post-doctoral fellow

Drug Enforcement Administration

In the Office of Chief Counsel, it completely depends on which section you get assigned, and YOU DO NOT GET A CHOICE!  I was promised one in during my interviews, waited a painfully long time to get approved, but ended up getting placed in another section that had a terrible supervisor.  Almost 100% turnover in just a few years because you might have a caseload of 20-30 cases, and it's unsustainable.  And often you are working in a new area of the law, and you have no idea where to turn to for resources.  I've seen many people not even stay a year, and it's gone downhill the past few years.  They are always hiring for a reason.  Some managers in the office definitely play favorites.  Good people "disappear" and no one knows why.  You feel very siloed and alienated very quickly, and your second-level supervisor just does not feel available if there are issues.   The old Chief Counsel is out, and we have a few "Acting" managers.  

That said, SOME of the people are great.  The offices themselves are very nice, and being in Arlington, it's convenient for a lot of folks.  They have a newer "guest" catered lunch in the cafeteria, but it's hit or miss.  Ironically, people outside the Office of Chief Counsel appear to have a much more relaxed and better environment, with agents and diversion investigators playing a significant role in shaping policies and rules within the office. This is somewhat unusual, given that lawyers are often left out of these discussions. 

Like other Federal agencies, right now, they have also cut folks, but it's often done quietly, so no one knows what's going on.

A typical day at work was from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Worked in conjunction with other state and local law enforcement agencies.  Led and trained seven junior investigators on high end criminal and civil investigations.  I conducted complex regulatory and scheduled investigations.  I prepared Administrative and Seizure Warrants.  I testified under oath in Administrative hearings and criminal court cases.  I received numerous Performance Awards for Dedication to Duty and Outstanding Contributions, and Awards for Exceptional Effort and Professionalism in the Performance of duties.  I served as the Acting Group Supervisor where I approved reports; memorandums, warrants, and approved submitted leave request.   I coordinated investigation; analyzed data, reports, and evidence.  I maintained, researched, and reviewed case files, along with gathering  information to solve the investigations that resulted in criminal and civil fines.  I enjoyed working for the federal government while maintaining my integrity, and commitment to service and my government.  I retired after 32 years and 8 months federal service.  I had a great management team along with great co-worker.

Each day is quite different as we deal with  multiple Critical Incidents.  DEA is a relatively a small enforcement agency but is the best in the world in what we do.  Management is not just a bunch of paper pushers that moved up the chain.  Most have done the job prior to taking management positions at DEA Headquarters through direct enforcement experience. 

 The people are great at all levels and not your typical government agency, maybe due to our small size.  My bias of course, but I believe DEA has the best Criminal Investigators in the world.  I would say the same about our Intelligence Analysts.  I highly respect our upper management.  Except for the commute, I enjoy going to work each day.  Its the people that make this job most enjoyable.
The hardest part of the job is when we have an employee injured or killed.  My team and I react, sometimes without emotion, but internally we are all hurting..

As an agency we are truly a family, and that starts from the top down.

As a Special Agent, be prepared to be challenged on a daily basis. If your goal is to uphold "good" and stop "bad guys" from corrupting our young with dangerous drugs, then this is for you. You will have the opportunity to develop a case and follow it to its end. This means identifying and infiltrating a drug trafficking organization, developing evidence against it's conspirators, and then arresting and prosecuting these criminals. You will be encouraged to think "out of the box" while continuously upholding the law in the most ethical manner. DEA needs agents who have strong ethics, are highly motivated and self-starters, and can work well with others. In an age of distrust of law enforcement, be part of the majority that "do the right thing". There is a lot of responsibility that comes with this job and society needs someone to protect itself from the criminals who continue to exploit our young minds.

After I served our military as a Special Forces soldier and then seeking something that I thought would still allow me to serve my country, this was the best decision of my life. Go for it!

Drug Enforcement Administration offers a variety of training to employees. Typical day at work includes preforming research, analyzing and evaluating intelligence data for large projects. Gathering intelligence reports and data in support of drug aw enforcement investigations. Using various data base systems as appropriate. You have the opportunity to learn from well experienced Law Enforcement Officials and senior analysts.  Provide a positive workplace culture for the employees, which gives you the drive, happiness and satisfaction in the work place and stimulates performance.  You learn to work with different types of people; networking etc. The hardest part of the job is being comfortable around police officers.  The most enjoyable part of the job is meeting people, briefing management and other officials.

Poor leadership . Don’t expect much from management . Most have been on the job 30+ years (civilian sector)   Never taken a leadership course and it shows. Did I mention civilian management  LOVE their titles and believe it’s their rank and they have earned it . They are not interested in your career progression.  In fact if you are a good worker they will task you with “collateral duties” and  more than likely approach you to see if you would like to take on additional work in another job series that has no progression for you and present it as an amazing opportunity . This place is very toxic! I have NEVER witnessed such incompetency. 
 On positive note hours are not bad . The hardest part of the job is trying to figure out what is going on in this circus. The most enjoyable part of the job is being able to get out of the office to complete task . 

I am currently assigned to the DEA's Special Operations Division - Bi-lateral Investigations Group targeting International Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO) and Narco-Terrorist Organizations (NTO) based outside the United States, but impact the national interests and security of the United States.   I manage and direct numerous human sources; employ clandestine trade craft; employ current technology; and, plan, coordinate and execute complex undercover operations.

Every day is unique and presents new challenges; every day is a learning experience.

A career at the DEA as a Special Agent will make great demands on both you and your family, however, also offers very rewarding work and a very good salary.  If you are looking for a 9-5 job, look elsewhere.  This job demands a lot.  Your schedule will change on the drop of a dime and is constantly in flux based on the constantly changing demands of investigations.  You operate as a team, so late nights and early mornings are often as a result of other's investigations rather than your own.  You need to be prepared for this.  That said, during my 21 year career, I enjoyed a camaraderie with my coworkers you will not find outside a law enforcement or war-time military career.  If you are ready for work to be a big part of your daily life, this is a career you will enjoy.

There were no typical days of work at the DEA. Each day brought new challenges and opportunities to learn. I worked with some of the best law enforcement individuals in the country and got to experience   first-hand what it was like to be a DEA agent. The men and women I worked for/with were incredibly intelligent and full of integrity and ensured my safety at all times.

The position included sometimes being put in unpredictable and possibly dangerous situations and often being around sensitive documents, information and evidence as well as dangerous criminals and suspects.

I learned a great deal about law enforcement at this job and I also learned about the collaborative efforts that it takes between different people and teams in order to accomplish a goal.

I was a contracting employee for the government assigned tot he Asset Forfeiture Unit.  We seized assets from drug dealers and forfeited them to the U.S. Government.  I felt like I was making a difference in society at this job.  I was helping with the war against drugs..  Every 4 years the contract would be up for rebidding and sometimes the company who had the contract would not be awarded the contract again and would be awarded to another company.  So I was an employee to the contract and not the companies. To pay the salaries to have this work the salaries of contract employees came from the seized asset fund, these funds could not be paid directly to government employees therefore you could not become a government employee and work for this unit.

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