On Mon, Aug 13, 2001 at 10:30:14AM -0400, Trei, Peter wrote:

I occasionally see the argument that NSA can't retain people due to the much higher salaries, etc, in the public sector. While I have no doubt that this is partially true, there are plenty of very good people who find that the non-tangible benefits - patriotism, a sense that one's work is important, that one is a trusted member of the inner circle and privy to secret knowledge - are more than enough to make up for a civil service paycheck. No one should discount these factors just because they don't move them themselves.

Right. I know people who are NSA employees, technical ones, with surprisingly enviable jobs. They put in four 10 hour days and can count it as a week. In fact, because in some areas (system administrators, hardware techs) NSA has more people than they need, the people I know often stay home one extra day a week. So that's a three day work week, with a high-five figure salary, a security clearance that will instantly get you a better paid job in the consulting/contracting industry if you leave, and the security of government work. Not a job that'll let you change the world, perhaps, but not terribly dismal either. -Declan