Fed Job at 43?
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Anonymous
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Are you looking for a receptionist position? I can’t figure out what skills you have. You have to have actual topical expertise, even if it’s “I can work with this IT system.” You need to tell us what a hiring official will think that you could do for their office.
Move papers around while listening to podcast doesn’t show up anywhere on USA Jobs. |
Anonymous
I made 60K as a GS-13 with only a BA at age 28 right before I left for grad school in 2000. But I worked diligently and faithfully on behalf of the public. Almost everyone in my group was a decent or better worker. We had a couple lazy exec admins/receptionists and a couple weird older employees who were grandfathered and protected by the staff union. No more deadwood than I've seen in the private sector. And I've been working in the private sector since 2000. My fed job was of value to society. I miss that. I mainly left for increased salary possibilities. Which paid off. |
Anonymous
Typical tasks for me: research and write a report about developments concerning issue X, monitor developments on that issue (I have more than one issue), assemble periodic activities report for my office. Yes, it's actually my job to listen to podcasts about those issues, read the news etc. I've only ever supervised interns. I do train new staff but that's happened twice in 7 years. I sometimes plan events, help host them. I give presentations on my issues...and again, no supervision. I have a BA/MA in the subject in which I work and 20ish years of experience. |
Anonymous
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OP, there are lots of jobs out there that are like this. Not mindless push paper while listening to a podcast.... but only responsible for your individual pot of work and that pot narrowly scoped.
You want something like an IC "analyst" role. |
Anonymous
| Have you applied for a federal job? I think you are underestimating how hard it is to get hired. |
Anonymous
You can't just "snag" an SES job. And they are the busiest of all. They literally keep government on the rails and keep political appointments from mucking it all up. |
Anonymous
| I would say you could be an Admin, but in our agency we are contracting those out now, so you don’t get the benefits packages. |
Anonymous
| Get a paralegal certification and get a paralegal specialist position. |
Anonymous
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It's a stereotype that Feds are all lazy paper pushers because it's impossible to fire them.
Some agencies are more intense than others, but most of us work our butts off for lower pay but job security and good health benefits. You say you are 43, so you would need to put in 20 years to get all the good benefits. The position you described would be a GS 7-9 in the DC area. All the people I know who are at that level after 20 years are widely considered not the sharpest tools in the shed. You would likely be supporting a Branch Chief/Division Director/SES and working harder than those around you who are getting paid more. |
Anonymous
Or why not work at something you'll enjoy, whatever that is. Maybe volunteer at a native plant nursery or a museum downtown. Maybe organize a community arts festival. Something fun. |
Anonymous
This sounds like a good plan, but to be clear it's still hard work, and you have to use your brain. You won't supervise anyone though, which is huge. Unless you're in the for profit world in which you might. |
Anonymous
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It's hard to say what types of jobs OP can apply for, since she didn't say what her specialized experience is, but whatever it is, she has twenty years of it, so she can probably go for the higher GS levels, and there's lots of them that are independent. She might be better off going for the higher levels, actually, because there's less competition from veterans there, although in my experience most have at least a masters.
Thinking stuff like: Decision write (if attorney but I don't think she is) IRS Revenue Agent Contract Specialist (a grind, but you're not managing people or strategic initiatives) IT stuff Management & Program Analyst in whatever field Auditor But as a PP said, you have to really show the experience you have and tailor it to the position. It can't just be an amorphous "I want a paper pushing job where I'm not in charge." Which I get, and those jobs exist, but it needs to be more like "I have years of experience with a lender that does small business loans so I'm qualified for this job at the SBA" and not "ohhh, this person had a Big Job so they are smart, so let's just put them here." |
Anonymous
Big job implies Big salaries, hence the idea you are wealthy. 20+ years experience — you are at least nearing 45, effectively 50. |
Anonymous
That's good advice. And you probably need to network personally to find possibilities. Because your Big Job will be a liability for getting the interview. Because you'll look overqualified which will suggest something went wrong in your career. I knew a woman scientist who mommytracked herself into my agency as a GS-14 IC after a corporate job. She just retired after 25 years. She eventually rose back up to an Office Director role. Most of the people who came in had a personal contact (peer or executive) pulling for them or at least coaching them on how to interview. And they had relevant work experience and master's degrees for the subjects they worked on. It wasn't a nepotism thing. In my area, there was no visible competition from veterans. Our jobs were related to economics, health sciences, and public policy. |
Anonymous
What kind of skills does this actually imply? |