Lateral mobility in fed roles

[Anonymous]

I am considering a fed role, but I am not sure I want to stay in that agency long term. I was curious what lateral moves across agencies look like. Is it easier to get other fed roles once you are in one? I would assume so, but I am new to that world so wanted to see. I like the idea of the stability that fed roles can provide, but I also like knowing what kind of options are ahead.

[Anonymous]

It depends a lot on the role.

[Anonymous]

It also depends if the position is excepted or competitive.

[Anonymous]

When did “role” become the dominant term for “job” or “position?” Serious question. It sounds so pretentious and stuffy.

[Anonymous]

Plenty of people switch agencies with frequency and others stay for many years.

But, of course, no one can predict anything and as a PP said, it depends on the role, how niche it is, how many other agencies have similar roles or a need for subject expertise in that area.

Huge difference between the number of opportunities for someone in procurement, attorneys in employment law, or nuclear physicists.

[Anonymous]

You have to apply for any new role. You are weighted a bit higher but not like private where a supervisor can just recommend you and you switch departments.

[Anonymous]

It depends on the role, job series, and other factors.

As PP noted, there is a kind of separator in place between Excepted Service and Competitive Service.

Example, a GS-2210 IT Specialist will have little difficulty lateraling into a different office/agency/dept because the nature of the work is 90% portable. A USDA Forest Ranger will have some ability to lateral to become a NPS Park Ranger, but the number of lateral openings will be much smaller than the 2210.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did “role” become the dominant term for “job” or “position?” Serious question. It sounds so pretentious and stuffy.

Haha I have never noticed this and have never felt a difference in tone. Language just shifts over time?

[Anonymous]

Yeah what a few of you have mentioned about how niche the role is or how needed the skillset is across agencies makes a lot of sense.

[Anonymous]

It’s not that easy to apply on usajobs and get a job, even for current feds.

We do lateral internally (within my large department) much easier but that’s if you know the hiring manager and they want you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that easy to apply on usajobs and get a job, even for current feds.

We do lateral internally (within my large department) much easier but that’s if you know the hiring manager and they want you.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did “role” become the dominant term for “job” or “position?” Serious question. It sounds so pretentious and stuffy.

It’s used when you have a dehumanizing job and you have to constantly remind yourself you and not your job…like, “I have to make 50 unsolicited outbound phone calls a day as part of my role as an inside sales associate at dundler mifflin paper company.” For a federal job it might actually be appropriate!

For people that actually are proud of their job they call it a “position.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did “role” become the dominant term for “job” or “position?” Serious question. It sounds so pretentious and stuffy.

Tell us you have never worked in management or the corporate world, without telling us you’ve never worked in management or the corporate world. This is what happens when you spend your entire career inside a tiny bubble. Sigh.

You are BEYOND out of touch, hun. Smh