Pros
- I got the job offer the day after I interviewed, for more money than the job I was leaving. - It was a great opportunity to get a peek inside IARPA, which is where many new technologies that push the envelope are developed. - I got to learn about deep learning and neural networks, including Tensorflow and PyTorch, as well as pick up some skills in AWS cloud computing. - I also really liked the manager and the team that I worked with on an internal R&D program. Unfortunately, that program lost funding after I was there only three months.
Cons
- I have just gone sideways in my career for the past year. I really wanted to work on a hands-on data science project and put a machine learning model into production, and I never got the opportunity because I got descoped from one program (where I was only allowed to talk about data science) and the other program lost funding after I was there for only three months. - I guess this place works out for some people, but I just felt like I was lost in the shuffle. - You really are on your own if you get descoped from a program. You are told, you find your next job by networking. But how are you supposed to network when you get hired in during a pandemic when it's all remote work? - When I applied for roles on other projects, I was too expensive for most projects or else lacked the right experience. There was much more interest in my resume outside of BAH than inside the company. - It's crazy that BAH hires people but then makes them find a role once they are inside of the company. Like, you think you're going in for your first day of work, and it turns out that it's not your first day of work, but instead just a new phase of your job search.