NSBE - March/April 2008 - (Page 19)

Is Government Work for You? B By Theresa Sullivan Barger efore he started working there, NSBE member Lee McMillan bought into the prevailing perception that government was for second-tier engineers. But after a layoff from a private-sector company and a yearlong job search, he took a job with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He figured he’d stay four years, tops, because he didn’t want to hurt his long-term employment prospects. “I never really considered government work because of the stigma that comes with it,” he says. The belief, he says, www.nsbe.org • march/april is that after three or four years, “if you don’t transition back into the ‘real world,’ nobody looks at you as being technically proficient.” Four years later, he’s staying. “I don’t plan on going back to Corporate America,” he says. “I feel that I have a job (in which) I’m actually contributing to society. I help the mission of the EPA to protect human health and the environment.” Whether they actively chose government work, were recruited or fell into it, the NSBE members we spoke with say they like their work. They feel they are Continued on page 20 2008 • 19 http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - March/April 2008

NSBE - March/April 2008
Contents
The Flame of Change
What Is Your Smile Saying?
International News: Telecom Training In Nigeria
Get Involved, Get International!
NSBE International, History in Brief
Truth Power!
Is Government Work for You?
Partners for Positive Impact
Regional News: Region III Economic Overview
GM Flexes Its Green
NSBE Calendar
Hot…Not
A Well-Deserved Break
Goodness Ikeri of Caterpillar
Tonya Erwin of Toyota
Albert Rodriques of Lehman Brothers
Igniting the Torch
Finding Career Fair Success
The AE Niche
Working in Harm’s Way
Reality Check
AE Members on the Move
Advertisers Index

NSBE - March/April 2008