National Security Agency Reviews

Pros

Flexible hours. Great training opportunities. Variety of career options. Stable job. Intellectually challenging. Intelligent colleagues.

Cons

Government bureaucracy. Location. Telework options are limited.

Pros

If you are ambitious, then this is a good agency to work for. The opportunities to expand your knowledge and skillset is plentiful. There are opportunities for details, development programs, and shadowing to name a few. You have the opportunity to chart your own path, while working with some very intelligent people, and supporting important efforts. More than enough work, but it is not unbearable.

Cons

Not much structure or organization in some units. Although, you have the flexibility to create your own structure. Matrix environment contributes to information silos. Promotion process to next grade within your unit resembles the promotion process in the military. So, changing positions to a higher-grade is probably the better way to move-up.

Pros

Cutting Edge Technology Access to unique training and knowledge Serving the country

Cons

Government red tape, monolithic management structure

Pros

Stability. Good benefits. Interesting mission.

Cons

Massive bureaucracy. One must spend a lot of unnecessary time and energy to achieve anything good and sensical because of all of the layers and egos involved in every decision.

Pros

capable of managing or to maintan

Cons

Focus at everything matters to progress

Pros

It’s a job. Looking for nepotism and cronyism to work in your favor- look no further.

Cons

No degree, no problem. If you have friend on the inside, they can write a vacancy for you. Once your in, don’t bother getting a degree, just use your friends to promote you over the more qualified and degreed peers. You get to be the lead too. Your crony managers will also protect you.

Pros

Work is challenging and there is so much to learn. Haven't grown out of it at all as compared to other places. And the work is important, esp if you're working a good mission. People are generally friendly and helpful. Vacation eventually gets to 5 weeks a year. Sick time is a day a month and adds up nicely in case of a medical emergency. 8 hour days and no take home work if you're dealing with classified stuff all day.

Cons

Many - all sorts of pathologies. It's a troubled place to work. Many people haven't worked anywhere else so they are what I call 'institutionalized'- no concept of how the outside world works, including how to write a resume. Two major drags on the agency- baby boomers and the military. The boomers are gradually leaving, the military isn't going anywhere. Working with military was once cool, now it's just a major reason to leave. And, the military mindset is seemingly transferred to civilians. Example- don't like your job? Too bad, you have a 2 yr obligation and you have to tough it out or resign to get out of the job. Leadership, not senior leadership, the generic 14s and 15s, are terrible. You'll encounter unethical behavior and complacency - in buckets- because they think they can't get fired. The root of all evil in the agency is this belief employees have that they can't be let go. Lots of conflict, presumably because the 14s and 15s like to throw their imagined weight around. Not a lot of overseas opportunities. If you want an overseas lifestyle, you'll get more at DIA and of course CIA. Sounds like NCIS also has more. And obv the foreign service. No student loan repayment. If that's important to you, you're better off at one of the 30-40 federal agencies that offer it, like CIA and State. Internal vacancy ads are poorly written and often out of date, a reflection of the lousy leadership. Promotions are a major source of yearly frustration and take up buckets of oxygen. Sprawling bureaucracy. No joke. If you don't like policies and restrictions and filling out forms and sharing your financials, you don't want to work at NSA.

Pros

Pay. Time. Bosses. Location. Fun

Cons

None. Everything here is amazing.

Pros

Variety of jobs. Bennies. Flex skid.

Cons

Parking. Parking. Parking. Parking. Parking.

Pros

Work life balance, great benefits, ability to learn new things, move around internally and contribute to an important mission of national security

Cons

Some offices/management not very good, salaries in some technical areas are not competitive with outside