Here's a note from a fraternity little sister. It's OK to post my name. I've removed her home phone number and email, so if anyone wants more info, they can contact me at d.w.thomson@att.net or 505-672-4053.
Dave Thomson
Thanks Dave!
All,
As many of you already know, I am a "technical" recruiter for NSA. That means that I have a full time position doing other NSA "stuff" and I volunteer to support the Recruiting and Hiring Office. Some of you may have observed, while I was at Homecoming last October. In any event the Agency sent out email to the entire workforce this morning encouraging employees to "refer qualified candidates to apply to our hard-to-fill vacancies." The Agency is even awarding monetary and time-off incentives for referral(s) who actually "enter on duty". Since I'm already involved with recruiting, I get zippp, except possibly a pat on the head, and that's only if you mention my name in the referral. The economy is impacting everyone, but NSA is hiring! I want to offer any assistance to anyone who's interested in submitting a resume. "No skill community has been left out." Visit www.nsa.gov.
The entire web site is supposed to be updated tomorrow, 15 Jan to make it easier to navigate and provide a totally different look/image for NSA. I know and understand the system, since I've been a technical recruiter for over 12 years (even recruited for NSA while I was on active duty.) I am more than happy to answer questions about the Agency or provide pointers on your submission so that it isn't circular-filed before a human being reviews it.
The focus is on technical areas-computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering, math, foreign languages (the hard/more obscure ones or multiple language skills), business/financial/acquisition (especially experience in federal government related acquisition, like contracting), and intelligence analysis.
For me this coming weekend is a 4-day holiday due to the Inauguration. So I should be available or leave a message and I'll return the call. My work number is 202-282-8384. I'm the only one who answers, so leave a message and I'll return the call. Sorry to be so long-winded, but I wanted to inform you all of an available resource (me) and if interested, provide an opportunity. Any discussions with me will be kept strictly confidential.
Your Little Sister,
Sandy
An ultra-secure job with good wages and benefits plus a chance to tap Mikey's phone. I'm in!
ReplyDeleteNSA has some good mathematicians and computer scientists working for it in the areas of encryption research and cyber security. It's not your typical federal government work place.
ReplyDeleteHaving a Q clearance and a high level science degree will help you snag a job there, but realize that you will be subjected to a full scale "Lifestyle" polygraph examination. This can be an uncomfortable experience.
What kinds of sexual positions do you engage in with your partner? Be prepared to engage in this discussion with your polygraph examiner, who actually believes that his needle is telling him something about your character. Yeah, I'll be submitting my application right away.
ReplyDeleteThey really ask that? If so I would suggest you be creative and do your 'homework' so you won't have to lie.
ReplyDelete"We like to play Fido the pornographic polygrapher. My partner pretends to be a dog and..." You fill in the rest.
I don't recall any question of this sort on the lifestyle poly; I doubt that person is speaking from experience. That said, I am pretty close to bailing anyway; another lifestyle poly might be the dealbreaker, given that we all know it's nonsense, and time-wasting, career-destroying, ineffective nonsense at that. I wonder if, now that we have a scientist at the top, we'll get smarter decisions from DOE?
ReplyDeleteNot speaking from personal experience, however, you can go to antipolygraph.org testimonials section and read the statement by "No Such Author", that's an interesting tale. Of course, it could all be made up, I really have no way to know. Also, just because you weren't asked any questions about it doesn't mean other people haven't been.
ReplyDeleteThere is a big difference between the TES polygraphs given by DOE to select labbies and a full blown Lifestyle polygraph.
ReplyDeleteThe TES polygraph is fairly short (under 2 hours), and the question are very limited and controlled. It mainly involves questions that supposedly determine if you might be a terrorist (T) or if you engage in espionage (E).
There are some limits to the questions allowed in Lifestyle polygraphs but it is a much wider examination and can go on for almost a full day. Furthermore, the intel agencies (primarily NSA and CIA) believe heavily in the polygraph and will not hire you if you fail to meet the examiners expectations of a passing grade. You may also find yourself out of a job if you fail to pass the poly during each five year re-examination.
Not everyone is cut out for this line of work. Chose your options wisely.
11:57 pm: "Not everyone is cut out for this line of work. Chose your options wisely."
ReplyDeleteAs in, **chose** a line of work that doesn't require you to know how to spell? Yep, we're in good hands with all those **chosen** US spies. Yikes.
"Furthermore, the intel agencies (primarily NSA and CIA) believe heavily in the polygraph and will not hire you if you fail to meet the examiners expectations of a passing grade. You may also find yourself out of a job if you fail to pass the poly during each five year re-examination."
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to sign up for the "Aldrich Ames Online Polygraph Seminar".
http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/polygraph/ames.html
"Furthermore, the intel agencies (primarily NSA and CIA) believe heavily in the polygraph and will not hire you if you fail to meet the examiners expectations of a passing grade."
ReplyDeleteI thought the real spies always pass the the polygraph tests. It seems like polygraphs tests have been very usefull for the spies.
"Also, just because you weren't asked any questions about it doesn't mean other people haven't been."
ReplyDeleteTrue. But almost 100 colleagues of mine took that same poly and were also not asked such questions; my experience does indicate that those lurid details are made up.
That said, no question that a poly operator can get frustrated with a lack of pulse, sweat, and breathing response and start getting "pushy". But the worst stories I've heard did not nearly equal the claims made by people on this blog.
And the poly is still about as good as a dowsing rod.
"As in, **chose** a line of work that doesn't require you to know how to spell?" - 12:53 AM
ReplyDeleteOh, my! A simple spelling mistake on a blog post.
The horror... the horror... !!!
Yes, can't we all just make a New Year's resolution to accept that even smart people make typographical errors sometimes?
ReplyDelete12:52 pm: "Oh, my! A simple spelling mistake on a blog post."
ReplyDeleteYep - and the poster actually was trying to pose as a respected member of "this line of work." What a jerk.
Polygraphs are for sheep. The simple answer is don't take them.
ReplyDelete