Comment on Open Thread, February 1-14, 2013

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 06:23:06 GMT

$60k means no experience beyond a PhD. I think the NSA will pay that much to people just out of college. The private arm of the NSA (CCR/IDA) will certainly pay much more to newly minted PhDs with irrelevant theses in pure math (not that elliptic curves are irrelevant - surely your adviser has sent previous students to the NSA).

NSF program directors decide what to do with grant money. It's basically part of academia and normally a temporary position in between academic stints. I think it is for people with tenure.

You don't get a background check until the company decides to hire you. A full check is takes a long time, somewhat unpredictable, depending on congestion. At most government contractors, I think you start the job without a clearance. But for government jobs, at least ones like the NSA, if you time your application wrong (eg, you apply now for graduation in June), it often involves a few months of unemployment until the clearance comes through.

In particular, it's too late to be an intern at the NSA or CCR this summer. After such an internship, clearance lapses and I think it's almost as a big hassle to get again, but it certainly reassures you and potential employers that you'll pass.

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