When most people think about jobs at the Department of Defense (DOD), they think that it involves very hands-on work for the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard. While that is true in some cases, the DOD is much more than that, and the jobs are too! The Department of Defense is a very big tent when it comes to employment. The DOD mission is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation’s security.
If you work for the Department of Defense, you are somewhat limited to where you will work and live. While DOD employees are stationed across the country, the vast majority work at Pentagon in Washington DC. In fact, the Pentagon is the world’s largest office building, consuming 6.6 million square feet of floor space, with more than 25,000 employees working there on a given day.
Many positions with the DOD are very technical, like providing emergency services to areas in the US that need it most. They also hire maintenance workers, information security specialists, technicians, engineers and public affairs specialists (see the #CJW community resource section. Given the size of the DOD, it is its own community, so every job you would find in civilian life can also be found in the DOD. If there’s a field you’re interested in, the DOD is, more than likely, hiring for that position.
So, let’s say that you’re hooked, and there’s nothing that you would want more on this Earth than to work for the Department of Defense or any of its subsidiaries. There are a few websites that might have what you’re looking for, such as usajobs.gov (and if there’s a government job in general that you’re looking for, the first place to look might be usajobs.gov). Handshake has often has positions for the US Army and the NSA, but not directly the DOD.
The Department of Defense and its subsidiaries provide good, government jobs for people who want to settle down in one of a few select parts of the country and get good benefits while doing serious, important, work. If this at all interests you, keep your eyes on usajobs.gov and see if there’s an opening for your skillset!
WORKS CITED:
https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-US-Department-of-Defense-EI_IE14798.11,35.htm
https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/Results?k=defense
https://www.indeed.com/cmp/United-States-Department-of-Defense/reviews
Spencer R. Brown is a sophomore experiencing their first year at Lawrence University, with a major in Government. They work as a media and marketing assistant in the Career Center, and curates articles for students in both Communication, Journalism & Written Arts (#CJW) and Government, Law & International Relations (#GLI) career communities. A writer and animator by trade, Spencer is fascinated in finding ways to make digesting information entertaining. Feel free to connect with them on LinkedIn here!
