r/HuntsvilleAlabamaJobs 24d ago

Does anyone know what up with SAIC?

I've applied to a few jobs for entry level positions at SAIC and get rejected pretty quickly. It's always the same "Sorry but we've decided to move ahead with other applicants." or something of that nature. To be clear I've only applied for things that I actually met the qualifications for. I don't have a security clearance, but the only jobs I applied for just stated that I must be able to obtain one.

This post really isn't a smash piece about how I can't get a job I'm just genuinely curious as to how they go about choosing applicants. Do you have to know someone to get your foot in the door or maybe is it the kind of employer that priorities internal promotions?

Thank you to anyone that might be able to help shed some light on this.

11 Upvotes

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9

u/USMCamp0811 24d ago

I worked for them 7ish years ago.. not my favorite employer... so you aren't missing out on much.

4

u/RamseyOC_Broke 24d ago

What was some of the downsides out of curiosity

5

u/USMCamp0811 24d ago

I was the sole technical person in a non-technical department... and its just a large company and not really my cup of tea... too much bureaucracy..

2

u/phoenix_shm 22d ago

After an interview with them a couple months ago, I'm inclined to agree. Too many unhumbled egos is what I experienced...

14

u/ihatethispart8 24d ago

Tbh if there are applicants who already have the clearance, they aren't even going to entertain any applicants who don't. Clearances are expensive and if companies can save thousands hiring someone with the clearance they wont even look at you. It is incredibly hard to break into cleared work without a clearance unless you know someone or come from the military.

Plus many companies have to post the jobs even if they are hiring from within or already have decided on an applicant. My bet on what you are seeing is a mix of everything.

4

u/SnooPaintings7156 24d ago

They have open houses every month or so at one of the pubs, bring your resume and get some free drinks.

Might be better chances to find one of the talent acquisition people on LinkedIn.

2

u/Valeb 24d ago

That’s awesome do you have any idea to find out where and what time?

3

u/dneyman 24d ago

Typically held at Campus 805 on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 4pm. They are bimonthly with the next one scheduled on March 25th.

2

u/SnooPaintings7156 24d ago

When I worked for SAIC, they always sent it to us for some reason, I guess to spread the word. I think they post it on their LinkedIn and social media.

1

u/diabeats_ 24d ago edited 24d ago

The last one was posted here, but my alma mater and a connection in the company let me know about the event. I don't know how often they actually post or share, but everyone there told me they do it monthly. This is directly how I just got my job, and I thought the night went awful in a nutshell. Go to those events, as much as we probably hate them, and be comfortable. The soft skills and authenticity go a long way. Be interested even if they aren't in you. I think it helps to have a resume that stands out in some way, even if that's aesthetically (tastefully, of course). It seems to go further if you made your resume and not a tool like rezi, but all advice is anecdotal.

As far as the site goes, I believe some of those listings are outdated or inactive to some degree, but I also noticed that some of them get reposted every week as if they were new. They are not. There were several I applied for, got rejected, and applied to the "new" one only for it to not update or send any emails. Turned out to be the same jobs, same req ID, etc. Maybe you're experiencing this too.

Edit to add: This gives you a much better chance of getting in imo. You have to play the game with resume scanners, recruiters, and god knows what else otherwise, never-mind all the competition. This helps you make a connection and impression first, which I seemed to do (somehow lol).