1099 VS. W-2: Federal Contractor or Federal Employee?

This module is designed to help you understand, from real experience, how to go about making an INFORMED decision about whether to remain an employee working for others, or working for yourself.

What is Zen Federal’s online training?

For Individuals: Zen Federal’s online courses provide a cost-effective pathway to fulfill the large demands for federally mandated, IT based, well-paid, junior CPIC analyst positions including governance, capital planning, and budget vacancies within the federal government or federal contracting companies. Our mobile platform options make it easy and convenient for you to get started today!

For Groups: For hiring managers, Zen Federal provides bundled course options for onboarding and continuing education. Offerings are available through an interactive, robust, and versatile mobile platform that maintains up-to-moment status on employee training progress and simplifies the training process. Ask about personalizing your bundle to your needs!

What is Capital Planning & Investment Control (CPIC)?

Since the Clinger–Cohen Act of 1996, the Federal Government set out to standardize Information Technology with the aim of reducing costs, duplicative IT systems, and identify ways to procure IT assets more efficiently. In 1999, they created the Federal Enterprise Architecture which mandates the fed-wide goal of procuring IT in strategic ways by leveraging Federal, agency, and bureau information architectures to achieve cost savings gained by increased productivity. The core skills of CPIC are how these government mandated goals are achieved.

While these government mandated, IT based positions offer stability, desirable compensation, wide career growth, and continuing professional education opportunities; finding qualified recent college, trade school, or other academic graduates who already possess the skill sets for these vacancies are rare, as they are so unique and specific. Even if your current job provides you the opportunity to touch on some of these skills (such as the acquisition process), you still need to learn a great deal before you can be considered for an analyst position. That is where Zen Federal online training can come into play.

Zen Federal’s online training is designed to expose you to the publications, skills, language, and governing criteria that comprise the core of Capital Planning and Investment Control knowledge which will set you apart from other applicants seeking junior level analyst positions within government or contracting companies.

Zen Federal’s “FEDucation” instructor, Janelle Moore, has served as a senior professional, trainer, and mentor within the field for over 25 years. She provides her insights, varied skills, and expert guidance to assist students in all forms of federal governance, capital planning, and budget positions.

Janelle also offers her time, expertise, and recommendations for creating/updating resumes specific to the field, connecting with recruiters, and other requests as needed.

If becoming a CPIC Analyst is such a great career, why is there a shortage?

Great question. The attrition rate for CPIC Analysts is high. Candidly, many professionals serve only a year, or two before new opportunities arise. There has never been enough supply of trained, qualified professionals in this industry to meet demand and consequently, companies recruit from colleges or internships and provide zero to minimal training, besides on-the-job exposure. Additionally, an unprecedented number of retiring professionals has increased gaps within this small community. By attaining Zen Federal training certificates, you will stand out to hiring managers, obtain an interview more quickly, and arrive at your junior level position drastically more prepared than your non-trained counterparts.

How much career growth opportunity exists with CPIC training?

The shortage in the CPIC industry is not because people are dropping out of the community, it is because they are quickly rising through the governmental ranks, or they have taken on a more lucrative offer within the community. Once on-the-job, you will absorb all the department or agency’s policies, procedures, processes, and current administration’s governance; suddenly, you have become a subject matter expert. As such, you become a highly valued commodity! Typical ancillary career paths include project/program managers, IT directors, budget/finance managers, and cost estimators. Because CPIC spans a variety of subjects, i.e., finance and budget, risk management, and performance, lateral moves within the federal government and/or contractor jobs are also extremely common.

Simply put, the demand for well-trained CPIC Analysts is incessant. So, if you are a self-starter, articulate, have a basic MS Office foundation, are willing to apply for a security clearance, want to earn between $45k - $100k/yr. and want a new career – Invest in your future and sign up today!