programs. However, I was working 12 hours a day so I was always exhausted.

Job: You will probably have a lot of downtime. STUDY for your IT Certs. They have testing centers on base. I was stationed at Bagram.

Once you accept the offer letter you are responsible for gathering the documents. Once that is all set. You inform the company when you are ready to go to training camp. That takes 5 to 7 days? I can't remember. Anyways, you will fly out ASAP from the camp. I was at Atherbury, Indiana. I'm hearing Fort Bliss is the new location. You will be sleeping in the barracks. They will only allow one suitcase. My suggestion is just get a big duffle bag. They will also give you another duffle bag with chemical gear and vest/helmet etc.

Go to Walmart and get:

*Knock off crocs to wear in the bathroom and shower.
*Boxers.
*5 cargo pants.
*colored t-shirts.
*A pair of comfortable boots or hiking shoes. Don't go cheap with this. Bagram had these huge river rocks that jacked up my feet.
*sunglasses.
*a pair of yellow color reflective belt. You need this while walking around at night.
*bath towels.
*socks.
*Winter jacket/coat = it snows in Bagram.

I'm sure I'm missing something.

Jhill5210

Hey everyone, I recently got some emails for the SysAd 1 positions. At first I wasn't sure if this was bogus or whatever but I have been trolling the net and read this thread so thanks everyone for posting. I would like to ask a few questions to wtrwlkr but my account won't let me yet. Is this a legit opportunity and worth the effort? I know someone said said it took 14 days to receive an offer letter, is this the norm? Does anyone have any rather detailed info on the SysAd phone interview? I have Security+ and Network+ now and want to get more down the road. Anyone that currently works for this company now please feel free to contact me. Thanks in advance.

joelsfood

I expect the 14 days was fast, I would expect a bit longer. I got the job offer from a friend I knew that was already there (he was assistant manager on that site), so things went a bit faster than normal.

Jhill5210

Thanks for the response Jolesfood. Do you have any ideas on what the normal time would be? What about travel to the base for training and the physical stuff? Are those costs covered by Vectrus? I have the SysAd 1 phone interview scheduled tomorrow afternoon, not sure what's involved but I guess I'll see when they call. I'm doing research to make sure this is legit and not something crazy so any information is welcomed. Thanks.

joelsfood

ITT covered medical (dental i might have paid myself, I know I went to my regular dentist, hwhich I didn't do with medical), travel to GA (used to be at Ft benning, not bliss), and travel to Kuwait. They also covered one trip per year home, if memory serves.

dgibso12

Great list -- thanks. Are they using 120 volts on base or is it 240 volts and are we allowed to take our personal laptop with us - it cert stuff.

guy9

How long did it take you dgibso12 to get the offer letter, if you dont mind me asking.

Jhill5210

So just figure I'll throw out an update on my situation. Just had my phone interview which went fairly well. He told me to contact in 2 weeks to find out if I was selected. Does anyone know how picky or selective they are? I'm not completely worried about it honestly but I would like the get this opportunity. Anyone have any knowledge on their selection criteria and such? Thanks in advance.

guy9

Did they say you passed the interview jhill? I had the interview yesterday and mine was slightly different. He said you passed expect to see an email in the next few days.
My assumption from looking at the dates my job was posted (in 2014) I would assume the turn over rate is high and they may need the numbers.

Jhill5210

He didn't say I passed or failed... Do I assume that means it didn't go as well? Lol. He just said they have to look at the resume, certifications and other applicants. I don't have a lot of experience with exchange servers but that is really the only thing I didn't have an answer for. Hopefully he just forgot to say I passed or something. I have a lot of experience in various aspects so hopefully I did well enough to get an opportunity. If the turnover is that high, I should have a god shot with my experience and knowledge in the areas I do know.

wtrwlkr

Dgibso12:
Manning is usually determined once you arrive on site. They have an initial period where you complete some initial job training, they they assign your shift. Most of the managers are fairly accomodating about scheduling, so just find out what shift your roommate works and ask for the opposite. I'm using Lammle for CCENT. I'm taking that test at the end of the month, and i'm planning on continuing on to CCNA. The electricity in Afghanistan is standard 110v with American style plugs. You can definitely bring your personal laptop.
JHill5210:
It's as legit an opportunity as anything else. The pay is pretty good, but you gotta balance that out with the fact that you'll be living on a military base in a war zone. I can't get into specifics with other jobs, but I did my interview, and recieved my conditional offer letter (pending completion of background checks, medical and dental) in a couple of days. I got my firm offer letter about 3-4 days after I completed everything. Vectrus covers basic medical and dental checks and immunizations. If there's anything that's holding you back medically, Vectrus won't pay for it.
Travel from your home of record to your deployed site is completely covered by Vectrus/Military. They also provide a $3000 "travel bonus" that's supposed to cover plane tickets back home. It's paid as $1500 on your 6 month anniversary and $1500 upon contract completion, I believe.
I honestly wouldn't worry too much. The turnover rate seems pretty high just from my brief experience here. The company just re-bid the contract and unfortunately we took a pay cut. The pay quoted to you shouldn't change for at least a year.
Anyone please feel free to ask anything they wanna know and i'll answer to the best of my ability.

