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CIA Labs

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Re: CIA Labs

#121

Post by AlexDanger »

emmelaich wrote: post #118
cameldrv wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be on the GS scale [1]. The GS scale has a set of levels and steps. If you're promoted, you generally go up a GS level. You go up steps with more time in service. There are a number of adjustments, including an adjustment for cost of living. Generally if you only have a bachelor's, you're limited to GS-9. Of course, the federal government provides excellent job security and good benefits, but the salary is n…

I suspect places that require particular expertise have some mechanism to pay above the scale. That's the case in Australia, anyway.

How do you know this?

Re: CIA Labs

#122

Post by AWildC182 »

thoughtstheseus wrote: post #68
AWildC182 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It ropes you into that ecosystem and that ecosystem only. Most consumer/web tech companies won't understand a resume that's just "I did a thing, can't talk about it".

Tell that to employees at Lockheed, Boeing, Honeywell, Booz Allen... the list of private enterprises or people engaged in government work requiring clearance is large and varied.

They're part of that ecosystem as well. In my experience they're all miserable places to work though, LM in particular.

Re: CIA Labs

#123

Post by AWildC182 »

saagarjha wrote: post #96
AWildC182 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It ropes you into that ecosystem and that ecosystem only. Most consumer/web tech companies won't understand a resume that's just "I did a thing, can't talk about it".

Have you never hired an ex-Apple employee?

Apple employees/people from other NDA obsessed firms have nothing on the cleared workers. Yea they can be cagey but their products eventually ship and they can talk about them. When you're in defense, once your project ships it stays on orbit for a decade or two.

Re: CIA Labs

#124

Post by sokoloff »

daniel-cussen wrote: post #10
thebean11 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like a strange proposition, I take all the risk of creating a new technology that will likely fail, and then if I beat the odds and succeed I'm capped at 150k? Also, if I'm not allowed to monetize my technology or patents, do I really own them? Is this just a bad startup incubator?

You absolutely don't take all the risk of creating a new technology. You get paid an excellent defense sector salary unconditionally, with all the defense sector benefits, some very exclusive. Plus you get tons of resources and the inside track to talk to "the client", you're not working out of your garage.

If adding $150K doubles my salary, is that really an excellent salary?

Re: CIA Labs

#125

Post by moandcompany »

AWildC182 wrote: post #32
thoughtstheseus wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Clearance for one.

If you think that's a perk you don't belong doing that work. It's not the james bond life you think it is and the people who think of it that way are insufferable. Try living in a windowless box for 8 hours a day and having no resume.

In addition to things people have already commented on, the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance also comes with requirements such as: being mindful and reporting things like contact with foreign nationals, reporting plans for and completed foreign travel, generally being able to account for your whereabouts during those travels to the day.

(Caveat: these are "rules" for regular people that have been given the privilege of holding a US national security clearance. There are many examples of people that have held security clearances that get away with conduct that would otherwise result in revocation and criminal charges for regular persons)

Re: CIA Labs

#126

Post by jl2718 »

balls187 wrote: post #110
throwaway0a5e wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember in orientation for my first internship the HR lady disparaging Chinese Communist party and the phrase "happy ending" may have made an appearance during that part of the presentation. It was absolutely perfect for the demographics of the audience (a bunch of college kids) but man did it ruin every BigCo orientation since. I think she missed he calling as a comedian or some sort of entertainment professional…

I had one orientation where the presenter showed images of the men and women who had jumped out of the WTC during 9/11 Then he cut to slides with several enemy combatants, followed by a massive explosion, followed by a large smoldering crater, and said "Pay back is a real bitch."

The most gruesome briefing I remember from the military was the dermatologist prior to fortnight leave.

Re: CIA Labs

#127

Post by markdown »

sokoloff wrote: post #124
daniel-cussen wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You absolutely don't take all the risk of creating a new technology. You get paid an excellent defense sector salary unconditionally, with all the defense sector benefits, some very exclusive. Plus you get tons of resources and the inside track to talk to "the client", you're not working out of your garage.

If adding $150K doubles my salary, is that really an excellent salary?

For where you'll be located, you're damn right it's an excellent salary.

And don't forget one of the biggest benefits of all... actually making something useful rather than spending your most important years working on how to get people to click a button or stare longer at their screens to enrich your employer.

Re: CIA Labs

#128

Post by jl2718 »

tomasreimers wrote: post #107

I'm interested in what's changed. Per the webpage: "As a federal laboratory, CIA Labs seeks collaboration with other federal labs and academia and is interested in outreach from such partners" My understanding is that the CIA has and does pursue those arrangements via In-Q-Tel (their venture capital arm), DARPA grants (technically DoD, but I have to assume they collaborate), and one-off relationships with labs (e.g.…

DARPA -> IARPA

Re: CIA Labs

#129

Post by grier »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #67
cameldrv wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be on the GS scale [1]. The GS scale has a set of levels and steps. If you're promoted, you generally go up a GS level. You go up steps with more time in service. There are a number of adjustments, including an adjustment for cost of living. Generally if you only have a bachelor's, you're limited to GS-9. Of course, the federal government provides excellent job security and good benefits, but the salary is n…

One correction here is that you are not limited to GS-9 with a BS only. GS-9 is often people with zero experience and a BS only depending on the position - like everything it's based on competitiveness. Recognize that the GS scale starts with people who have no formal education at all.

Starting out of school with a BS in computer science or computer engineering was GS 7 or 8, so around $40-50k/year. The salaries are public for each level.

Additional degrees do not move you off the GS scale.

Reaching the equivalent of executive level can mean moving beyond GS to the senior executive service (SES).

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