Recently, the topic of government insourcing has been an item of keen interest among those who work in the Government and as government contractor employees. Most thoughtful people agree that certain types of positions should be filled soley by government employees. However, no one seems to have a clear answer as to exactly which positions and how many. Some interested parties, such as the Federal Acquisition Innovation and Reform Institute (FAIR) urge the Government to use restraint when making insourcing decisions. You can read FAIR's position paper by here. In an article in Washington Technology, Stan Soloway, President and CEO of the Professional Services Council (an association of government services contractors) suggests that "insourcing creates unease, especially in the Defense Department, where weak guidance has produced a sense of confusion." Mr. Soloway makes the case that "detailed guidance and discipline" is required to make an orderly insourcing program that best serves the publics' interests.

I agree that the Government should approach insourcing in a thoughtful and disclipined manner, without distrupting the award and operation of the numerous services contracts that are essential to many government programs. Nonetheless, the insourcing initiatives are creating many opportunities for those individuals who have the required skills and experience, specifically in acquisition management and support. For example, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast is using the Expedited Hiring Authority for Acquisition Positions, in accordance with Subsection 1705(h) of Title 10, U.S.C, as amended by section 833 of the 2009 NDAA to fill vacancies in contracting, facilities engineering, and information technology. For information on how to apply for these positions, visit the NAVFAC Southeast website.

Have you ever wondered how to get a government job? If so, you're not alone. It's a question many ask, but few seem to answer clearly. In this inagural edition of "Ask an Expert," we hope to change that.

Enjoy the first in a series of questions posed to Jerry Pfeiffer, CEO of GovernmentSupportJobs.com

How Can You Get A Government Support Job? from GSJMedia on Vimeo.

Who is Jerry Pfeiffer?

Well, In addition to being CEO of GovernmentSupportJobs.com, Jerry has over 23 years experience supporting the Federal Government in both contractor and active duty military roles. Prior to co-founding GSJ, Jerry founded and served as President of Xator Corporation, a successful provider of engineering, operations and maintenance, and security services to the Department of Defense. He served as Vice President of Business Development for Serco Group North America; Director of Business Development for General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems; and held a variety of technical, management and business development assignments for Veridian Corporation. He has also consulted for a variety of large government services contractors. Jerry began his career as an officer in the U.S. Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Ohio Northern University and a Master of Science degree in Management from Troy State University. Jerry brings a proven track record in starting and growing a government services business, recruiting personnel, and managing programs. His recruiting experience spans from recruiting entry level workers to key personnel and company executives. And he blogs regularly to share his knowledge and experience with others.

Do you have a question that has not yet been answered? Submit it to us on our "Contact" page. We look forward to answering your questions!

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the private sector job market is extraordinarily volatile right now. With over 450,000 people losing their jobs each month, it’s not surprising that people are interested in job security. A recently released study by CareerBuilder confirms what many of us already know – over 80 percent of the job seekers surveyed are interested in a job supporting some portion of our Federal, State or Local governments.

As a specialist in the government job market, I couldn’t agree more. Government jobs do offer more job security, along with other benefits. And in spite of a common misconception, government jobs generally pay well. Just today, the Senate endorsed a proposed 2.9 percent pay increase for federal workers. In an environment where many private companies are implementing pay cuts on their workers in order to save their jobs, government employment becomes even more attractive.

The much publicized American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (commonly called the “Recovery Act”) is designed to create and/or save 3.5 million jobs over the next two years. Funding for government projects that will create these jobs is now starting to flow. So the question is, how does a person find a “Recovery” job?

Over 90 percent of the jobs that will be created or saved will be in the private sector, working for companies that have received contracts to provide goods or services to the government. So, it makes sense to focus your job search on government contracting companies. While many companies post their jobs on a variety of internet sites, thousands of government contractor jobs can be found on www.governmentsupportjobs.com. Government Support Jobs focuses on government contractor and government agency jobs and is free to use for job seekers.

You may also want to search the 10 percent of the Recovery jobs that will be working directly for the federal government. These job listings can be found at http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/a9recoveryjobs.aspx.

Keep in mind that you have a better chance of getting hired quickly by a government contracting company than a government agency. We suggest that you look for both types of jobs. If you take a government contractor job now, you can always switch to a civil service job later when one becomes available.

Consistent with Defense Secretary Gate's promise to scale back the role of support contractors in support services, the DoD has issued guidance for the conversion of current government contractor positions to government employee positions. Resource Management Decision (RMD) 802 reduces funding for DoD contracted services and funds approximately 33,400 new civilian manpower authorizations. Out of these 33,400 converted jobs, 10,000 positions will support the DoD acquisition workforce. The DoD guidance defines "in-sourcing," lays out a process for reviewing and prioritizing candidate services for on-sourcing, and identifies the roles and responsibilities of various officals. The complete memorandom and implementation guide can be read by clicking here.