Anyone who has ever done an online job search knows that it can be challenging to sift through the notices and vague job descriptions. Ere.net provides some great tips for standing out from the crowd. Whether it’s simply creativity with social media or any other recruiting tactics, being a smart company that attracts smart people can take time to reap the results. It can also be hard to quantify the results from a creative campaign.
Social professional networks are ranked in the top ten list for important places to find highly skilled workers. National and global leaders both see social networks as a long-term trend.
Sequestration could still cost taxpayers money. Some former L-3 employees have placed lawsuits for sequestration forced layoffs that did not follow the procedures in the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. The White House has said that it would cover WARN violation costs. As layoffs minus WARN notices continue, taxpayers may continue to foot the bill.
Who’s Hiring
A new contract for Invincea could generate new jobs. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) just awarded Invincea a 21.4 million contract to develop secure android smartphones and tablets for the army. Mobile security seems to be a strategic area for defense contractors.
The National Security Agency (NSA) admits it is challenging to balance finding the best people who are knowledgeable enough to break into networks but who are not unpredictable. Credentials and ability are clearly not the same in any job market, but especially with cyber security. This could be an area to accelerate training to keep up with the ever-changing technological advances, in order to develop reliable, competent, and knowledgeable cyber experts.
Who’s Moving
Senator Chris Murphy makes a plug with the “American Jobs Matter Act” to keep contracts with national defense contractors. While sequestration forces layoffs with companies, such as Sikorsky Aircraft, Murphy voices concern over job losses here and continued spending by the DOD with foreign countries. While cuts have to be made, Murphy contends that the remaining funds should be used on national defense companies only.
If defense business is drying up in the U.S., it looks like it will be heating up in the Asia-Pacific area over the next eight years. Cutbacks may be necessary, but the shift will impact who the leaders in defense are. Corporations may not get national defense contracts, but they still can look for international defense contracts.
The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) has voted to incorporate the DOD department CIO position into the responsibilities of the deputy chief management officer (DCMO) and to promote the DCMO position to the authority level of undersecretary of defense. This move would make this a Senate-confirmed position without producing an additional position. The goal of the move is to unify and strengthen the roles and the office of CIO.
