If you have military experience and would like to break into the corporate defense sector, you have an opportunity to become a defense contractor in the United States. Some people believe this isn’t the easiest job to acquire. But if you’re willing to put in the work and take the necessary steps to move forward as a freelancer, you can definitely gain government defense contracts if you meet certain criteria.
Getting government contracts might be easier than you think. As an example, if you make products that help with aerospace defense, you can approach the US government about getting a contract and working to protect and defend the United States of America. (Source: https://www.weiss-aug.com/aerospace-defense)
Other contractible skills include accountants, doctors, administrators, scientists, IT specialist, analysts, security personnel, and a whole host of other potential options.
So, if becoming a defense contractor sounds like your cup of tea, we’d like to share some tips to help make this dream a reality.
- Are You a United States Citizen?
First and foremost, if you want to become a defense contractor in the United States of America, the only way to make it happen is to become a US citizen. You will not get hired for the job if you are not a citizen of the United States.
Don’t worry if you aren’t a natural born citizen. You can gain citizenship by going through the naturalization process. This will make you 100% qualified to become a defense contractor as long as you possess needed skills and training.
So don’t worry if you were born in another country. As long as you’re willing to put in the work to pass the extensive Civics and English tests, you can become a citizen through naturalization and ultimately gain plum contracts as you work to defend the United States.
- Will You Qualify for Security Clearance?
When you work as a contractor defending the United States, many situations will require you to have security clearance. Now you’re not going to get security clearance before gaining a government job, because that happens afterwards. But you have to meet the right qualifications in order to be a candidate for this type of clearance.
So, just know that you’ll have a difficult time qualifying for security clearance for the following reasons: you will not surrender your foreign passport, you were dishonorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces, you spent one year or more in jail due to a criminal conviction, you suffer from repeated severe financial problems, you’ve made false statements when applying for your position, you repeatedly abuse alcohol, you currently use illegal controlled substances, and you have a pattern of breaking the rules in a criminal way.
Now look through that list. Do you notice any immediate red flags? If not, you should have no trouble gaining security clearance to become a successful defense contractor.
- Are You Willing to Look for Jobs Online?
The Department of Defense shares civil employment opportunities on their website. In many instances, you will need to relocate in order to qualify for a job, so realize that relocation is important in this field.
So visit the DoD website and look under the Employment section to find available defense contracts. As you acquire each contract, remember to bill the government accordingly and keep meticulous records. Online time tracking software is the best way to do this, and when using Excel timesheets for tracking make sure you’re using software that’s completely compatible with this program. Otherwise, you could run into compatibility problems that you’d rather avoid.
Final Thoughts
Now that your time in the military is through, are you thinking about becoming a freelancer or an employee? Freelancing is the way to go if you’re interested in becoming a defense contractor, so use these tips and follow my guidelines and you’ll have no trouble getting top-notch government contracts on a consistent basis.
