Leave Fed? Help me with the math?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What private sector industries are least ageist, most stable, most lucrative?

Medicine.

That's your list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What private sector industries are least ageist, most stable, most lucrative?

Medicine.

That's your list.

Add “has a decent work/life balance,” and the result is the null set.

OP, your current job probably just about the perfect balance of pay, job security, and lack of ageism. And, for most fed jobs, the work/life balance is better than you’ll find adjust about anywhere else, too. Yeah, being a fed has its annoyances (I’m looking at you, IT. And you, stupid office rules), but overall, it’s hard to beat—unless you really, really want to make more money.

FWIW, I’m also a GS-15 lawyer in my 50s, and I wouldn’t leave for anything less than at least twice what I’m making now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What private sector industries are least ageist, most stable, most lucrative?

Medicine.

That's your list.

Add “has a decent work/life balance,” and the result is the null set.

OP, your current job probably just about the perfect balance of pay, job security, and lack of ageism. And, for most fed jobs, the work/life balance is better than you’ll find adjust about anywhere else, too. Yeah, being a fed has its annoyances (I’m looking at you, IT. And you, stupid office rules), but overall, it’s hard to beat—unless you really, really want to make more money.

FWIW, I’m also a GS-15 lawyer in my 50s, and I wouldn’t leave for anything less than at least twice what I’m making now.

Same, double or nothing

[Anonymous]

If you have a great offer, take it. Work 3-5 years in the private sector and rotate back to public at 55 and finish your career there. Public always needs people with good insights from private. Also, since you’ve already done public, public will see you as one of them when you transition back. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have a great offer, take it. Work 3-5 years in the private sector and rotate back to public at 55 and finish your career there. Public always needs people with good insights from private. Also, since you’ve already done public, public will see you as one of them when you transition back. Good luck!

DP who is younger than OP but made this move recently. Does being a former fed really make it easier to go back in the future? I'd love to do that eventually.

[Anonymous]

Law.

When Ieft the fed at 35 I made about 130k.

I left for a job that paid 240k + bonus. 7 years later I make 600k.

[Anonymous]

Former financial regulator Fed here. If you stay Fed until retirement your world until you die will be retired Feds. It is another "silo" of like minded creatures. It's not a bad silo, but the world is so much larger and life is long. I'm glad i left though money, carefully calculated, wouldn't really say that was the better decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What private sector industries are least ageist, most stable, most lucrative?

Medicine.

That's your list.

It's true. I am in a similar situation as OP in that I am pension eligible (54) at an international financial organization. I've been there less than a decade and I could walk away with $50k pension right now but it will be more than $100k if I stay until 62, according to our pension projection tool. I'm bored, though. I have applied to a few private sector jobs recently. I am shocked by what appeared to be kids in very senior positions (on the web site). I suppose my organization skews a bit older because people hang on for the bigger pensions, but I became supremely aware of my age when I started looking for new gigs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Law.

When Ieft the fed at 35 I made about 130k.

I left for a job that paid 240k + bonus. 7 years later I make 600k.

Will a 50 year old thread have a similar chance to grow at a firm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What private sector industries are least ageist, most stable, most lucrative?

Medicine.

That's your list.

It's true. I am in a similar situation as OP in that I am pension eligible (54) at an international financial organization. I've been there less than a decade and I could walk away with $50k pension right now but it will be more than $100k if I stay until 62, according to our pension projection tool. I'm bored, though. I have applied to a few private sector jobs recently. I am shocked by what appeared to be kids in very senior positions (on the web site). I suppose my organization skews a bit older because people hang on for the bigger pensions, but I became supremely aware of my age when I started looking for new gigs.

So where do all the private sector employees go? Are these jobs paying them enough they retire happily at 50?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What private sector industries are least ageist, most stable, most lucrative?

Medicine.

That's your list.

It's true. I am in a similar situation as OP in that I am pension eligible (54) at an international financial organization. I've been there less than a decade and I could walk away with $50k pension right now but it will be more than $100k if I stay until 62, according to our pension projection tool. I'm bored, though. I have applied to a few private sector jobs recently. I am shocked by what appeared to be kids in very senior positions (on the web site). I suppose my organization skews a bit older because people hang on for the bigger pensions, but I became supremely aware of my age when I started looking for new gigs.

So where do all the private sector employees go? Are these jobs paying them enough they retire happily at 50?

In the world of Big Law, yes you can retire in your early 50s if you haven’t lived an outsized lifestyle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Law.

When Ieft the fed at 35 I made about 130k.

I left for a job that paid 240k + bonus. 7 years later I make 600k.

Will a 50 year old thread have a similar chance to grow at a firm?

You couldn't get me to do biglaw in my 50s if you gave me $750k and a monthly bottle of Pappy Van Winkle. I like having a life outside of work.

And it's probably moot, anyway—biglaw isn't going to be interested in someone in their 50s who doesn't bring a book of business along with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have a great offer, take it. Work 3-5 years in the private sector and rotate back to public at 55 and finish your career there. Public always needs people with good insights from private. Also, since you’ve already done public, public will see you as one of them when you transition back. Good luck!

DP who is younger than OP but made this move recently. Does being a former fed really make it easier to go back in the future? I'd love to do that eventually.

some positions are not open to the general public but are open to former career competitive service employees. For open to the public positions, if equally qualified you may have some preference over a private sector candidate with no minlitary experience.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/reinstatement/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What private sector industries are least ageist, most stable, most lucrative?

Medicine.

That's your list.

It's true. I am in a similar situation as OP in that I am pension eligible (54) at an international financial organization. I've been there less than a decade and I could walk away with $50k pension right now but it will be more than $100k if I stay until 62, according to our pension projection tool. I'm bored, though. I have applied to a few private sector jobs recently. I am shocked by what appeared to be kids in very senior positions (on the web site). I suppose my organization skews a bit older because people hang on for the bigger pensions, but I became supremely aware of my age when I started looking for new gigs.

So where do all the private sector employees go? Are these jobs paying them enough they retire happily at 50?

In the world of Big Law, yes you can retire in your early 50s if you haven’t lived an outsized lifestyle.

It seemed liked PP wasn’t talking about BigLaw..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have a great offer, take it. Work 3-5 years in the private sector and rotate back to public at 55 and finish your career there. Public always needs people with good insights from private. Also, since you’ve already done public, public will see you as one of them when you transition back. Good luck!

DP who is younger than OP but made this move recently. Does being a former fed really make it easier to go back in the future? I'd love to do that eventually.

some positions are not open to the general public but are open to former career competitive service employees. For open to the public positions, if equally qualified you may have some preference over a private sector candidate with no minlitary experience.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/reinstatement/

Note, however, that most attorneys are excepted service, not career competitive.