I’ve read a lot of negative things about working for DCSA as an investigator. I’m a new hire and would like to phrase some genuine opinions about the job. Positive and negative.
I came from a three letter agency and a different one before that. All Jobs have positive and negatives is just like to hear others opinion on if they think it’s worth it.
My first 13 months as an investigator SUCKED! There is SO much information to learn and the expectations were unreasonable. I worked for Perspecta (now Peraton) and they would schedule over your required amount of work and there was no such thing as changing an ACD. You either hit your due date or you got in trouble (even though that meant working extra hours with no pay because OT was not approved). After I fulfilled my contract with them I left. I took a couple year break from Investigations and then gave it another shot. I hired on with CACI and it has been SO MUCH BETTER! I actually feel like I know what I am doing now and ACDs can be moved to accommodate scheduling items and so there’s less pressure. We have a team group chat so there’s always someone you can lean on for help and support if needed. Things are night and day from what I experienced with Perspecta. The job can be VERY stressful but at the same time it’s nice because of schedule flexibility. If there’s a personal appointment I need to attend I can work my work schedule around that to accommodate. I have all federal holidays off to be with my family. There are positives and negatives with every job and it kind of depends on if you are the type of person who focuses on the positive or focuses on the negative. I have a positive outlook on my job but there are people on my team who do not feel the same and focus on the negatives. I hope that helps.
I don’t know if the experience is different for contractors vs fed hires. Like HR2C, my first year to two years SUCKED. It was learning how to balance work/life, find an organization system that worked for me, learning all the systems (both contractor and federal) and getting comfortable talking to people.
A wise trainer told me “take care of the quality and the quantity will come”
Spent 18 years in the field, as a contractor. Love the job, not always the employer.