Her Story
About Pauline
I'm currently the team lead and a contract cost price analyst for DCMA, the Defense Contract Management Agency, where I lead a team of 11 analysts. I help assign workload, review reports, and provide coaching, training, guidance, and expertise on everything surrounding pricing and reviewing government contractors and defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin. I've been in the contract cost price analyst role for 4 years, and I just became the team lead at the beginning of this year. Before joining the federal government about 6 years ago, I worked for Lockheed Martin and another company, BAE, in government pricing and cost estimating for about 10 to 15 years, basically building proposals to price weapon systems and products and supplies for the military. At the very beginning of my career, I worked in pure accounting for a company called Paper Magic Group for the first 10 years, just learning the basics of accounting. Then I went into the defense contracting industry, which is regulated by acquisition and the FAR, so I learned all about that. It's a whole other world. I actually love what I do.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Pauline
01What do you attribute your success to?
I always try to be my best, and I think, just since I expect the best for me and to be outstanding in whatever it is I do, I generally expect the same thing from others, so I try to help others to get to that same point. And, you know, the backbone, too, is having my husband, Michael. He's been so supportive throughout my entire career, you know, when I was working full-time finishing my bachelor's and my master's, and you know, we had just bought a home. I was actually traveling for work. It was crazy when I was young and had a ton of energy to do all that at once, and now it's just a different shift. You know, now it's taking care of the home we have, and the aging parents. I think having a solid foundation of my family is really what helps me be on solid ground to then go do what I do, and help others, and be my best. And having Oliver and Winston, when it's chaos, and I need a little calming, just to have them, they bring so much calmness.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be afraid of change. You know, if you're in a position, usually the biggest fear is making a change, and looking at different companies and opportunities, and what's out there, and then not knowing, and maybe not having confidence that you can do just something different, even if it's a little different, you'll have a new supervisor. But just be confident enough, and you know, they say fake it till you make it, but be confident enough, because making a change is always the scary part, and I've done it now, I think, like, six, six, seven times. I've changed companies, changed roles, and it's always scary, but it got me where I am today, and I'm very happy where I am.
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