I
Congratulations! Marcie Klock
52
|
MODERN GRACE
n 2016, I applied to a position for the Department of Homeland Security. Applying for any job, it can be a difficult journey, more so with a government position where competition and selection processes are even tighter. Nervous but hopeful, I felt I had a 50/50 chance. When I applied for this job, I was a Department of Defense contractor. With excitement, I spoke to a few people closest to me about this, “If I get this job, then x, y, z can happen,” meaning I knew if I got my foot in the door, I had the opportunity to advance quickly, especially with all the experience I had under my belt. I did feel that I had nowhere to go but up—the sky was the limit. Months after applying and waiting, I finally got that email we all long for: “Congratulations, you have been selected.” After I received the job, I worked very hard to find my way around and learn the operations of Cyber Security at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). During that time, I made new friends and the team I was on was very much a familylike environment, or at least it felt this way compared to my previous employer. People were friendly and invited me to coffee and lunches. There was a group of us who looked out for one another. It was nice. After working for DHS for a little over a year, there was an opportunity for me to apply for a position managing another team. This would mean a significant promotion with a substantial pay increase. It also allowed me the opportunity to get my clearance upgraded to Top-Secret, which was a big deal to me. After applying for the position, with the encouragement of leadership, I later discovered that one of the