Jhill5210

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated. As for the conditions and such, I'm not worried about being in country. I deployed from 2004-2005 while in the Army to Afghanistan and seen just about the entire country. I was outside the wire many times for recovery missions, convoys, grenade ranges, etc. The conditions I am good with and excelled during my deployment. From the comments and reviews I've seen on other sites, people that have never been or don't fully understand what they are getting into is why I see a lot of them leaving. A lot of complaints are based on this and the loving conditions (which sound great compared to what I had then). I could be wrong but this seems to be a big issue for most, at least on the reviews. Of course you have to take into account when I was there as a soldier, E-3 then made E-4... The pay sucked and I was doing patrols and such. Going as a civilian making around 100K... No problem. Lol

thanks for the reply, hopefully I will hear something soon and get things going. Take care.

wtrwlkr

Jhill5210 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated. As for the conditions and such, I'm not worried about being in country. I deployed from 2004-2005 while in the Army to Afghanistan and seen just about the entire country. I was outside the wire many times for recovery missions, convoys, grenade ranges, etc. The conditions I am good with and excelled during my deployment. From the comments and reviews I've seen on other sites, people that have never been or don't fully understand what they are getting into is why I see a lot of them leaving. A lot of complaints are based on this and the loving conditions (which sound great compared to what I had then). I could be wrong but this seems to be a big issue for most, at least on the reviews. Of course you have to take into account when I was there as a soldier, E-3 then made E-4... The pay sucked and I was doing patrols and such. Going as a civilian making around 100K... No problem. Lol

thanks for the reply, hopefully I will hear something soon and get things going. Take care.

What you said about people not understanding the conditions out here is on point. I was in the Air Force and deployed several times. The living conditions here are the best i've seen. This is the first place i've been to where the housing has indoor plumbing, so it's definitely a step up. I can definitely handle it out here with as much as i'm getting paid. The biggest "danger" you have here is an IDF attack, which isn't that big of a risk considering the countermeasures and the Taliban's horrible aiming. Take care and good luck with the process. If you get stationed at Bagram, lunch at the DFAC is on me.

wtrwlkr

Something I forgot to mention:
The background check is a bit of a pain. The company they use, Hireright, is absolutely horrible. They request phone numbers/email addresses of all your previous employers. From what i've read on review sites, they call that number to verify employment. Once. If they don't recieve a response, they come to you asking for verification documents. They accept W-2's or your first and last paycheck. Try and get these documents ready if you have them. When I sent mine in, I blacked out all information besides my pay and dates of employment.

Robertf969

I recently applied for an IA position in Kuwait with this organization. About how long did it take for a recruiter to get back to you? I have also deployed a couple times to Iraq and had some pretty terrible living conditions and your description sounds like a leg up from what I am used to. I also obviously have no fear of not being able to complete the 12 month contract (walk in the park)

guy9

Out of the 50 or so reviews I have seen about Hireright all 50 were bad .

big_burger

Hello All,

I'm happy to see this thread. I am in pre-hire for Vectrus going to Kuwait as an Information Assurance Analyst 1, I got everything done except one certification that I need and working on that now. I am a regular civilian and never been or worked in a military base. I hope i like it. I was tld too that I would be working 60 hours (12 hour shifts) mon- fri with weekend off. That's cool.. They said that I get to stay in a hotel (with one roommate) in Kuwait city so I don't need to sleep in the base itself. The pay is great.. i guess about 110K. Although I been in the IT field for 16+ years my previous employee did not need other certs as I was there for 10years and I know my stuff... I read all the threads in this forum board and happy to know that there are other people just like me that are already working for Vectrus or in the process of working for Vectrus.

About me: I am single and no kids, I am hoping to work for vectrus for 5+ years or more if the pay stays decent and I like the job. I guess time will tell how things will turn out. I don't mind long hours of work, i do it now.. I'm pretty much free to do anything i want so I hope this works for me. I like to travel and hope to travel around the world when I retire.

I hope the best for all of you and I will stay in the loop with you guys as I move thru my adventure.

