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Industries

These are the industries I've personally worked in and my opinions on them.

Aerospace / Defense​

The aerospace / defense industry is a pretty large industry where a lot of interns and new grads go. They offer a lot of coding and engineering positions.

Work Life Balance​

  • Most engineers including software engineers or SWEs, work on a product or project that the company sells such as a spacecraft or a missile. These projects are broken up into phases going from Phase A to Phase F.
    • Phase A is extremely laid back while things get increasingly more stressful as you get closer to launch in Phase E. Phase F is when the project ends which might be decades after launch. Project Lifecycles
  • Most employees only work 40 hrs a week, but can work more. Salary and hourly workers can earn OT depending on the project and company policy.
    • Exceptions are startups like Anduril

Pay​

  • Pay is generally below other industies, but check reputable salary reporting websites to understand where your offer stands within the market.
    • Exceptions are startups like Anduril
  • Raises are generally restricted by company policy. Most people know that the best way to get a raise is to job hop.
    • About 2 - 3 years is the right amount of time to stay at a position, before considering a move (unless the job isn't the right fit).

Job Security​

  • If you have a security clearance your job security is incredibly high as clearances are extremely in demand. Most clearances take around 6 months to a year to be granted to an applicant. Security Clearances
    • The government will have access to a lot of personal information and significant events in your life like a marriage or high debt must be reported.
  • Historically, these jobs are stable even w/o a clearance since the large earning contracts are given by the US federal government. The Trump administration is changing the stability of that.