CACI bit off more than they can chew?

Two weeks ago, the mandatory OT was revealed by my supervisor…and then 2 days later, it was made “optional but encouraged”. All sorts of silly rules about the holiday on 1-17 were put out initially…and then crickets. I ain’t doing it. Seems like you are getting “old” news about the mandatory edict, but that is par for the course.

When I started this job I worked D.C., so I understand that the pay for large metro areas doesn’t keep up with the SOL, especially if you want to purchase a home. (But don’t let me digress on a much large social issue on inflation and ridiculous home prices and COL across this country.) Even in smaller metro areas across the country (outside of D.C., L.A., Chicago, NYC), this job still pays better than most jobs outside of health & IT industries. My point in my first post, was that a lot of people think it’s just as easy as finding another job, without thinking about where people live or what their background is. I get that some people don’t want to stay in this job, they have their personal reasons for leaving just like those of us that stay have our reasons for staying.

It’s always been like that at CACI on holiday weeks. Any hours worked between 32-40 are your base pay, then once you actually work over 40, then you get OT. Why would working 34 hrs in a holiday week be considered OT when a F/T FI is required to work 40 hours? Federal law says OT is based on 40 hr work week, so why expect OT on holiday weeks when you don’t actually work OT. (There might be some different laws in some states, CA for example has their own labor laws.)

It’s all subjective, I agree. For many it makes sense to stay in this industry. For many others, it does not, and frankly areas like mine are the ones that have the hardest time retaining talent because they can make more doing lower stress jobs that don’t require a clearance pretty easily.

Again, the BI job is (or was) for people with a pension and another six-figure household income. The job is way too onerous and soul-sucking to be such a low-paying gig. I feel horrible for people who have to work it to make a living.

The job used to attract former LEOs and S/As who worked it as a real investigation. Soon the obscene profit motive combined with the inane bureaucratization of the process turned it into a first job for 20-something wage slaves with college debt. Sad.

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Yeah in my cost of living area, I completely agree. This field was useful for me as a recent grad with no clearance or relevant work history to get a few years of experience and a clearance. But as soon as I got the experience, I jumped ship and have never looked back and you could not pay me to go back to working in the BI world.

Again, for me in my situation in my area, this is what made sense, but I understand that not everyone is in that same boat (although as I stated I personally cannot relate to it).

Caci is paying fis 40 an hour which is exactly what other programs did that failed

$40 an hour starting? That would be a starting salary of about $83,000?(excluding overtime). That doesn’t sound like the norm I know.

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I assuredly do not make $40 an hour.

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You should be. It’s what the are hiring sr investigators at now.

Don’t forget the bonus offered on the DCSA contract… that is IMPOSSIBLE to get if you work more than one contract…

*missed the bus on $40/hr :woozy_face:

I don’t know anyone making 40 but some people are pushing up to that.

perhaps in the expensive markets

Basically all of the ISP’s at this point have some form of tuition reimbursement, so that’s one thing to consider. Getting a graduate certificate in really anything useful on CACI’s (or whoever) dime is a good place to start. There are all kinds of quick-hit online certification programs available through various universities, ranging from IT type things, computer forensics, white collar crime investigation, and more.

As others have said, Coursera and other online sources for free / almost free training are options too.

In terms of content / what to pursue, it really depends on what you want to do. If you want to stay in investigations, you can go into financial crime investigations and earn your CFE credential (time as an FI counts towards the work requirements to earn the credential).

If you want to get into cybersecurity, you can go Network+ / Security+ (or something like that).

If you want to go into security management, you can pursue ASIS’ CPP credential, and you’ll be exposed to all other areas of the security world, from IT security to physical security and so on.

If you’re already a Section Lead / Team Lead, you can pursue an MBA or something managerial and then try to get into Program Management at a defense contractor (I would not recommend an MBA unless it’s being almost entirely funded by someone else, they’re a dime a dozen for the most part).

The list goes on. I went into project management and I make double what I made as a Team Lead in terms of base salary alone. Literally my only relevant experience prior to making that jump was FI / Team Lead and some education.

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$40???!!! I’ve been doing this 10 years and CACI definitely doesn’t pay me that much.

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Companies keep everyone in the dark about what’s happening with other employees. It’s a control tactic. Plus you can’t really call coworkers up and ask how much they’re making. I do know from recent conversations …not just abort Caci but all vendors…that some people are getting screwed over more than others.

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What type of project management did you get into? Fed side or private?

Private sector all the way. I don’t even look at or apply for federal jobs, too much bureaucracy, too archaic of a hiring process, etc. I respect the people who are willing to put up with that to serve our country, but it’s not for me.

Thanks! I’ve got to find my niche and what company I want to turn to and go that route. :slight_smile: