Exploring contract administration as a career. Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated

[3556ua]

Hello,

I'm new to the group and am interested in learning more about contract administration.

I'm particularly interested in finding out what it takes to get into the field. I've got a J.D. and a bar license, and was wondering what other training would make me marketable to employers. I'm also wondering whether there is much demand for entry level contract administrators.

First, I've seen Master's Certificates from schools such as Villanova, which seem to prepare you for an NCMA exam.

While not nearly as expensive as law school, I want to make sure employers value them before I make the investment.

The other thing I'm wondering about is the demand for contract administration. I looked at the NCMA website, and if it's any indication, there are not many postings (about eighty) and the vast majority of them are only interested in applicants with experience. Is it very difficult to find your first job in contract administration?

http://www.ncmahq.org/

Thanks in advance for any advice you could offer. I really appreciate it.

Bob

[Don Mansfield]

3556ua,

Uncle Sam needs you! If you are interested in working for the Government, a lot of agencies have intern programs in contracting. I am a graduate of the Navy's program. I teach for DoD now and many of my students are interns of the military departments and the defense agencies. Civilian agencies also have intern programs.

Also, you used the term "contract administration" in your post. That term is generally understood to mean "post-award" in the field of Federal contracting, which would mean those activities that take place after the award of a contract (e.g., performance monitoring, quality assurance, payment, etc.). It's not generally understood to include the solicitation of offers and award of contracts. I'm saying this because, since you're new to the field, I'm not sure if that's what you really meant.

[gboyle]

Bob,

I have the same background, and ended up taking a job with a contractor. I did a few internships with Government Contracts attorneys during school so I had an advantage when applying for CA jobs.

Don't bother with certificate programs, unless you want to go for an LLM at GW's Government Contracts program. I recommend that you educate yourself on the subject matter if you have not already been exposed to it. The books by Ralph Nash and John Cibinic--Formation/Administration of Government Contracts--are good primers. Also, I learned a lot by helping people respond to RFPs, so you might look at solicitations on fedbizopps.gov just to see how they are constructed. Try issue spotting the solicitation, outlining the compliance requirements in sections K and L, and looking up any section I FAR clause that jumps out at you.

Definitely apply to Government Contracts Specialist intern programs. The intern programs last 2 to 3 years and provide excellent training and education, both in breadth and depth. Contracts Administration for a contractor will pay more, especially if you can demonstrate a fair amount of knowledge during your interview, but there is almost no training, you deal with a more narrow slice of the contracting, and it's not particularly challenging.

Go to any recruiting events you can find. NCMA and its local chapters frequently have job fairs attended by both Government and contractor recruiters. I also attended tech-oriented job fairs just to talk to recruiters.

Good luck!

[MBrown]

... I've got a J.D. and a bar license, and was wondering what other training would make me marketable...

Counsellor - Being a lawyer qualifies you to tell people you are an expert in almost anything and many of them will believe you. Now is the time to prove your mettle. Follow gboyle's advice. If you want to be a contract administrator, stop going into debt with academia. You do not need an LLM, an MS or MA. You spent three years with legal theory. Moreover, not even knowing your law school, I presume you've had a full semester to over a year of immersion into the history of american contract law (i.e., the fine art of language to use to get your ball and go home); fundamentals of stiffs with gifts (wills, trusts, estates); commercial shell games (sale of goods, payment systems and/or secured transactions); and the absolute finest series of courses ever developed to drill home with nauseating detail how to engage in poor legislative drafting (federal income tax, corporate taxation, and/or environmental law). In short, you have been trained by professed legal scholars in how to read, spot and analyze issues, and then regurgitate the professor's view of how things ought to be so that you can pass. Thus, you are very marketable for entry level contract administration.

The big dogs in the private sector look for seasoned contracting personnel to round out their teams of salespersons, accountants and lawyers. The medium dogs look for someone who can explain the FAR, keep them out of too much trouble, and get their federal forms straightened out. The puppies typically paw the administration off on their spouse or sibling while trying to figure out how to get their invoice paid.

If you are somewhat fresh from law school or simply burned out with family court and petty criminals, I highly recommend the 1102 Contract Specialist career series with Uncle Sam. I also recommend that you consider the Government Contracts Attorney career field. Either way, focus on the court decisions and government contract treatises. Get an acquisition intern position and take the government sponsored DAWIA certification courses for contracting.

Finally, make sure to let your prospective employers know that your education and license show you are the type of person who will typically open the regulation, policy memo, or court decision and actually read and think about them.