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US Tech Force

techforce.gov

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Re: US Tech Force

#91

Post by curtisblaine »

embedding-shape wrote: post #27

> Participants will work on high-impact technology initiatives including AI implementation, application development, data modernization, and digital service delivery across federal agencies. > The initial roster of private sector partners includes Adobe, Amazon Web Services, AMD, Anduril, Apple, Box, C3.ai, Coinbase, Databricks, Dell Technologies, Docusign, Google Public Sector, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI,…

> and will probably look like a blemish on your CV when you eventually need to get a new job.

Not necessarily, especially in the private sector. It's hard to justify not hiring an excellent employee because he or she worked for a company you don't like. Especially if the hiring panel is composed by >1 person.

Re: US Tech Force

#92

Post by ActorNightly »

redbluered wrote: post #46
afavour wrote: post #29

> Tech Force will primarily recruit early-career technologists > Tech Force will include centralized organization and programming and serve as a recruiting platform post-employment. Be prepared to struggle at the end of your two year placement because you have no idea how this is going to look on your resume two years from now. Maybe it’ll have the gravitas of having worked at the former USDS. But maybe it’ll be the…

Employers would have to be pretty spiteful to look at it the way you purposed. I wouldn't want a spiteful employer. The flip side is that a lot of government jobs lead to pretty good private sector opportunities working with those same agencies. If you want to contact to DOE, knowing how it works in the inside and knowing people there definitely helps. A lot of military contractors are former military. Who better to…

Yes and no.

I have hired people to work under me. Generally, if someone can pass the interview and do the job, I don't care that much about your views unless you are very outwardly with them. The only time I had to filter out a candidate was due to a quick check of his public social media where he was "enthusiastically" pro Palestine with questionable posts.

That being said, having interviewed plenty of ex government or government adjacent people, not a single one can pass even a mediocre interview problem. Most people who work for the government show up expecting to be told what to do, then do it - very few can independently think for themselves.

For example, my interview problems are designed to be solved most efficiently with implementing parallelization, but they sound like regular interview problems, so even with LLMs a lot of candidates usually can't solve it unless they give the LLM specific instructions to implement threads, which requires understanding of the problem.

Re: US Tech Force

#93

Post by sybercecurity »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #2

> Are there any other benefits? > Additional benefits include professional development opportunities, networking with government and industry leaders, and a pathway to continued public service or private sector careers. Given the lack of mention of any benefits prior to this, it sure sounds like "you'll get lots of exposure!" edit: not sure if they just added it, or if I just missed it, but there is an FAQ entry on c…

>Given the lack of mention of any benefits prior to this, it sure sounds like "you'll get lots of exposure!"

Well, they are also "partnering" with some private sector companies. I guess the idea is that candidates will put in their 2 years, then take their contact list and join federal sales arm of one of the private companies.

Re: US Tech Force

#94

Post by neilv »

jotux wrote: post #58

>What is the expected compensation for participants? Compensation varies based on experience level and agency placement. Annual salaries are expected to be in the approximate range of $150,000 to $200,000. Benefits include health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and eligibility for performance-based awards. >Tech Force will primarily recruit early-career technologists So "early-career" but they're going to…

> Before this administration recruiting was extremely difficult and candidate quality was low. I've heard that it's nearly impossible now and in the last 18 months they've only been able to hire a single person. Federal jobs used to be considered stable, with good benefits, but low pay. Now they're unstable, the current administration is actively working to make benefits worse, and the pay is still really low.

Also, many people took pride in the service they provided to their country (or to the people, or as part of a team that did good, however they thought of it).

I don't have high hopes for this new thing.

After recent treatment of federal employees, and other things going on in the US this year, including how USDS as DOGE was weaponized against the US... I'd expect this new thing to only be able to recruit from these categories:

1. Outright bad people, with anti-US, looter/saboteur intent, as we've seen from other facets recently. They will focus on their own bad-person individual interests.

2. People who aren't bad, but who are so cognitively impaired, that they still don't realize that they're probably going to get screwed personally and/or directed to be the baddies. They will be bad at everything they do.

3. People who are intelligent and pro-US, and have no illusions about what they're signing up for, but who desperately need the income, after being screwed earlier this year. They won't be inspired to execute well on whatever anti-US directives they're given.

Re: US Tech Force

#95

Post by lumost »

jotux wrote: post #58

>What is the expected compensation for participants? Compensation varies based on experience level and agency placement. Annual salaries are expected to be in the approximate range of $150,000 to $200,000. Benefits include health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and eligibility for performance-based awards. >Tech Force will primarily recruit early-career technologists So "early-career" but they're going to…

At least in 2010, it was common for new grads to get GS-14/GS-15 pay for in-demand tech skills. It's a bit odd that early career folks would start out at the max of the pay band, but it is what it is. These were for roles which required a clearance.

Re: US Tech Force

#96

Post by testing22321 »

jotux wrote: post #58

>What is the expected compensation for participants? Compensation varies based on experience level and agency placement. Annual salaries are expected to be in the approximate range of $150,000 to $200,000. Benefits include health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and eligibility for performance-based awards. >Tech Force will primarily recruit early-career technologists So "early-career" but they're going to…

> Benefits include health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and eligibility for performance-based awards

Paid time off???

Health insurance???

Retirement plans????

OMG this is incredible! What an offer!

/s

Re: US Tech Force

#97

Post by nostrademons »

verst wrote: post #23

How is this different from 18F (a group within GSA which Elon killed), US Digital Service (which Elon kind of converted to DOGE) or Defense Digital Service (DDS)? Is the only difference that the current government can claim they started this (completely ignoring they dismantled the previous programs)?

Now that the administration killed 18-F and USDS, they need a new organization that does the same thing but consists of people loyal to this administration.

Re: US Tech Force

#98

Post by pavel_lishin »

reaperducer wrote: post #66
pavel_lishin wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oddly, one of the FAQs does call it the Department of War.

Oddly, one of the FAQs does call it the Department of War. Not odd at all. That's what it's called now. Complete with new URL: https://www.war.gov

The odd part is the inconsistency on the page.

Re: US Tech Force

#99

Post by ecshafer »

tptacek wrote: post #84
ecshafer wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is this consistent myth by the most radical faction of people in the country. They are only the most radical 5 or 10%, but they seem to believe their anti-nationalist, anti-government, anti-American views are much more widely share than they are. The vast majority of American's view working in the defense industry, espionage, etc as a good thing .

There are ways in which it clearly is a good thing. I don't have my head around how people could oppose CNE operations aimed at counterproliferation, for example. But obviously, it's morally fraught work ( fraught , meaning complicated, a minefield, not meaning "damnable") and I don't have the stomach (or, really, the talent) for it.

Theres a spectrum too it. Helping design fighter jets and missiles? Yes that has to be done with the idea that the weapons you are designing for national security can and most likely will be used in such a way that will cause harm. However in espionage or cyber security, those are almost all pure good. You are protecting information or attaining information.

The main myth though is that somehow there is this idea that someone working as a booze allen contractor for the NSA or CIA is going to now be blackballed by everyone out of disgust. Most people will see it as good, and most companies just want talent and dont actually care about what areas people are in.

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