Rachel Bozeman  00:53

You may recognize this voice, and yes, it's me, Rachel, but I want to introduce you to my co-host for today, which is the one and only Bob Wheeler. Bob is not only a veteran and the host of ClearedJobs.Net's Military Monday webinars, but he's got so many other talents. Bob, no pressure. Welcome.

Bob Wheeler  01:15

Hey, Rachel, thanks. I'm really excited to be here. Yeah, I wear a number of hats, and being a podcast host sometimes is one of the great ones I get to do. I also want to say welcome to our guest today. We've got Jessica Albosta. She's the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President at ANSER. So welcome to the podcast, Jessica.

Jessica Albosta  01:33

Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.

Rachel Bozeman  01:35

Well, we are equally excited to learn a lot more about ANSER and a little bit more about you, Jessica. Soo we always like to start at the very beginning, and learn a little bit about how your career kind of transitioned, how you started and how you ended up at ANSER.

Jessica Albosta  01:51

Yeah, I've actually been at ANSER for 22 years. So I came right out of college -- I went to William and Mary -- with a shiny new business degree in Information Systems, and managed to get myself an interview with a hiring manager at ANSER. And they said they had this customer who needed someone junior and businessy, which I said, that's me! It's a great match. And a couple weeks later, I found myself down at a defense agency in their front office, working to support a pretty interesting program. From there, I just worked up. I started taking a lead in teams. I started to take more senior positions. I became a manager of the staff down at that agency. I became the manager of the contract that was down there. And then corporate decided that maybe I needed to stretch a little further, and they brought me back to headquarters, put me in charge of some divisions, some directorates, and I've just moved my way up. I've had great mentors and colleagues who have really helped shape my career and guide me through some challenging decisions to make sure that I'm on the path that I really want to be. It's been fantastic.

Bob Wheeler  02:57

Well, that's a great story, Jessica. 22 years is quite a long time to be at one place. So congrats on that. When we look back at ANSER, and we've learned a little bit about the company itself, you guys were founded in 1958 by the Air Force as a public service research institute. So that means that you're not really the standard, typical government contractor that we always hear about. I know you've referred to ANSER as a for-purpose company, not a for-profit company. What does that mean? Where does ANSER fit into the whole scheme of things, as far as the defense and intelligence communities?

Jessica Albosta  03:24

So it means that we have a little different drive behind all our decision making. Because we're a nonprofit, we're really focused on the purpose of what we do. So we want work that is impactful. We want work that really advances national security. And we want work that our folks are really passionate about. So a lot of our decision making is about growing the company in ways that people within ANSER want to follow their careers. It's not about stakeholders and shareholders, lining executives' pockets. It's really all about the impact that we can make on our nation.

Rachel Bozeman  03:57

Pretty incredible, and what a great mission. But you know what the folks are here for, Jessica. They want to hear about some great career opportunities. So if you don't mind sharing with us, what are the security-cleared positions or skill sets that you're currently hiring for there at ANSER?

Jessica Albosta  04:13

So we actually have a really wide breadth of positions that we are seeking. Because of the work that we do, it's really sort of assistance, advisory, a lot of integration work, and so because of that, we cross a lot of different domains. We're looking for systems engineers, we're looking for operations research program analysts, policy. We're looking for folks who are experts in a variety of domains, in defense, Intel and other agencies, finance, budget, strategic communications, data science, because all of the customers that we serve have challenges that require a team that's multifaceted, that have a lot of different ways in helping us solve really icky problems.

Bob Wheeler  04:53

Wow, you've got a lot of stuff going on.

Rachel Bozeman  04:55

And I like that. The icky problems. But where are those positions located, Jessica?

Jessica Albosta  05:00

So the majority of our work is in the National Capital Region, but we've actually got folks working across 24 different states. Some are remote, some are with customers. We've got folks in Alaska, Hawaii, Florida. We have a few folks stationed abroad. We have a lot of folks who travel abroad. But I'd say probably about, maybe about 80% of our work is in the Maryland, Virginia DC area.

Bob Wheeler  05:22

Well, that's certainly one of the hotbeds of cleared work - the Maryland, Virginia, DC area. But you mentioned briefly, when you were going through your litany of all those other places, you've got some remote stuff, some hybrid stuff. A lot of people are really interested in that kind of a thing, especially nowadays. What does that look like? Are there certain kinds of positions that are doing that, or certain kinds of skill sets that you're looking for in that regard?

Jessica Albosta  05:40

So it's really dependent on the various customers we have and the type of work. So some of the work we do, it's just, you can't do it anywhere but in a government facility. It's highly classified and you need access to certain systems. But a lot of those customers have some flexibility that they can offer, where there's only certain days that they need you to come in. We also have some customers, especially for folks that have worked with them and really built up a trusting relationship, that have been able to craft their position a little more to be more flexible. But we also have probably about 50 remote workers, which is about 10% of our population.

Rachel Bozeman  06:15

Options. Is that what you heard Bob? I heard options in all of that. But something else that we heard, Jessica was that you are famous for saying, "focus on the career, not the contract." Can you tell us a little bit more what you mean by this?

