Yep, I'm turning 40 in a few months and have been working in the defense industry my entire career (and I spent 4 years in the Army before that, so I suppose th

Yep, I'm turning 40 in a few months and have been working in the defense industry my entire career (and I spent 4 years in the Army before that, so I suppose that counts too). Most of my jobs have lasted 1-2 years. I get fed up and leave for another company working on a different program - thinking that the next one will be different. Small firms that are still trying to prove themselves and grow are usually the best to work for. Because they no-shit need to deliver and keep customers happy. As they get larger (and merge, etc.), defense firms all seem to resemble each other. Benefits get cut, pay gets stagnant, and standards for hiring start to slip. Eventually they become a butts-in-seats shop like the huge firms with names everyone knows. Time to move on. I've tried interviewing in the private sector (usually all of my job hunts every couple of years begin with a string of failed interviews in the private sector, and end with me just taking another job in the industry), never managed to get an offer, but if I walk into a defense industry interview, I can land an offer well over 50% of the time. Some contractors have thrown offers at me after a single 30 minute phone interview (tip: never accept those). Another part of the issue is the defense industry is definitely a bubble and you kind of get trapped after a while. If I'm desperate and need a new job, I have a list of contacts I can reach out to and easily get another contracting gig. In the private sector, I don't know anyone and I'd be trying to get in through the front door.