Ask HN: Engineers, what is your opinion on Oak Ridge National Laboratory? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Engineers, what is your opinion on Oak Ridge National Laboratory?

#11

Post by jpiburn » Sat, Apr 21, 2018, 12:40 AM UTC

FiatLuxDave wrote: post #4

Physicist here, so of course I've heard of ORNL, as well as been there. I did not know that ORNL was not on the GS pay scale, which is interesting. I think you may get more responses if you change your headline to something like "Ask HN: Software Engineers, your opinion of Oak Ridge NL?". The software folks may not be aware that you are asking them. You could possibly even call them developers, but I'm not sure which…

Very good point. I may wait a view days and try again with your title suggestion. I originally had "Ask HN: Software Engineers..." but I ran out of room.

Thank you for your feedback

Re: Ask HN: Engineers, what is your opinion on Oak Ridge National Laboratory?

#12

Post by matt_the_bass » Sat, Apr 21, 2018, 1:03 PM UTC

Thanks for posting.

I’m curious about job security and tenure. Are there similar amount of layoffs as at commercial enterprises or are almost guaranteed a job once you’re in. Are most people there “lifers” or only there a few years.

The answers to these questions might be attractive to certain people.

Re: Ask HN: Engineers, what is your opinion on Oak Ridge National Laboratory?

#13

Post by badpun » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 5:17 PM UTC

Is there any possibility to apply as a foreigner who currently resides outside US (as one can do with H-1B or other visas in the commercial world)?

Re: Ask HN: Engineers, what is your opinion on Oak Ridge National Laboratory?

#14

Post by jetti » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 7:36 PM UTC

I have heard of ORNL but couldn't tell you were it was located without looking it up. That said, I'm really glad you posted this as I always thought that national labs were on GS pay scale and tried to avoid them. I've been teetering with applying to Argonne or FermiLab but was afraid of taking a big pay cut. I'll have to look in to that more.

Re: Ask HN: Engineers, what is your opinion on Oak Ridge National Laboratory?

#15

Post by rajacombinator » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 10:00 PM UTC

Rough impression: “national lab” type places are largely career dead ends that are suitable for post docs and other academic types. Non tenure track engineers will be treated as third class slave labor, likely poorly paid relative to industry. Non transferable skill set development, work on non interesting non impactful stuff. Maybe unfair but basically accurate.