When you examine a business in this sector it really comes down to the people you work with as the work has been dumbed down so far by ISO 9001:9002 that you can do the work in your sleep really - GDLS Canada only worries about ISO though when they have been tipped off to a pending Gov. audit (tipped off BY the Gov. that is).
In my 15 years of working there Ive run across the following - vast numbers of recreational drug users, an established network of swingers and wife swappers, managers sleeping with managers when their wives have cancer, co-workers breaking up each others marriages, managers visiting the "ballet" while on business travel - expensed to the Gov contracts, managers making statements such as "don't worry, there are no microphones in this room to record our conversations", video cameras being installed to secretly record workers and just about every one of your co workers sees themselves as the most intelligent and essential worker there.
And to top it off HUGE amounts of Government money wasted due to inept practices (which the Gov. is fine with usually as defence spending is more about job creation)
Even with the money rolling in, the knives are out and if you are not there to compete on a daily basis (re: politics) you will be tossed on the "candidates list" for potential cuts of overhead/ people.
Oh and I almost forgot managers sleeping with Government officials.
Its not a place to create a cutting edge skill set, its behind the times in its approach to business and unless you are in the "high potential" list of people - you will be seen as an asset - which management has no problem exploiting.
If you are ok with doing the same thing for 5 - 10+ years holding out for your chance to get an invite to leading a project just keep on holding on - you will get there !!!
p.s - the newest contract scored will not lead to hiring and if you think your job is safe you don't understand manufacturing - see you after the retooling out in the job market.
Never in my life have I met so many unethical people willing to backstab, bad mouth and undercut their co-workers than when I worked at GDLS - C
