Pat Host
Ambitious professionals choose to enter the GovCon industry for a variety of reasons: good pay, working with cutting-edge technologies or working in the Washington metropolitan region, among them. But a common denominator among them is serving the U.S.
It’s extremely common for people who served in the U.S. military to continue their careers in government contracting, leveraging their leadership, technological and communication skills in the private sector. But government contracting also attracts young, highly-skilled technologists and subject matter experts without a military background who are attracted to career opportunities in the nexus of business and government.
ExecutiveBiz sat down with three contractors with different experience levels and discussed why they chose government contracting for their career fields, how they got to where they are today, their tips for success and rising up the ranks in a competitive GovCon marketplace and skills they use today that they developed earlier in their careers.
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Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, USAF (Ret)
Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, U.S. Air Force (retired), is executive vice president at Booz Allen. He joined the firm after a 34-year USAF career where he accumulated over 3,200 flying hours in more than 35 aircraft types, including as one of the first test pilots on the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit bomber in the early 1990s. His military career culminated as program executive officer for DOD on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program before retiring in July 2017.
Bogdan told EBiz that he entered government contracting because he wanted to continue serving the U.S. in some capacity. He wanted to continue applying the skills he developed during his USAF career, including extensive experience in acquisition, test and the technology development of weapon systems, and felt he could bring value to industry.
He also felt he had a unique perspective to offer, being an expert on how DOD thinks, how it approaches problems and what it truly means when requirements and acquisition strategies are defined. This helps him bridge the gap between government expectations and industry execution.
Talent Is Not Enough
Bogdan said that he abides by three principles in his career and life: talent alone is not enough; give 100 percent, no matter how big or small the task; and success requires self-discipline. Hard work turns potential into results and whatever job you’re given, do it to the best of your ability. Others notice this, and it builds trust and credibility.
Being willing to take on the hard tasks, he said, not just the easy or enjoyable ones, makes the difference. Whether it’s studying or preparing for an important meeting, Bogdan said people need the discipline to do what is necessary, even when it’s uncomfortable. He also abides by servant leadership: as a leader, you work for your team. When they succeed, the mission succeeds, and, ultimately, you succeed as well.
For succeeding in today’s marketplace, Bogdan said integrity is non-negotiable, transparency is critical, direct communication is essential, and success requires collaboration and compromise. If others don’t believe you will do the right thing, they won’t want to work with you.
People, he said, should understand how and why you make decisions. Being open and clear almost always leads to better outcomes. Bogdan doesn’t like to “beat around the bush.” It’s important to clearly and respectfully communicate so people understand where you stand.
The Value of Collaboration
Collaboration and compromise is of critical importance to GovCon success. Individuals or companies can’t be a “lone wolf” in this marketplace. Working effectively with teams, partners and the government is essential and while one should never compromise their core principles, resolving conflicts often requires flexibility and compromise.
There are many skills Bogdan uses in his everyday GovCon work that he developed during his USAF service. Integrity is at the top of his list. Bogdan tells his teams that they will never do anything illegal, immoral or unethical, and will not even come close to crossing that line.
He also recognizes that not every policy, rule or regulation is designed to help one succeed. If a rule, policy or regulation is an obstacle, Bogdan said, you either work to change it, request a waiver or, in rare cases, accept the risk of ignoring it. Process matters, but mission success and taking care of people matter most.
Lastly, he learned from his USAF days that culture is critical. Even the best plans may fail if the culture isn’t right. Culture, Bogdan said, starts with leadership—modeling behaviors one wants to see and setting the tone every day.
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Rini Sampath
Rini Sampath leads federal civilian growth at ANALYGENCE. She joined the company in April after spending just over a year at Accenture Federal Services as a strategy and consulting manager. In addition, she spent five years at Deloitte in a variety of roles, finishing as a manager focusing on cybersecurity clients.
Sampath told EBiz that she didn’t expect to become a contractor as she previously worked in political organizing and the higher education nonprofit industry. While she learned a lot in these fields, she craved the chance to work at the nexus of business and government.
The Value of Mentorship
Sampath started her GovCon career when she was introduced by a professor of hers from the University of Southern California, Dan Schnur, to his mentee who worked at Booz Allen. She especially credits Jackie Mays, Deloitte’s client relationship executive for the Department of Homeland Security, for helping her land at Booz Allen as she was Sampath’s first true champion in the field.
