u/bryanmj9

BLUF: 11 years in Mil/Contractor Intel with a Business Admin degree (PM concentration). Want to leave defense contracting for civilian stability and location freedom. Planning on CAPM then PMP, mainly because I’m terrified of a PMI audit where I can’t produce classified documents to prove my project history. Stuck because upcoming contract raises will put me at $80k, while entry-level civilian PM roles pay less and are flooded with candidates. Looking for advice on how to transition without starting at the very bottom.

Background about me:

I’ve been in the intelligence field for over a decade, 8 years active duty Army and about 3.5 years as a defense contractor. I also have my Bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration in Project Management. Right now, I'm looking at getting my CAPM, then moving to the PMP. The only reason I am not going straight for the PMP is that I don't know how to turn my intel work into unclassified civilian terms. More importantly, I’m worried about getting hit with a PMI audit; if they ask for proof, I literally cannot provide any documentation on the actual stuff I did because it's classified.

The issue:

I want to break away from the military side of things. I’ve done my time, and I really don't like the instability of contracting or being tied down to only a couple of locations across the country just to keep a job.

My skillset has always been analytical work. Regardless of where I was stationed or what contract I've been on, I have always naturally become the "go-to guy" for making things easier for the analysts and leadership. I’m talking about making processes simpler, developing tracking templates, and optimizing workflows. Because of that, my initial thought was to go the project management route. However, looking at the market, there appears to be an abundance of higher-level candidates taking up the starting roles, especially with AI and process optimization making their previous roles obsolete.

The pay dilemma:

I’ve been blessed enough to have a stable job (even in contracting), so I’ve been pretty selective over the openings I apply for. But here is my fear: our contract is getting re-bid right now. I’m not worried about losing my current job (it's 99.9% not going to happen), but when the new contract hits, we are all likely getting raises. Right now I make about $73k, but it is probably going to jump to around $80k here in a couple of months.

The issue is that almost all the entry-level openings I see pay below what I currently make. I feel like once that pay increase hits at my current position, it’s going to be even more difficult to convince myself to take a pay cut and switch.

Any advice on how to navigate this or alternative career paths would be greatly appreciated.

BLUF: 11 years in Mil/Contractor Intel with a Business Admin degree (PM concentration). Want to leave defense contracting for civilian stability and location freedom. Planning on CAPM then PMP, mainly because I’m terrified of a PMI audit where I can’t produce classified documents to prove my project history. Stuck because upcoming contract raises will put me at $80k, while entry-level civilian PM roles pay less and are flooded with candidates. Looking for advice on how to transition without starting at the very bottom.

Background about me:

I’ve been in the intelligence field for over a decade, 8 years active duty Army and about 3.5 years as a defense contractor. I also have my Bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration in Project Management. Right now, I'm looking at getting my CAPM, then moving to the PMP. The only reason I am not going straight for the PMP is that I don't know how to turn my intel work into unclassified civilian terms. More importantly, I’m worried about getting hit with a PMI audit; if they ask for proof, I literally cannot provide any documentation on the actual stuff I did because it's classified.

The issue:

I want to break away from the military side of things. I’ve done my time, and I really don't like the instability of contracting or being tied down to only a couple of locations across the country just to keep a job.

My skillset has always been analytical work. Regardless of where I was stationed or what contract I've been on, I have always naturally become the "go-to guy" for making things easier for the analysts and leadership. I’m talking about making processes simpler, developing tracking templates, and optimizing workflows. Because of that, my initial thought was to go the project management route. However, looking at the market, there appears to be an abundance of higher-level candidates taking up the starting roles, especially with AI and process optimization making their previous roles obsolete.

The pay dilemma:

I’ve been blessed enough to have a stable job (even in contracting), so I’ve been pretty selective over the openings I apply for. But here is my fear: our contract is getting re-bid right now. I’m not worried about losing my current job (it's 99.9% not going to happen), but when the new contract hits, we are all likely getting raises. Right now I make about $73k, but it is probably going to jump to around $80k here in a couple of months.

The issue is that almost all the entry-level openings I see pay below what I currently make. I feel like once that pay increase hits at my current position, it’s going to be even more difficult to convince myself to take a pay cut and switch.

Any advice on how to navigate this or alternative career paths would be greatly appreciated.