If you’re not learning while you’re earning, you’re cheating yourself out of a better portion of your compensation. – Napoleon Hill.
Great quote.
Ten years ago this Halloween, I submitted my two week notice to a great job I had as a contractor supporting US Special Operations Command. I was an Operations/Project Manager leading 35+ staff in the US, Germany, Qatar, Afghanistan, Africa, Japan, Hawaii, and I’m missing a location. I got to travel. My boss and our company resided in Fayetteville, NC.
My first five years on the contract I was leaving I served as a IT/Satcom tech (some people call it an engineer, but I’m not an engineer.. I traveled the world. I was then promoted to Operations/Project Manager once tthe first five year contract expired. It new contract was reawarded in Fayetteville, NC. They asked me to relocated, but I wasn’t giving up Tampa for Fayetteville NC (no offense). So they allow me and a handfull of others to work from a cubefarm in Tampa. It later turned into to hybrid role, then remote with weekly visits to the Federal Building to interact with the government/ Contracting Officers Representitives (COR).
I gave up a remote job for a headquarters job which involved a 50 mile commute each way with tolls. Was it worth it?
Hell Yes.
My remote job was a dead end. Unless I moved up to Fayetteville, I wasn’t going anywhere and not really learning anything new. At the HQ, I got to implement a new PM program, worked in the Network/Satcom Operations Center (SOC/NOC), attended very sophisticated briefs with high ranking leadership, work in inteligence rolls, and bring a “Not to Fail” program from Proof of Concept (PoC) to Program of Record (PoR).
I was routinly sent out to interface with ships Commanding Officers. I was the face of USSOCOM – as a contractor.
But after five great years of doing that, it was time to move on. I was ready for something new, and remote again if possible. All the travel kicked my ass. I was offered a Deparment of the Interior (DOI) contractor job as a Cybersecurity Project Manager. I learned new enterprise systems and got to perform different PM practices.
Due to DOGE related cuts, I lost that job after about 3 years, but got a new one as a IT Systems Auditor for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Another great gig. The government and contracting staff I worked with were great.
But, I had pursued CMMC training and certification after I got DOGE’d and wanted to take a stab at it since I invested maybe $4 -5K in training and exams, not to mention all the time invested in studying.
I got offered this current job and couldn’t be happier. I’m working harder, that’s great. I’m in about 3-4 assessments a month – that means I’m exposed to 3-4 new enterprises a month. Learning different ways to secure one’s network.
In my career, in and out of uniform, I went from
Electronics Technician -> Division Leader -> Public Affairs Officer -> Production Manager -> Project Manager -> Operations Manager -> IT/Satcom Tech -> Floor Supervisor -> Operations/Project Manager (Traditional/Technical/Cyber) -> IT Systems Auditor -> Cybersecuity Analyst.
Just imagine, when I retired from active duty. I earned my graduate degree (MBA in Finance) so I could stay away from tech. Why?
Big mistake. I love tech.
– Doug
DougWasBuiltNotBorn.