DC area hiring?

If you have any interest in a federal position, it is not too early to be looking at USAJobs. The Department of Homeland Security is currently doing a lot of hiring in the field you indicated.

LCpl Christopher Barnhart you don't indicate what sort of work you might be seeking and I can tell you there are significant differences between Govt civilian, Govt contractor, and civilian employment that could weigh heavily in your decision. I'll echo the advice of others - get a credential / certification: sort of like a degree, it opens doors that otherwise won't even talk to you.

If you're after (or will consider) Govt civilian work, get on USA Jobs, get your resume built, and start applying to jobs now - it often takes months to get an interview depending on the hiring timeframe. Your veterans preference will come in very handy I think.

Govt contractors are absolutely looking for "fresh outs" to help reduce overall rates and IT is in great demand. Challenge here is finding the company with the position as opposed to those bidding (and maybe not winning) new jobs. You can search FedBizOpps (fbo.gov) for recent awards in IT-related fields and target those companies directly. There are also a couple job sites (ClearanceJobs.com and ClearedJobs.com) that specialize in cleared individuals. Assuming you previously had a clearance, you can sign up there - the fact you were once cleared will be better than not previously cleared. I would also suggest getting registered with Dice.com - they host all sorts of Tech-related hiring events in the DC area where you can make contact with dozens of recruiters in one location - many of these are specifically targeting IT career fields.

I don't have any experience in the pure commercial world, but would suggest Beyond.com and Monster as the two sources our recruiters use regularly.

Good Luck.

Chris,

I'm currently working in DC for a few more weeks and I can ask around. The office I work in is full of contractors conducting both analytical and IT centric tasks. If you don't mind, send me a quick RP email explaining a little more about biometrics/IT and how you want to use it. I'll ask the analysts and IT professionals I work with and see if they can point you in the right direction -- I'll respond to your email.

Also, remember you do have 3-5 years experience -- in the Marine Corps. Part of the transition challenge is taking your military experience and articulating how it may apply to your desired civilian career. I'm sure you have quality bullets on your resume from your time in the Marines.