How I Got My Job: Program Analyst at the Federal Aviation Administration

Byron is a 25-year-old employee of a federal government agency.

I understand that you are a Program Analyst at the FAA.

Yes.

What do you do all day?

I work in a department that deals with aviation safety. A lot of our work involves coordinating other parts of the FAA to ensure that they’re doing things that keep planes in the sky. I work on that, and I also do a lot of data analysis and presentation so that everyone in the office stays on the same page. I spend a lot of time updating spreadsheets and playing with databases, generally being a code monkey. I also take technical English and distill it down to something that a normal person can read.

And how much do you make doing that?

Um, a person who is doing this job would probably make between $60,000-$70,000, roughly.

For perspective on how far that goes, how much is an apartment in your building?

Well, I share a one-bedroom with my girlfriend. But the average rent for that size apartment in our building is somewhere in the $1,700-$1,900 range, which, considering the location and proximity to the metro, is a pretty reasonable price.

So I’m going to put forth a couple of theories as to how you got this job, and you tell me how accurate they are. Theory #1: You were a college aviation prodigy, and someone became familiar with your research and decided that they had to have you on their team.

That is not correct. First of all, I discovered my passion for aviation long before college, and second of all, I did not do any widely publicized research on it. In fact, I was an art major.

Wait, you really were passionate about aviation? But you didn’t do any academic stuff on it?

I mean, I wrote a paper on airline joint ventures, but it wasn’t published or anything. It’s technically enshrined at an institute at my college, I guess.

Okay. So my theory #1, that you were a wunderkind, is false.

Yes.

Theory #2: You come from a family of aviators, and you always knew that being a Program Analyst at the FAA was your destiny.

Well, I did grow up with a deep love of planes. (goes into brief soliloquy on different types of aircraft) But my family’s definitely not that way.

When you were in college, did you know that the job you have now even existed?

No, I always thought my passion was unrealistic to pursue. First of all, no one ever told me this was a thing. Also, I didn’t think they’d have any need for my skill set, but my skill set has actually come up and become something very useful.

How would you define your skill set?

Lots of computer ability. The ability to write English. Speaking several languages. I’m generally pretty congenial, and I think that’s actually part of why they hired me.

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