Civilian Contractor Jobs Overseas

[Winston]

Another way to make a good living overseas!

http://www.civiliancontractorjobs.com/

But it says you have to pay and be a member to view the listings though. Is that a red flag? Ladislav, what do you think?

[casablanca]

I don't think it is a red flag to pay and be a member to view the listings. However, in my opinion I believe it to be unnecessary.

Most of the limited jobs advertised were in either Iraq, Kuwait, or Afghanistan - ie the war jobs. It is easy to find out which companies these are. There are absolutely tons of companies with operations in these areas. For some odd reason, people just don't want to go to a war zone so jobs go begging.

Companies I am familiar with:
- Stanley Baker Hill (engineering, management, construction)
- Aegis (security)
- KBR (military base operations - dining facility, maintenance, etc.)
- tons more

These jobs pay well. Security positions with western companies pay from $750/day and up depending on qualfications. Engineering positions pay from $250K-350K/year. Positions requiring extensive experience in rare specialties pay upwards of $500+K/year. English is the language, but obviously Arabic is useful as well. KBR hires a lot of people from India, Pakistan, and Phillippines.

[Grunt]

Background radiation levels in Iraq 2500 times more then normal levels:

http://www.wethepeoplewethemedia.com/radiates.htm

A giant walk-in microwave.

[Island Bum]

I agree that you should not have to pay money to find out what defense contractor jobs are out there. When I get a chance, I can let you know about some free sites. For now, try http://www.military.com for job listings. Also, corporate sites such as Kellogg Brown & Root, SAIC, CUBIC, Booz Allen & Hamilton, etc.

Of course, you need a useable skill that is needed. Contractors can't afford to waste time training you in the job. Prior military experience is also helpful. And no criminal record, as many of the overseas contractor jobs require a security clearance.

In my case, I have stayed with the Federal civil service for most of the past 20 years. I have been able to go overseas without foreign language fluency, which many private companies require. I spent 3 years in Germany, 2 years in Korea, and 1 year in Japan already. Now, in just 2 weeks, I am going to another job in Japan, near Tokyo, which is p***y heaven, in my opinion. But if you can't get any woman there, then Manila is a relatively short and inexpensive flight.

Island Bum

[casablanca]

Remember, for the jobs in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a REASON why you receive a hazardous duty bonus.

[Winston]

I have a friend who works in Iraq as a security convoy escort. He drives humbugs that guard fleets of supply trucks there. When I showed him this thread, here was his response:


"Winston,

There is a common mistake that many people make concerning overseas jobs in war zones or in various countries. Everyone thinks that you just apply and they will take anyone. This is absolutely not true.

You must be highly skilled in your particular area of expertise and you must have considerable experience. The qualifications for jobs are not lower than others. They are extremely higher in skill and qualifications.

Security positions go to former police, ex-military, investigators, etc that already have held command positions that have proven experiences.

For example; on various labor positions, they require skilled plumbers, electrians, etc. that have prior military experience in war zones. A normal regular plumber does not have the training or experience of handling pumping stations that are used in war time plumbing systems for water or drainage or treatment systems as you have to know everything and set complete systems up in a desert location. So therefore those industrial military plumbers that have knowledge and expertise are in demand. These individuals are subject to morter and rocket attacks and potential injuries on the job. You will do your job in all conditions!

There is no quick hire. You must undergo background investigations and security clearances. These are extensive and very expensive, so they are very selective of whom they consider for hire. You will be given physical exams, mental testing and drug exams. Every location where you have ever lived, will require police clearance, including being overseas.

It is important for them to know how you work under extreme pressure? The jobs are 7 days a week, normaly 12+ hours per day. You may live in the worst conditions that you have seen and live in a tent with many others. Complaints will result in your termination. You are in a war zone and you put up and shut up. This is reality.

A friend of mine is a master plumber in war zones for water systems. He is paid very good as he is in demand. Recently he told me that he may do work out of the war zone, but it does not pay the same salary and would be only temporary. However he already has the experience and security clearances for the job.

At one time it was easier to get hired on for some positions, but now these positions are filled with foreign workers. The majority of labor workers are foreign workers. They hire an experienced american and your assistants are all foreign workers hired at $300-$650 per month. There are many plumbers, electrians or others, that work or that are supervised by an american.

It depends on the military contract. Some jobs require an american workers for security reasons and others are supervised positions.

Sorry that I rambled on, but to pay anyone for a list of contracting companies and free available information for those prices are not reasonable. There are no secrets or special ways to apply. You have to already have the specialized skills that are required for these jobs. As you are aware this person is trying to sell something. He is not a recruiter and does not have any ability to hire. His claims of being to over 40 countries, staying in 5 star hotels or back packing are just BS. You are there to work. In war zones, you live and work in a war zone. It is not like a party or holiday. For those jobs in non war zones, the salary is much less, but they are for extremely qualified individuals with security clearances. THey story of they hire anyone is just not true. It is the same as buy a house or jeep for $99.

I would not pay anything for this. "

[Winston]

Another way to make a good living overseas!

http://www.civiliancontractorjobs.com/

But it says you have to pay and be a member to view the listings though. Is that a red flag? Ladislav, what do you think?

In case you haven't realized, Winston, the link above is from your friend "James Grey" who has posted on this board before.

You should ask him to explain why he's charging people almost 50 bucks just for a job listing -- as well as whether he is who he says he is.

W: How do you know this? I do not see James Grey's name on that site. I just did a keyword search on the page and his name didn't come up.

[Winston]

He goes by the username "James G" on this site -- the same guy who owns TheProfessionalAdventurer.com

W: I looked over it again and do not see his name "James" anywhere on that site. I even did a search for it by pushing Control F. It doesn't come up. Can you point out where it is exactly?