Jessica Albosta  06:31

Absolutely. So government contracts always have an end, right? Every contract has an end. You know, some companies are able to fill gaps easier than others, but at ANSER, it really is about folks we want to keep around to do all sorts of different challenges. And because of that, we have an entire internal program where when a contract ends, or if you're rolling off for some reason, then we've got activities internal that we work through until you have your next sort of contract home. So we have folks who have stayed with the company -- I mean, I'm actually probably only in the middle land. We've got folks who have been here 25, 30, 35, we've got a guy who's hitting 40 years this year, and it's because we can move around on lots of different contracts and build a career in one place.

Rachel Bozeman  07:13

That's awesome.

Bob Wheeler  07:14

Yeah, that really is. When you talk about company culture, that is such a key thing, and it's no surprise when you say that you've been there for a long time, you've even said things like, "it's not competitive, it's collegial," is the way you've described ANSER. I'm just curious, is there anything in particular in your experience that's like the glue that kept you there? Any examples of what has been impactful for you as an individual?

Jessica Albosta  07:32

You know, it really is about the culture and really seeing it come through in everyone that I've worked with, everywhere, from my mentors and my leadership, to the colleagues that I've worked with, all the way down to the new folks that I've brought in. The ones who fit the best are folks who are able to adapt and connect with each other. There's no competition between folks at the same level. So I have five directors that report to me, and they're graded based on the quality of their decisions, the work that they've put into their portfolios, and it's not a competition between them. And so when an opportunity opens up in another area, my directors are the first ones to jump in and say, "Hey, I've got someone who's looking for a new challenge. I think they'd be a great fit over in your space," or "I have someone who's really kind of getting tired of the job they're doing. Does anyone have an opportunity that this person can move into?" And so at the end of the day, we have sort of one metric that we're trying to meet as success of a company. And everyone works towards that. My CEO always uses the phrase, "rising tides lifts all ships." And we definitely live that every single day. It's about teamwork and getting to sort of the finish line every fiscal year.

Rachel Bozeman  08:37

And you talked a lot about the culture there at ANSER, which makes a lot of sense. Again, you talked about the longevity of careers. That is incredible to hear you have a 40-year veteran. That just doesn't happen these days. So that is pretty awesome, exciting to share there. But when you think about the contract work that does exist, they may be going into different agencies, and those agencies have a little bit different culture. One may feel a certain way, the next one feels a little bit differently. Talk to us about how important that agency culture fit is when you're looking for candidates, and how people can kind of adapt to those different changes.

Jessica Albosta  09:11

Yeah, it's incredibly important. Just like any office environment, you've got different folks, different personalities, different tempo of the type of work that they do, and we work really hard, one, to make sure that we understand that culture, so when we're searching for people, we can see how they might be able to fit in. But also, when we're talking to our candidates, we really try to sort of get an understanding of what kind of environment they thrive in. Because there are some agencies that have a very fast-paced, very energetic, sometimes it feels a little hectic. There are others that are much more methodical, and they have a much more sort of routine activities as they go. And you're either going to thrive in those kind of spaces or you're not, so finding, one, a cultural fit for ANSER, which is, to me, the most important, because that means we can move you wherever you're going to thrive best, but then matching you up with the right customer space is just as important, because you've got to be able to thrive there and feel like you're really making a difference in that particular mission.

Bob Wheeler  10:09

That's really great. You mentioned earlier in our pre-call, do you have something called an analyst apprenticeship program, where you're basically training folks with limited work experience? You mentioned that you started an ANSER coming right out of college. Is that something similar? Can you tell us more about what that program is, who it's designed for, how it works?

Jessica Albosta  10:25

Yeah, I actually wish it was there when I had started, because I sort of was just handed off to an agency and said, good luck. But we've learned that folks really succeed in our customer spaces if we've taken some time -- especially with folks that are sort of more on the junior side of their career, more early on -- and really sort of help arm them with the understanding of how the offices sort of operate, how high-level government organizations interact with each other across lines. And so this program, we just do a few people at a time. It's usually masters, plus 0-2 years of experience. Clearance is not needed to go into the program, but we do pursue it while you're in the program, and it's basically three to four months. You do a bunch of internal research projects. We get you to meet with all of the different portfolio managers so you understand the breadth of ANSER's work, so you can really understand how you could fit into our organization. And then at the end of it, we've been working the whole time to find you that best first home on a contract with ANSER. And then we sort of help you go through building those relationships with those first customers and making sure that when you're ready, we then move you to another challenge. But like I said, we only do about three people at a time. We do it about three times a year because we really want to make sure that we've paid the attention that we need to some of these folks.

Bob Wheeler  11:44

That sounds like an amazing program.

Jessica Albosta  11:45

It's wonderful. We've had really high success over the last couple of years doing it. We always have some of the folks who were in it come back to have lunches with the new folks, and they're all very excited to add more to their ranks.

Rachel Bozeman  11:57

So much fun. Love seeing companies invest, and I love how we started the conversation, kind of talking about your journey, and kind of your criteria was, green but businessy. I loved that. And so when you think about folks that are looking to join your organization, who are those people that would really thrive there at ANSER?

