What it's like to switch from working in the Federal IT space to commercial technology companies in DC. Where to look for companies and get a job at one you like.

1. .gov to .com
Making the Switch to the Private Sector
#G2CDC
Link to these slides: http://bit.ly/govtocom

2. What Are You Going to Learn?
● What it's like in to work in commercial
● Is it for you?
● How to find a company you like
● How to get a job
● Open discussion, ask questions!
○ Moderator: Ian Jones - Founder, FluidHire
○ Dave Sandrowitz - VP Client Services, Optoro
○ Mo Patel - Director of BI, AddThis
○ Andrew Willis - VP Technology, CustomInk
○ Charlie Reverte - VP Engineering, AddThis

3. Why are you here?
?
Seriously..

4. Where We Work
● Social/Data Tools
● Founded in 2004
● Tyson's Corner
● 120 employees
● E-commerce
● Founded in 2000
● Tyson's Corner
● 600+ Employees

5. What it's Like to Work Here
● Choose your own adventure
● Unstructured environment
● Flexible hours, workload
● Build something your friends can see
● More than one customer
● Latest technology
● Hackathons

6. How to Succeed
● It's up to you
● Teach yourself and get engaged
● Look for ways to add value
● Build relationships with others
● Ask how you can help

7. Is it for you?
● Have to keep re-inventing yourself
● No bonus for your clearance or certifications
● Companies are sometimes less stable
● Non-linear career path
● Are you hungry?

8. But There Are Advantages
● Invest in your resume
● Your work is often publicly visible
● Blog and participate in open source
● Build a name for yourself
● Experiment with the latest tech
● No contract end-date
● Upside - stock options
○ Do you want to hear more about options?

9. What Makes a Good Company
● Solving a valuable problem
● Loved by their customers
● Strong team, trustworthy leadership
● Culture: open and honest
● Financials - it's ok to ask?
● Trendiness/buzz not always good

10. What to Look For
● Has a mission you care about
● Company and personal growth potential
● Do they share your values?
● Upside, will give you a stake
● Age and size to match your risk profile
● Rapport with your interviewers

11. How to Find Companies
Aside from indeed..
● Go to meetups
● AngelList - https://angel.co/washington-dc
● proudlymadeindc.com
● Biz Journal's 2013 Best Places to Work
● Hackathons
● Talk to your friends

12. What We Look For
● Self-starters
● Motivation
● Curiosity: side projects, coursera
● What have you done?
● Portfolio: github > certifications
● Team players, no attitudes
● Have you researched us?
● Would you really love it here?
● Resume turnoffs - acronyms and buzzwords

13. Ultimately it's About Ownership
● Of your work
● Of the company
● Of your career
● It's up to you!

14. Panel Discussion
Link to these slides:
http://bit.ly/govtocom

15. OK, what's next?
● Learn
○ Proudly Made in DC - http://proudlymadeindc.com/
○ Potomac Tech Wire, TechCrunch, DCTech Fb
● Do
○ Pick up new, emerging skills
○ Build something
● Connect
○ StackOverflow, GitHub communities
○ Generalized and specialized meetups
● Share
○ Show what you are learning and building; the right
people will notice

16. Stock Options
● Scale - new car, new house or new life?
● The denominator matters
● Vesting
● Exit
● Tax basics