My Quote: "Being successful is not a destination, its a journey"

guy9

I was just sent an application to fill out from a Vectrus website. I actually looked at the link about three times and its 100% a Vectrus link. The link had nothing to do with HireRight at all, it was pretty simple just like a regular job applicaiton asking for ten years of work OR last three jobs. It also asked for three references. It didnt seem to bad honestly and didnt ask for W-2 or anything of that sort

joelsfood

Guy9, two differnet things. The job application is a typical job application. Hireright is the background check for the security clearance, which requires you to fill out SF-86. You can take a look at it here

http://usmilitary.about.com/library/pdf/sf86.pdf

anhtran35

Jhill5210 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated. As for the conditions and such, I'm not worried about being in country. I deployed from 2004-2005 while in the Army to Afghanistan and seen just about the entire country. I was outside the wire many times for recovery missions, convoys, grenade ranges, etc. The conditions I am good with and excelled during my deployment. From the comments and reviews I've seen on other sites, people that have never been or don't fully understand what they are getting into is why I see a lot of them leaving. A lot of complaints are based on this and the loving conditions (which sound great compared to what I had then). I could be wrong but this seems to be a big issue for most, at least on the reviews. Of course you have to take into account when I was there as a soldier, E-3 then made E-4... The pay sucked and I was doing patrols and such. Going as a civilian making around 100K... No problem. Lol

thanks for the reply, hopefully I will hear something soon and get things going. Take care.

LOL. Do you ever get use to the "IED IMPACT TAKE COVER...IED INCOMING"...then you wait for it...BOOM!.

anhtran35

Big Burger. Keep in mind these opportunities are jobs. Some can make it a career; however, it's quite draining. Yet you will establish TONS of connections for other IT jobs in areas such as Japan, Korea and Germany. It is a great job for single people.

wtrwlkr

guy9,
The background check comes after you fill out the Vectrus application and sign the initial offer letter. Joel, Hireright is a job background investigation, not an investigation for a security clearance, which is performed by the US government. I already had a top secret clearance when I took the job from when I left the military. That's one of the reasons why I found dealing with hireright so frustrating. It's like, I already had a background investigation that's much more inclusive than the investigation hireright does, why do I have to jump through so many hoops for them.

big_burger

anhtran35,
thank you for information! I notice that from reading the other posts that it seems that other Vectrus employees get vacations like every 90days to 180days, I'm hoping that will be the time I can relax some and take a break. My future plans is to get my CISSP certification. If i am not too tired from working 60hr weeks, I will try to squeeze in time to study for that exam. Then maybe take it during my vacation time. Does Vectrus pay for your exam if you pass? I'm shooting to be an Information Security manager.

I will keep that in mind about other jobs... I had a law office in the Jamaica Islands contacted me to work for them too but I decided to go with Vectrus for now. I'm looking forward to visiting other places in the world, the only thing that makes me a little nervous is that I don't know anyone in other country's so I got to be careful, i guess. not to mention language barrier too. I lived in Florida most of my life. English is my only language.. lol

anhtran35

They shouldn't have an issue paying for IT certs. Although the CISSP is among the more pricier certs and I'm not sure if they offer that at the testing centers in Bagram etc...you could always hit up a Dubai testing center. I will say there is usually tons of downtime.

guy9

I just received the offer letter for the IA Analyst in Kuwait. It is for $33.78 an hour and 56hrs a week. That equates to 1891.68 a week and 7566.72 a month and a little over 90K a year. Plus a 2K competion bonus. The original email the guy said about 115K.... Honeslty being that my salary is in that ballpark already I have to consider it deeply. In the states they take a few hundred out of my check a month for Federal/State that will probably add a few more K's to the salarly if I look at it that way. I will not have to pay rent so that will add a few more K's to the (take home) salary as well. I will probably continue feeling out all this paperwork tonight, more than likely.
@wtrwlkr I knew joelsfood gave me some bogus information I just didnt respond to it I have had a clearance since 08 and I know the process all to well.

joelsfood

Ha yeah, sorry about that, was doing too much at once there an dnot thinking.

big_burger

Guy9,
Awesome.. that was the same offer for me too. I will be going to Kuwait also with the same hourly rate and 56hrs. I was told that about 100K is tax-free. I believe the federal/state is about 36% of your check but you will get it all instead of uncle sam. They also told me that they will pay for my room too with internet...

I did all the pre-employment steps, medical/dental check , background check, passport, etc too.. It took me about 2 months for me to complete all the pre-employment steps.Hopefully i will be leaving for kuwait soon.. Maybe I will see you there?

Congratulations guy9!

guy9

Big_burger

To be 110% honest. I worked in Kuwait for CSA like back in 2010/2011'ish before Triple Canopy took over the security contract. I've worked throughout the Middle East, mostly the dangerous places (no Kuwait is not dangerous). I honestly dont believe I have 6 blank pages on my passport, I highly doubt it I will have to check when I get home. That could be my only hold up. I will let you know. How was the HireRight process for you big_burger?