Her strategy for success in GovCon includes leveraging grit, perseverance and curiosity. Having spent many hours pouring over textbooks and webinars to learn the fundamentals of capture, Sampath found that a willingness to learn, tenacity and being authentic in business interactions go a long way.
Sampath’s advice for aspiring GovCons who are new to the field is simple:
- Know your customer and understand the mission. She studies her customers’ missions and pain points obsessively, because that depth of understanding leads to sharper, more relevant pitches and, ultimately, better outcomes.
- Be yourself. One’s greatest assets are their real personality, lived experience and subject matter knowledge.
- Think creatively. Sampath credits a former classmate’s book, “The Third Door” by Alex Banayan, as offering a powerful blueprint on what imagination and hustle can do to help someone break into spaces.’
Playing the Long Game
She believes an underappreciated key to success in GovCon is playing the long game. While some relationships and efforts may not immediately bear fruit, planting seeds, uncovering stones and building trust are essential to success.
“Nothing meaningful happens overnight, and there are no shortcuts to sustainable success,” Sampath said. “Sincerity, consistency and persistence are crucial to long-term impact.”
Mentoring, teaching and keeping the door open for those coming behind you are essential to rising up the ranks in GovCon, Sampath said. To rise through the ranks, one needs to bring others along for the journey.
Lastly, she said enthusiasm is a critical skill for achieving success in GovCon. Bringing genuine excitement into rooms can be contagious as it lifts morale, builds momentum and inspires people to go further together.
Brandon Tattersall
Brandon Tattersall is a senior staff solutions engineer at Shield AI. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1992 and was commissioned as an officer in 2000. Tattersall told EBiz before retiring in 2014, he was an intelligence officer and spent a lot of time working with unmanned aerial vehicles. He understood the value they provided on the battlefield and how they seemed to be the future of warfare.
Tattersall spent nine years with a Boeing subsidiary, slowly building his reputation in the UAV industry. After leaving the subsidiary, he tried consulting but, ultimately, decided to return to a full-time role in the UAV industry. Tattersall believes his previous experience in both the military and industry helps him serve as an essential point of contact between the military customer and the engineering team.
When he envisioned life after the USMC, Tattersall assumed he’d be doing something in intelligence, likely in the Washington metro area, and never considered working in industry. But when he had his opportunity in the UAV sector, Tattersall viewed it as a chance to do work adjacent to his intelligence career, but also in a sector he was excited about exploring.
Job Search Advice
Tattersall said leveraging your network is the most important strategy for succeeding in the modern GovCon market. When he was looking to leave consulting and apply for jobs, Tattersall said almost every company that gave him an interview was one where he knew someone, or knew someone who knew someone. Network matters, even in this era of high-tech job search tools.
Speaking of high-tech job search tools, he said that AI resume readers are difficult. Though Tattersall considered himself a solid writer, he realized that his resume wasn’t clearing the algorithm after numerous rapid rejections. Tattersall paid for a professional resume rewrite, which almost immediately started getting him more attention.
Interview preparation is also critical. Tattersall said proper interview preparation allowed him to not only talk about his trade during interviews, but also about the market, such as key competitors and their products, market share and trends.
He didn’t think he would miss the military when he transitioned to civilian life. While Tattersall doesn’t miss the early mornings, late nights and bad food, among other things, he did miss the good parts: leading Marines and experiencing new missions and places.
Once he entered GovCon, Tattersall was ensuring servicemembers were getting the best UAV capabilities. He has enjoyed using his military skills and experience to support servicemembers.
The Importance of Volunteering
Tattersall has one critical piece of advice for former military personnel adjusting to civilian life: consider volunteering time with a local organization. While he enjoyed his industry job and spending more time with his family, Tattersall had a big hole in his life, much as he saw other veterans have over the last 10 years.
He eventually started volunteering with a search and rescue team and Emergency Medical Services in Klickitat County, Washington.
“Getting involved beyond work and home really helped my sanity,” Tattersall said. “I’m immensely grateful that Shield AI supports my volunteer work and gives me the freedom to serve my community.”
