There isn’t anything in the DC region resembling what the rest of the country would call normal jobs. All jobs in the DC region are by contract and none of them last more than three or four years and the only real job in the federal government itself is COTAR. Add to that the grief involved in driving and commuting in the DC region and you have a formula for people hating their jobs.
Well, yes and no. I’ve been a government contractor for almost 20 years, and have worked in more agencies than I’ve got fingers. I don’t mind working something for a few years and moving on, but then I’m in IT, and it’s good to leave and go to something new.
I’ve been a DBA, a developer, a technical writer, a test engineer, a system administrator, and an overall systems engineer. It’s very satisfying.
I see your point, but like I said, it depends.
All jobs in the DC region are by contract
************
That’s not too far from reality. Contractors are the hidden army that actually does the “work”, and often tells the feds how to do their jobs.
(FYI, it’s COTR not COTAR)