Anyone ever deal with overseas jobs with the company Vectrus?

They've just sent me the attached job description for a "Systems Administrator 1" position in Kuwait. I'm curious as to how much a government contract with them would pay, as I've heard good things about the monetary potential of taking such jobs.

Systems Administrator I.pdf

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Comments

RFGuy

Does anyone that is currently in Kuwait receiving any uplift? i.e. xx% for danger and xx% for hardship. I have a offer pending, but when I asked if the position comes with uplift I was told, No!

RFGuy

I was offered a Communications/Electronics mechanic position for Kuwait; does anyone know an aprrox. hourly rate for this position?

yellowpad

Who is here working or offered information assurance I ? What's the compensation on this...in Kuwait?

Fulcrum45

@RF- I THOUGHT the uplift was 10% but I wouldnt be surprised if they cut it out altogether. Typically the hourly rate is higher than those in Afghanistan/ Iraq but as I mentioned the uplift isnt really there. Also, check with them to see if you will be staying on base or in an apartment. I know guys I came into Kuwait with who have to pay for their own meals- not the case for us in Kandahar.

Fulcrum45

@NY- so how goes it so far? Make any progress with the post-job offer?

@WtrWlkr- I looked for you the few days I was in Bagram but since I didnt have a good name to go on, I wasnt sure who to ask for

RFGuy

@Fulcrum45 - Thanks for the info! When I asked about the uplift I was told no right away. I read a couple blogs the stated they some where getting uplift, but they were kinda old. Anyways, I was offered 24.79/hr. Is this what you normally see for positions over there? Seems low to me!

New York Nick

I am currently in Kuwait now working for Vectrus. If you have any questions, let me know. I am usually online everyday. As for the uplift in Kuwait....we currently don't have one for Camp AJ. I believe that they do receive an uplift for the remote FOBs.

So far, the work is easy but there are a lot of lazy people here. It seems like Vectrus hires people based on what's on a piece of paper instead of their actual knowledge.

There are a lot of other companies out here that pay almost double what Vectrus offers but you have to weigh the benefits. We just had one person jump ship to another company making over $130K but they don't get the sick time and leave that we have.

Companies like SAIC, CACI, Raytheon and GDIT are out here. Many people stay with Vectrus for a few months and then find better deals.

wtrwlkr

@ Fulcrum,
No worries. I was gone for 2 1/2 weeks for R&R anyways.

No, Vectrus doesn't offer uplift for Kuwait.

chamlett

I was recently contacted by Vectrus for an SQL Database Engineer position located in SWACC. I received an email to setup an interview time, however I have not yet been confirmed. Anyone know what I can expect from the interview and what type of compensation I'll be looking towards? Any other info that can be provided will be helpful as well; Thanks!!

yellowpad

All of my email replies got return delivery...came back failed. You?

chamlett wrote: »

I was recently contacted by Vectrus for an SQL Database Engineer position located in SWACC. I received an email to setup an interview time, however I have not yet been confirmed. Anyone know what I can expect from the interview and what type of compensation I'll be looking towards? Any other info that can be provided will be helpful as well; Thanks!!

chamlett

@yellowpad all of my email have gone through so thus far. I have not gotten any return on delivery error messages.

wwalexander113

Good afternoon, I was looking for a recruiter for vectrus. I have applied online but still no luck can you point me in the right direction. I have applied for ESH and Class III positions

wwalexander113

Do you have a point of contact for a recruiter. I been waiting on reply back from my job applications on line. How log did it take you to get a reply back and offer

z0ne3

@Wtrwlkr what position do you hold currently in Afghanistan? I just accepted an offer for Network Administrator and got my Medical tomorrow (11/30) hope all goes well and they don't nip pick on every single thing.

revned

Hello All. I am going through the paper work process for a position in Camp Buehring. I have my medical/dental next week but am not sure about dental as my dentist has always recommended to have my wisdom teeth removed (been holding out for a couple years already) but I can get it done right away if that would be a holdup. My contigent offer only showed 10 percent hardship pay off of the base salary just for those who were curious about recent pay package in Kuwait. 56hrs workweek and was told anything past 40 hours is overtime (did not see this written on the offer letter), housing provided, but pay your own meals even at DFAC. Does the background check take awhile? I had to visit a website and input my information to check for any criminal records and submit it last week. Can the folks who have gone through this process help answer some questions.

