DynCorp Recruiting

I suppose there are bound to be bumps in any recruiting process, and DynCorp is no different. It hasn't been bad, but sometimes they are not as clear as I would like them to be.

When I got the offer, I had 24 hours to accept or decline. (Obviously, I accepted.) Then you get an ungodly amount of paperwork to fill out, along with several medical/dental requirements. They send a checklist that gives requested return times for all the documents. Personally, I think it is wholly unrealistic to expect to get the medical and dental paperwork back within the requested 5 days. It took me a while to find an opening with a dentist, and it ended up being someone not on my insurance, so I had to pay out of pocket, though allegedly, DynCorp reimburses, up to a certain amount. I say allegedly, because I have not had the opportunity to submit for reimbursement yet, and therefore, cannot confirm through personal experience.

Part of the paperwork process is security stuff, so make sure you know where you've lived and worked over the last ~10 years. Sometimes it's just 7 years, but it's good to have 10 on hand, just in case. Also have 3 people that can vouch for you. If you can find people that already have clearance through the same agency (in this case DoD), I am told that makes things a little easier, because they don't have to question the legitimacy of the people you've put down. Oh, and if you are naturalized like me, make sure you have your certificate handy for the numbers on it.

Once you get all the paperwork done, you'll get cleared (or not) to head to Ft. Worth for in-processing. Before you get to Ft. Worth, though ... there's online training to do. If you've been in the contract world before, most of it you'll already know, but some of the country specific information is really quite interesting. They give you information on customs, traditions, etc of the coutnry you will be working in. My personal favorite part was the Hostage series. What to do if you become a hostage, etc. I was pleased to learn I knew almost everything they talked about from TV and movies. Turns out that Hollywood gets some stuff right.

And in addition to the online training, there is ... yup ... more paperwork! Woohoo! But this paperwork is kind of important ... who to contact in case something bad happens, etc. Obviously, important stuff.

I suppose the only thing that is bugging me at this particular moment (I'll be in Ft. Worth in 48 hours), is the fact that I don't know what I'll be doing in Ft. Worth, or how long I'll be there. I have a vague idea of what to expect, but nothing concrete. I like having things spelled out for me. I like knowing what to expect. I'm pretty flexible, but how can I plan and anticipate if I don't have the information I desire?

Meh. I suppose all things considered, it hasn't been a bad process, I would just prefer a little more information. Oh, and I would really like my flight to not be at 5:38am, but I suppose there is nothing I can do about that now.