.gov sub-contract company switch question

[thedave1164]

Oh yeah, they thought they could replace me at a lower cost, LOL, they have still not replaced me and now the client is starting to lose patience with them over not providing the support they contracted to supply.

Rumors fly, just be sure you have an exit plan in place if you end up not being brought over.

I had a lot of action from head hunters, but nothing solid, which turned into 6 months of unemployment. That sucked, 5 kids one of which is starting college, another got married.

Being a contractor sucks at times, this is one of those times

[CS1983]

Some updates:

The primary contract company has assured people in their "town hall" meetings that salaries will not be lowered, and could even go up depending on various factors.

They are 99.9% sure they are not bringing on any of the current sub-contractor companies, so I will likely be switching companies but apparently keeping my current salary (including the raise). They have said they bid with a team of partners in mind and their success projections depend on that model being followed. Further, the ability to keep salaries the same in the transition depends on that. Not quite sure what that has to do with the price of tea in China, but I'm not a businessman.

The switch to whatever company is not for ~ 6 months, so as long as I don't go all nouveau riche, I should be able to put away some good savings if there is a month or two lull.

We have until a certain date to apply for our current jobs/higher level and are guaranteed to be taken on board. We might even be able to bump up in position despite lacking qualification, if we submit a cover letter stating what we are doing to reach a more qualified status. If we fail to apply by the deadline, we go into the pool of external candidates.

All of this sounds very good, which is what worries me. Perhaps it's par for the course and they're not lying. I dunno.

[mtnrider]

As a .gov contractor it is not too often I see a reduction in pay in these situations... But a change in benefits is what I see happen most of the time. The "new" company may have different and sometimes less to offer on the benefit side. You may even get a raise but at the cost of losing other benefits. Reduced paid leave, educational assistance, reduced retirement/401K etc., etc. just different policies and philosophies in general. Those are some of the questions I would be asking.


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[Aloha_Shooter]

The new prime will have to strike a balance between controlling costs and capturing key/critical talent. If there is not key/critical talent (e.g., anyone can swing a pickaxe or empty a trash bin), then controlling costs is the strongest factor and they would be less inclined to offer you the new pay raise. If you are somewhat unique and offer value that other potential employees don't then capture rate is the strongest factor and they'll likely offer you the raised salary (and perhaps more) to keep you in place and look somewhere else to control costs. From what you've described, I'd take the X+Y now and use that as the starting point of any negotiations with the new prime. There is always room to jump to another company later if you don't like the new circumstances, just avoid any non-compete clauses ... ;-)

[CS1983]

Got offer late last night (read this morning). Bump in pay from an already obscene amount. Highest bump out of anyone on my team. Guessing due to solid resume/cover letter, certifications and pending Bachelors graduation. Guess they liked what they saw on paper and in HR interview (probably didn't hurt that my interviewer was a retired EOD NCO and we talked about Iraq for most of the interview).

Everyone else either got same pay or small bump.

[roberth]

Good job and congratulations!

[nogaroheli]

Nicely done! Every time I've seen people transition from the sub to the prime they come out ahead in salary, and typically benefits as well. I'm happy it worked out for you that way!

[CS1983]

Thanks guys. Just ran some numbers. Since getting my first formal IT job 2 years ago, and working fwd to calc for the pay increase when the contract switches, I'll have jumped salary brackets in a total of 2.5 years to make it a difference which is higher than my first salary starting out.

Example (not actual numbers)
1st job - 20k
current - 40k
upcoming - 44k

difference of +24k

That's... insane. Glad I stopped the lib arts courses and followed vectorsc's advice.

Me, 3.5 years ago :"vectorsc, you're successful and usually have good advice. I think I'm gonna marry her. Need more $. What do I do?"
Vectorsc: "Get into IT."
Me: "OK"

[Gman]

Yeah, you're just getting started. ;-) I made moves like that when I was getting started. Congrats on your advancement!

Keep it up and gain as much experience as you can. Experience is worth more than certs. Certs say I know about this technology, but experience says I can really use this technology and implement it to improve your business. Think about it in the professional sports spectrum; Would you hire someone with a baseball glove manufacturer's certification (where they make money on the courses and tests) or would you hire someone with a proven track record of being a paid professional ball player?

I never finished college and have never held a cert, but I have a career. Never stop learning and push yourself by taking on tasks that may be out of your comfort zone and then hit them out of the park. Your employer will notice (puts you at the top of the worker pool for raises/promotions) and you win by gaining more knowledge that you can apply to your career (resume enhancer).

[CS1983]

Definitely looking to increase experience. Getting BS to satisfy the HR monkeys who think degrees mean something (I personally don't see any value in a degree, but I'll play the game). Getting certs to get a chance to gain the experience. I tend to get assigned a lot of special projects and often get great feedback from the engineers and project champions, so that's always encouraging.