FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Great cover letters. Contributor Jillian Hamilton writes, “Maybe some people like writing cover letters, but if you’re like me, you have a mostly hate relationship with sitting down to a creative bragging writing session. Whether you love or hate writing your cover letter, you still have to do it, so you might as well figure out a way to make yours great.”
Resume resonance. Contributor Jennifer Cary advises, “Sending your tailored resume in response to a job opening is effective, but posting a general resume online so recruiters can find you is efficient. If you haven’t done it already, it’s time to tweak your resume and get it online. Set yourself up for success by focusing on the right keywords and before you know it, you’ll have recruiters flooding your inbox.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
ISIS hits Deir al-Zor. Christian Science Monitor’s Molly Jackson reports, “An ISIS ‘massacre’ and possible kidnapping in the eastern Syrian city of Deir al-Zor may have left hundreds of civilians and fighters dead, according to monitoring groups and Syrian state media. Up to 400 civilians were kidnapped in an Islamic State attack on government-held neighborhoods in the city and taken to the countryside . . . .”
Syrian gains. Los Angeles Times’ Nabih Bulos reports, “The gains have strengthened the government’s position in the run-up to Syrian peace negotiations scheduled to begin next week in Geneva. Leading up to the talks, previous demands by the United States and others for Assad’s immediate departure have softened into a United Nations Security Council plan for a transitional government and a vague timeline that promises ‘free and fair elections’ in 18 months.”
Jihadis story: the Paris trio. AP’s Lori Hinnant reports, “Even under extended police questioning, Samy Amimour never hid his disdain for France, his desire to leave, or his belief that the apocalypse was near. But he told investigators he would not kill: ‘I am against the murder of innocents, no matter where they are.’ Three years later, Amimour returned from Syria, gunned down dozens of innocents at a rock show . . . .”
CONTRACT WATCH
Space contracts awarded. Government Executive contributor Tim Fernholz reports, “NASA picked three companies today (Jan. 14) to operate an orbital mule train, hauling supplies and experiments to and from the International Space Station from 2017 through 2024, the end of the laboratory’s expected lifespan. The three companies are OrbitalATK and SpaceX, which currently hold contracts bringing cargo to the space station, and Sierra Nevada, which missed out on the last round of contracts . . . .”
Navy’s Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture upgrade. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “U.S. Navy shipboard weapons experts are capitalizing on the Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) to upgrade the Aegis weapon system for Navy cruisers and destroyers. To do this Navy officials are looking to Artesyn Embedded Technologies in Tempe, Ariz., to enhance, upgrade, and insert new technologies into Aegis, and are considering ATCA for future embedded computing upgrades to the Ship Self Defense System . . . .”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessels. Homeland Security News Wire reports, “DARPA’s Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) program seeks to develop a new type of unmanned surface vessel that could independently track adversaries’ ultra-quiet diesel-electric submarines over thousands of miles. ACTUV program invites input so future unmanned ships could operate safely near manned maritime vessels in all weather and traffic conditions, day or night.”
Snake robots. Also from Homeland Security News Wire, “Researchers who develop snake-like robots have picked up a few tricks from real sidewinder rattlesnakes on how to make rapid and even sharp turns with their undulating, modular device. Working with colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Zoo Atlanta, they have analyzed the motions of sidewinders and tested their observations on snake robots.”
