Posted on 09/04/2012 10:56:36 PM PDT by ruralvoter
At a time when legions of people are looking for work, Richard McNeight has an unusual problem.
The president of Modus Operandi, a Melbourne-based software company, McNeight has eight job openings he can't fill. He has been looking for months, but hasn't found the right candidates.
"I have two full-time recruiters working for me," he said.
The problem is this: Programmers at Modus Operandi, which has about 60 employees, must meet two key qualifications. They must be fluent in the computer language Java and be eligible for a U.S. security clearance. The company works almost exclusively for the military and intelligence agencies designing software for communications, surveillance, intelligence gathering and reconnaissance.
(Excerpt) Read more at articles.orlandosentinel.com ...
Bump for anyone who needs work.
How does one get a security clearance?
You just have to be qualified, i.e. American citizen, no drugs, no arrest record, etc.
Lots of American Java programmers I imagine are typical slackers with a marijuana bust or two under their belts.
If you don't fit that slacker profile then you might be a fit for this company.
I grant you it's not a high clearance, but it's a clearance nonetheless. The Feds are willing to gamble on a person who shows willingness (and concrete action, for example, I went to treatment, then a halfway house) to change.
In my case the Feds gambled well. I have served my clients well, so well that I got a rare contractor commendation.
Become a muslim.
A distinction without a difference (not that matters, anyway).
Java and similar suck!
Dynamic languages rule!
Odd, that.
You want dynamic?
Five words: Class factory and class decorator.
Try Groovy, a dynamic language that runs on a JVM.
Actually, when I need to access Java stuff, I use JRuby.
For instance, there is the POI library, which enables one to manipulate Excel files without using Windows, Office, or any other Microsoft code (other than possibly a SQL/Server JDBC driver). Like any Java library, it's tedious to use from Java. However, using Ruby syntax, it's not so bad (you do need to know Java, but at least you don't have to write any!). Pull in a template file, grab some numbers off the company general ledger, and crank out a highly presentable report! Saves gobs of copying and pasting!
I use POI all the time, greatest software package, ever.
>> Java and similar suck!
>> Dynamic languages rule!
Bah! If it doesn’t involve solder, it’s not a REAL programming language.
In addition to what was mentioned before, you’ll need a decent credit rating. (Because people with money problems may be targets for bribery by foreign agents.) Assuming you don’t have arrests or things like that, you should be able to get a classified clearance almost immediately secret and top secret will take longer. (I know, I’ve had all three.)
Won’t cost you a dime and the company will take care of getting you fingerprinted and processed. Day one the company will give you forms to fill out. If you had minor blips in college, you should be okay, but if you did, DO report it, because if later found out to have lied, it will get you into trouble and you could well lose your job and clearance.
Housing is CHEAP around Melbourne.
I’m always getting calls about jobs in Flori-duh and California. Most of them act like they’re in shock to hear that there are people in the world who don’t want to live in those places....
Uh, I think I’ll bookmark this one.
The starting salary is six figures the article says.
Depending on the security level, clearances can be expensive. I used to live down there, and most people that have a secret or higher, probably already have jobs. The employer will probably have to come up with the $$ to get his people clearances.
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