[James G]

This is my website –

There is a common mistake that many people make concerning overseas jobs in war zones or in various countries. Everyone thinks that you just apply and they will take anyone. This is absolutely not true.

This is true, you have to know how to apply, where to apply and tons of other info. The civilian Contractor job market is one of the oddest job markets to break into. That’s why I started the site, I have written (and had an editor clean up) hundreds of pages of my first hand experiences from working as a Civilian Contractor for 9 years all over the world (Southeast Asia, Europe, South America and the Middle East). The site also has paid moderators who are active contractors working around the world

You must be highly skilled in your particular area of expertise and you must have considerable experience. The qualifications for jobs are not lower than others. They are extremely higher in skill and qualifications.

This is only somewhat true – of certain jobs (like a sniper or industrial engineer) you must have certain education or experiences. But generally speaking in the Contractor Job market you only need what I call “Close Enough� experience.

Most companies will hire someone with only some or related experience – like I worked with tons of guys who were working as engineers in Iraq making a quarter mil a year, most of them only had some help desk experience or a single cert but the company was having such a hard time filling jobs they just hired anyone that was remotely close to the job quals and trained them. This happens all the time in Contracting. Close is good enough for the majority of civilian contractor jobs.

Your buddy is speaking from the experiences of a Security Contractor where in many positions you MUST have a certain background for the high speed gigs (I worked on the security side of contracting for 5 years of my contracting career).

Security positions go to former police, ex-military, investigators, etc that already have held command positions that have proven experiences.

Not 100% true – If you are looking to do convoy escort or high risk EP work then you do need specialized experience.

But there are ways to break into the security side without high-speed experience. I know, I am not ex-military, investigator, ect… I broke into the security side of Contracting and worked in the Middle East for one of the biggest Security Contractors in the world.

There is no quick hire. You must undergo background investigations and security clearances. These are extensive and very expensive, so they are very selective of whom they consider for hire. You will be given physical exams, mental testing and drug exams. Every location where you have ever lived, will require police clearance, including being overseas.

This is true, I have entire sections on my site about passing these exams, how to fill out your forms, and generally what to expect during the pre-employment process.

At one time it was easier to get hired on for some positions, but now these positions are filled with foreign workers. The majority of labor workers are foreign workers. They hire an experienced american and your assistants are all foreign workers hired at $300-$650 per month. There are many plumbers, electrians or others, that work or that are supervised by an american.

Some gigs are now filled by non-US nationals – but as your friend pointed out they still must have a western supervisor = a job.

His claims of being to over 40 countries, staying in 5 star hotels or back packing are just BS.

Errrrr… I have been to over 40 countries, I do stay in 5 star hotels and I hit the backpacker trail on every vacation when I was a contractor. I now have homes in Indonesia and Thailand and I travel around the world every month on busness. Not sure why your friend would think I ma BSing that. most contractors I know do tons of traveling on there vacations, heck – I am going out with a contractor who is on vacation in Bangkok tonight.

For those jobs in non war zones, the salary is much less, but they are for extremely qualified individuals with security clearances.

The salaries are less in non-war zones, you may only make 80,000.00 dollars a year tax free with a free apartment. And my first Civilian Contractor job was in a non-war zone – I didn’t have a security clearance, and I was not qualified for the job. Like I said your buddy is looking at the Civilian Contractor job market from the perspective of a high-speed security contractor, some of his opinions are true for that small job field BUT it is not true for the industry as a whole.

W: How do you know this? I do not see James Grey's name on that site. I just did a keyword search on the page and his name didn't come up.

My contracting buddy Matt Parks runs the day to day on the site, his name is on it.

You should ask him to explain why he's charging people almost 50 bucks just for a job listing -- as well as whether he is who he says he is.

It was a free site for almost 4 years that I made because so many people on forums and who I met in person asked me advice on how to break into the Civilian Contractor Job market. I didn’t have time to answer every PM and email so I made the site.

After a wile I decided to really make the site nice site so I hired a web developer to redesign it, hired a graphic artist to make the logos and all graphics, I wrote hundreds of pages of info on the civilian contractor job market and had a professional editor rewrite it, I hired paid experienced civilian contractors to moderate the forum, I used google advertising so the forum would get more members (the more people helping the better) and I put in thousands of hours of my time working on the site everyday for 4 years (during these 4 years the site was free).

I spent over 40K on it so I decided to charge a membership fee to cover my expenses and so that I could pay my forum moderators. Before I didn’t care about covering my expenses because I was making 250K a year working in Iraq, but now I am retired from contracting so I didn’t want to go out of pocket anymore.

I worked hard on that site, it is my baby and my first website.

as well as whether he is who he says he is.

What do you not believe and I will be more than happy to clear it up here.

James

[chris]

I am looking for a job overseas in the construction field. I was wondering if anyone has any experience in this and any advice on this

[stuvo]

Direct link to lots of active Iraq and Afghanistan contracting companies career search pages.

http://defconlife.com/overseas-contracting-companies

[ladislav]

I just applied to go to Iraq a few months ago but could not pass the medical. Be advised that even if the company hires you, you will still have to pass a US military medical exam at some military base. That is your second medical. So even if you pass your civilian medical, and you get a congratulatory letter and they send you a ticket, you are still not in the clear.
I have high liver enzymes and they could not find the cause.
Just a word to the wise.
That was the biggest fish that had ever gotten away- 12K a month.

[Winston]

I also had high liver enzymes too. My uncle gave me these liver purging/cleansing herbal medicine, which was very expensive, but it did the trick and got my liver enzymes down. Why don't you try finding something like that?

If you want, you can get it from my uncle. He sells it I think.