1. How much notice were you able to give your employer before you reported to CRC Fort Bliss? (Hoping if 4 weeks would be possible).
2. Can anyone care to provide the links to those required classes (I know i'm getting ahead of myself).
3. Is it overtime after 40 hours?
4. Will being a reservist with a security clearance expedite the process?
5. Any Reservist working overseas? Did you RST the whole year? Drill with some unit in Kuwait if possible? Went IRR?
6. What are the housing units in Camp Buehring (For those who are in kuwait and have been to Buehring recently)?
7. Is it one man rooms or bunk mates?
8. Has cellphone network improved? LTE,4g?
9. How is the internet connectivity and price? Last time I went through there in 2009, it was Wataniya. Hoping it has improved and gotten cheaper. I spent time in Bagram in 2009 and paid $60/month for 128kbps.

locod64

Does anyone have any contact info with Vectrus? Wouldnt mind going back overseas kind miss it hehe.. any help would be greatly appreciated..

joelsfood

I have no personal contacts, but last recruiter who reached out to me was sandy.lisenbee at vectrus.com

revned

Look into akima.com, they are sub-contracting for Vectrus and currently looking for ADPE Technicians. I am heading to CRC at the end of this month. Make sure you have Security+ and a CE cert such as MTA.

Anyone know where I can buy reasonable price outfit to survive the working conditions out there? (ie. pants, collard shirts)

advanex1

I currently work side by side with Vectrus in my role out here in Afghanistan. If someone actually needs contact information, most of it can be found on their website. If you need something a bit more in depth, shoot me a message.

advanex1

1. Background check/medical stuff takes a bit.
2. N/A - Still Army
3. Most of the required classes they give you time to do in country.
4. I know most of the contractors work from 7-7 or 8-8. Overtime, I'm not sure.
5. Not necessarily, you still have to go through the civilian side of things.
6. Some people will be one man, some will be bunked up. It's not bad though.
7. Network is improved, cost is roughly about the same. Maybe slightly less. Don't expect 4G speeds.
8. Internet will always be expensive, that's how they make a crap ton of profit out here. However, it's better. In Afghanistan, I get 512kbps for $60. Kuwait is much better on speed and pricing.

locod64

thank you for the info joelsfood anyone else that has en point of contact plz dont hesitate to write me.

Fulcrum45

A great place to get clothes would be lapolicegear.com. They have cheap polos and "tactical" khakis that are lightweight ad breathable. Bring a decent pair of boots as the rocks out here are huge!

BTW- I have an MTA and I was later told by USFOR-A that it wasn't good enough (this was in Afghanistan, may not apply to Kuwait). I actually got out here to be told I was no longer "qualified". I was worried they were going to send me home/ fire me. Turns out they must have felt sorry for me so they let me take a SkillPort equivalent for Windows 7 for my CE. I only took the MTA (Server Admin Fundamentals) because it was what my recruiter recommended as something quick and easy (I knocked it out in 2 weeks). Needless to say I was a little miffed about traveling 8,000 miles just to hit that kind of roadblock. Had I known, I would have taken a Win7 cert and been done with it.

kspenc083

New York Nick wrote: »

I am currently in Kuwait now working for Vectrus. If you have any questions, let me know. I am usually online everyday. As for the uplift in Kuwait....we currently don't have one for Camp AJ. I believe that they do receive an uplift for the remote FOBs.

So far, the work is easy but there are a lot of lazy people here. It seems like Vectrus hires people based on what's on a piece of paper instead of their actual knowledge.

There are a lot of other companies out here that pay almost double what Vectrus offers but you have to weigh the benefits. We just had one person jump ship to another company making over $130K but they don't get the sick time and leave that we have.

Companies like SAIC, CACI, Raytheon and GDIT are out here. Many people stay with Vectrus for a few months and then find better deals.

Hello Nick,
I was just informed that I should receive offer letter from Vectrus for a position in Kuwait as a Windows Administrator I. Still not sure if I should accept the offer based on my current pay rate. I may be taking a hit, monetarily, but I'm thinking long-term after obtaining secret clearance and travel I should be able to write my own ticket.

One thing no one mentioned was that after my technical interview I was offered three locations, Kuwait, Qatar, and Afghanistan, I selected Kuwait, but after further review I was informed the Qatar would have been the better selection, more westernized.

How are your living conditions? do you have your own transportation? will you have an opportunity to travel while your there? Dubi, Germany, etc?