Jessica Albosta  12:17

So definitely folks who like to take on what we call wicked or icky challenges, but more importantly, people who are willing to try things a little different than maybe what they thought their original path was going to be. When I joined ANSER, I was ready to be a database developer, and I took a left turn real fast. It's been a winding road, because I've said yes to a lot of opportunities that maybe were a little scary. So people who really thrive at ANSER are kind of willing to try something new, especially when their managers are like, "I think this is a good step. This is a good way to move forward in your career and try something new," because you're just building a broader experience set, which makes you more able to try out new challenges even further down the road.

Bob Wheeler  13:02

That's really some good stuff. You're involved in the hiring process quite a bit. What kind of things are you seeing out there that if you could give somebody a couple of tips, anything that you would want to share with them to help get them off on the right foot of their job search?

Rachel Bozeman  13:13

I love that. I could talk about resumes all day. So much exciting stuff in there, the things to do and not do when it comes to the resumes, but taking that kind of one step further, just because you have been so involved in the hiring process, could you maybe tell us an example of a time where you've just seen an interview go really, really well?

Jessica Albosta  13:13

Absolutely, I would say, the first thing is be willing to spend a little bit of time with a recruiter when you're being contacted, because as they get to know you better, you may have applied to one specific role, but as they're talking to you, they know all the different positions that we're looking for. And as they talk to you, even if it's just for like five minutes, they may actually have a better position that they think you might fit even more that you didn't even know was out there. So definitely taking a little bit of time to talk to the recruiter and better understand sort of the breadth of the work that that company is looking for, I think, really serve folks well in finding that really great match. And then on top of that, so resumes, be data-oriented about you in the resumes. Oftentimes we see someone where they've copied and pasted the position description that they're in, versus talking about what they've actually accomplished in that job, you know, the impact that they've made in that role. We want to know more about them, not just about the position that they filled. We want to know what makes them tick and the types of jobs that they find interesting and engaging. So one that actually wasn't too long ago was with our analyst apprenticeship program. And the gentleman that we were interviewing, so we do sort of panel interviews, there's a couple folks from our side, and we're asking various questions. And behind him was an entire bookcase of all sorts of like Star Wars memorabilia and just sort of all the things that he was clearly very interested in, even just looking at the bookcase gave sort of an insight into this particular gentleman's sort of passions, but it allowed us to ask him some questions just about him personally, to get to know him. And it turned out that there were so many connections, and he immediately calmed down because he was very nervous in the interview. He immediately calmed down because we were talking about things that he also really found interesting, and he could become himself because of that. I mean, all the panel interviewers were like, "this guy is fantastic. I just want to be his friend, like we got to bring him in." It really helps sort of solidify with us, the understanding that we really want to know who the people are, not just your skills, which are very important, but we want to know who you are, because we're probably going to be working with you day in, day out, and that's a lot of time you spend with your colleagues. And we really just want to enjoy the people that we work with.

Rachel Bozeman  15:47

No, I think that's great, great advice. So I know because you have so much great advice, you've definitely proven that you've had an incredible career there at ANSER. How can the cleared professionals be in touch with your hiring team?

Jessica Albosta  16:00

So we've got a number of different ways. All of our recruiters are on LinkedIn. You just gotta search for ANSER.org recruiters. We've got an email address recruiting@anser.org. We've got a careers page on our website, which is anser.org. And just reach out to anyone, especially on LinkedIn, they're incredibly responsive. They're excited to talk to new people. They're in jobs that they love, and I think that comes across in a lot of the conversations they have with potential candidates.

Rachel Bozeman  16:29

Well, it was absolutely a pleasure getting to meet you today, Jessica, learning a little bit more about ANSER. Thanks so much for spending some time with us today.

Jessica Albosta  16:38

Thank you for having me. This was wonderful.

Rachel Bozeman  16:41

So much fun getting to learn about Jessica and ANSER. And I know I walked away with a lot of great insights from Jessica about ANSER. And something I really appreciated in our conversation was just kind of the story of Jessica's career, kind of starting out in that place where she didn't really know, thought she might go into developing and then turned out to be senior leadership there at ANSER. And I think it's just testament to always being willing to say yes to new opportunities and have the flexibility and mindset of what's the worst that could happen. Bob, what's something interesting you learned from the conversation today?

Bob Wheeler  17:17

You know what I really liked about talking to Jessica and ANSER was just that sense of culture and community that they seem to have. I mean, obviously she's been there for 22 years, and that's not an accident. They recognize they have a culture. And they also recognize that the companies that they serve, the agencies they serve, has a culture, and they're always looking to put their new hires in the right position. And even that apprenticeship program is another way that they're really putting people off on the right foot. So I think that when you start people off, moving them forward to begin with, in a good spot, there's no surprise that people stick around long and they really like it there. And, I mean, she's an example.

Rachel Bozeman  17:48

Absolutely. Well, we are so glad that you joined us for today's show. Please make sure you get out there and follow us on your favorite listening platform. And until then, bye.