[sailfast]

Please do not let this discourage you. The stories are, sadly, quite accurate depending on which company you work for (there are better situations than bodyshops) but we can't afford to give up.

Dive in and help change things. This is a monumental challenge that requires more people that know a better way and are willing to act.

[evilduck]

I agree that some suck less than others but being a government contractor will always suck more than working in private industry (even as a contractor).

Just to not be a totally cynical asshole, I have heard NOAA is actually pretty modernized and efficient and everyone I've talked to seemed to be happy working there.

I'd also add that while the place I was at had its share of crap, the government for the most part loved our work because their previous contracting company had came in, wrote up a ton of requirements and specifications, sat around for two years and delivered nothing functional (and still got paid).

[sailfast]

Yeah, it may suck more sometimes than supporting private industry, but the mission is critically important. The United States needs to get government working more effectively and this stuff has to be fixed. We need more dedicated, smart, technology-focused people to embrace the suck and fix it. Fixing it will change lives, and the way our government serves citizens for generations. Seems like a worthwhile endeavor to me, and at its lowest point at least a way to learn how NOT to do things haha.