~Thanks for any insight

rudegeek

Hey guys,

Just an FYI I had an interview the other day for the Information Assurance Analyst position, the questions were non-technical at all and many were just questions to explain certain acronyms (DOD related).

Not what I expected, and it didn't go so well.

I'll apply in another 6 months. Was thinking of maybe settling for a Windows Sys Admin job (what I do currently) but, if i'm gonna be somewhere at least 2 years I want it to reflect on my resume as being in an Info Security Centric role.

kspenc083, what is the pay rate for the Windows Sys admin position?

New York Nick

Hi kspenc083,

Congratulations on the job offer. Please keep in mind that the salaries are negotiable despite what the recruiter tells you. Without giving away my identity, I work in a unit where a new guy just started and told me that he rejected his initial offer. Vectrus offered him more on the second attempt. There is a reason why they don't want you talking about your hourly rate.

Living in Kuwait is fine. I live in a furnished apartment with another Vectrus employee. I have my own bedroom and bathroom. The living spaces are shared. Transportation to work is shared with members of your unit. Obtaining your driver's license can take anywhere from 3-6 months depending on how fast the locals push your paperwork. It can become a source of frustration because who really wants to take the bus or taxi everywhere?

To go outside the country, you can obtain a pass to travel. I have not been to Dubai yet but I did travel to another continent for a few days. Outside travel is no problem. You can get a roundtrip ticket to Dubai from Kuwait for around $150.

Vectrus gives you a lot of leave time so this would be a good opportunity to travel outside of the country.

From what I have been told, Qatar is indeed more westernized than Kuwait. There are a lot things to do in this region. Qatar probably would've been a better choice for you. Contact your recruiter and see if you can change your job location.

In terms of salary, it all depends on your situation and age. If you are a younger guy, coming out here to get a clearance would help your resume. An older guy would probably benefit more by taking the highest salary he could find and asking questions later. There are a lot of benefits to working at Vectrus. One being the ease in which you could advance.

If you need more information, let me know.

Best wishes.

kspenc083

rudegeek wrote: »

Hey guys,

Just an FYI I had an interview the other day for the Information Assurance Analyst position, the questions were non-technical at all and many were just questions to explain certain acronyms (DOD related).

Not what I expected, and it didn't go so well.

I'll apply in another 6 months. Was thinking of maybe settling for a Windows Sys Admin job (what I do currently) but, if i'm gonna be somewhere at least 2 years I want it to reflect on my resume as being in an Info Security Centric role.

kspenc083, what is the pay rate for the Windows Sys admin position?

Hello Geek,
You noticed I didn't call you rude ; ^ ) seriously, the system admin I questions were somewhat technical, I thought with the exception of a few questions like what does SCCM mean, I answered most, if not all by stating, in our environment we do it like this...some questions were for older technology, just can't think of them at the moment.

But to answer your question, they have yet to offer me a pay rate, the recruiter basically stated I passed and that I can expect to receive an offer in two weeks.

As NY Nick stated, it appear you can negotiate.

kspenc083

New York Nick wrote: »

Hi kspenc083,

Congratulations on the job offer. Please keep in mind that the salaries are negotiable despite what the recruiter tells you. Without giving away my identity, I work in a unit where a new guy just started and told me that he rejected his initial offer. Vectrus offered him more on the second attempt. There is a reason why they don't want you talking about your hourly rate.

Living in Kuwait is fine. I live in a furnished apartment with another Vectrus employee. I have my own bedroom and bathroom. The living spaces are shared. Transportation to work is shared with members of your unit. Obtaining your driver's license can take anywhere from 3-6 months depending on how fast the locals push your paperwork. It can become a source of frustration because who really wants to take the bus or taxi everywhere?

To go outside the country, you can obtain a pass to travel. I have not been to Dubai yet but I did travel to another continent for a few days. Outside travel is no problem. You can get a roundtrip ticket to Dubai from Kuwait for around $150.

Vectrus gives you a lot of leave time so this would be a good opportunity to travel outside of the country.

From what I have been told, Qatar is indeed more westernized than Kuwait. There are a lot things to do in this region. Qatar probably would've been a better choice for you. Contact your recruiter and see if you can change your job location.

In terms of salary, it all depends on your situation and age. If you are a younger guy, coming out here to get a clearance would help your resume. An older guy would probably benefit more by taking the highest salary he could find and asking questions later. There are a lot of benefits to working at Vectrus. One being the ease in which you could advance.

If you need more information, let me know.

Best wishes.

Hello Nick,
Thanks for the quick response, i did receive a little intel from my brother-in-law who was working as a security guard in Kuwait, but he told me when he arrived his pay wasn't what was promised. So he left after 7 months.

I'm originally from upstate NY but I've been in Atlanta for sometime. I'm X-Army stationed in Germany were I had the time of my life. From reviewing a number of threads, Kuwait is not the place for partying, which is not a problem for me. My objective is to obtain security clearance, certifications, and grow my career.

Are all contracts with Vectrus for one year? If you don't mine my asking, what is your end game? Travel, money, career growth, or all of the above?

~Thanks again...Go Jets or are you a Giant : ^ )

whiteskies

Kspenc083

I worked for CSA before Triple Canopy took over the security contract in Kuwait. I can promise you the less that 80K (unless the money went up the past 5 years) your brother in-law was promised is exactly what he was given on his offer letter. The thing about the Offer Letter is that all of the $ that is shown is based on a few factors one being overtime. I was doing Security on Ali Al Salem in like 2011 and I am sure nothing has changed.

Back on topic (slightly) it's parties in Kuwait. If anybody tells you different they lied to you or they just don't know about it. You just have to know the right people. The parties aren't exactly broadcasted and posted on fliers. I have been to a few parties in tents in the middle of the desert. The parties full of Americans and local nationals. Yes, its frowned upon but it happens like every weekend. IF you go (which I am not suggesting) you'll surely see someone you know and I promise you you'll have fun.

Kuwait was cool honestly with everything to do, buy, and places to go I am not sure Kuwait is the best place to "save money" . I have been to Qatar on 4 day passes when I was deployed. I dam sure wouldn't go to Qatar if my end game was to "save money". If you really want to save money and have a pair I would go to Afghanistan. I promise you Qatar is like America, you have all the American restaurants on base, you can drink, malls, women, jet skis, kayaking etc etc. If someone says you'll save money in Qatar they have never been to it. #trustme. Kuwait has one or two similarities.

What I didn't like:

A few years ago ( Since you won't get to Kuwait with a license I am sure nothing has changed), you had to catch a bus an hour to an hour and a half before work depending on your stop. You don't ever want to miss that bus. So, depending on your stop imagine having to catch a bus an hour to an hour and a half before work which means you have to get up 2-2.5 hours before work. That bus stops at all these apartment buildings on the route (where you can see how much your apartment sucks compared to others) then head towards base. Then you do the same thing in reverse going home. Yes you might attempt (unsuccessfully) to sleep on the bus but image spending 3-4 hours a day on a bus stopping picking/dropping people off and going to and from work. So if you're doing a 12 at work your day is really 15-16 hours. If you're doing an 8 at work your day is really 11-12 hours. To me looking back at it, that was one of the worst part of the day and its something you definitely have to take in consideration. You'll thank me later

rudegeek

kspenc083 wrote: »

Hello Geek,
You noticed I didn't call you rude ; ^ ) seriously, the system admin I questions were somewhat technical, I thought with the exception of a few questions like what does SCCM mean, I answered most, if not all by stating, in our environment we do it like this...some questions were for older technology, just can't think of them at the moment.

But to answer your question, they have yet to offer me a pay rate, the recruiter basically stated I passed and that I can expect to receive an offer in two weeks.

As NY Nick stated, it appear you can negotiate.

Appreciate that. You should let us know what the pay rate is when you get that info. If you don't mind of course...

The security clearance, plus the ability to be able to save some money is the allure that I see in this opportunity.
2-3 years would be awesome in order to save enough money to buy a nice house. Plus, with no distractions... it would mean even more time to be able to devote to certs/study.

New York Nick

I do believe that contracts with Vectrus are for one year. My goals are simple and very obtainable:

1- Bank at least $100-200K within 2-3 years.
2- Get as many certifications as possible (Vectrus gives us $1500 per year)
3- Complete my Masters degree.
4- Make enough money where I can take off for 3-6 months and just relax with my family then come back out here later. Money buys time.

So far, I can say that being out here favors people with few responsibilities back home. Your housing and transportation are covered. All you really have to worry about is buying food. Come out here, get your clearance, get your certifications and go back home much stronger.

If you love Germany, GDIT has many IT jobs there. It is not easy to get in with them but if you do, the pay is very good.

I prefer to root for Gang Green in football. As you already know, they show many of the games on the Armed Forces Network.