Feeling so stuck in current fed job

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, everyone is not right there with you. We worked low wage jobs with no benefits or even a contract. We all bought growth stocks and crypto in 2020 and we thought we were late. We had nothing to lose. I put my $800 a week unemployment into them. I had previously made only $400 a week.
Everyone with a fancy job seemed skeptical as we jumped in. I'm talking about 10 people who could have done what I and few of my co-workers did.
I retire this year. All those people with decent jobs, 401k's, and benefits are still working and will be til they are 65.
'If I were to lose the money, it's only 10%'. The rest is what I have learned. I can get it back, but faster this time.

You worked low wage jobs and....what? Bought enough crypto to retire? Get out of here

One weird trick!

[Anonymous]

Stick it out. Take sick leave. Exercise. Get Sleep.

I have a friend who was in a similar situation (GS-15, 15 years of service) and during the first T presidency left for a nice private sector job. Well, less than 2 years they were laid off and haven't found anything like that again. Tried to go back to fed, but basically were told no.

It is hard out there right now, so if you really feel you need to leave you should have another role. A friend was laid off in December and haven't got anything more than a few phone screens. Plus, many companies will know you want out or were forced, so I have found you might not get the best package (but try). That is my experience.

That pension and healthcare are worth it.

[Anonymous]

I'm 3 years in and I'm bored out of my mind and want to die. I'm only 36.

Would you recommend moving within the federal government?

I mean, putting histrionics aside, it would mean completing another probationary period, but is it more of the same crap?

[Anonymous]

Im a GS 15 and currently doing two people’s job. I’m looking and can’t find anything. I’d leave if I could. I used to love my job and now I’m miserable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 3 years in and I'm bored out of my mind and want to die. I'm only 36.

Would you recommend moving within the federal government?

I mean, putting histrionics aside, it would mean completing another probationary period, but is it more of the same crap?

This depends entirely on your field and the opportunities available to you. There's not a lot of interagency hiring right now so no, right this second you're unlikely to do better at another agency. Private sector is pretty rough for now too.

I've been in a long time and while this is the worst I've seen, I believe it will get better. Not because the people in charge want it to be better, but because the effort of making it this bad is hard to sustain. Take care of yourself and wait it out.

[Anonymous]

Stick it out…I would kill to have my old gs job back, looking back from my current position at the cfpb. My career is over.

[Anonymous]

I take things one bi-week at a time. I know the pendulum will swing back in the next 4 years. I’m using annual, sick leave, and credit hours liberally. If those run dry before the pendulum swings, I will consider LWOP or a part time schedule. Hang in there!

[Anonymous]

Same OP-I’m a 15 with 19 years in and I like my job generally but I feel demoralized and beaten down nearly every day because all we really can’t do our jobs effectively anymore. RTO and the lack of flexibility (we have no TW-not even ad hoc now) just adds to the misery and the only thing I can fall back on to keep me sane is a my short commute. I’ve been using annual leave pretty liberally and taking off when I normally would have tried to limit the number of days off or try to avoid back to back annual leave requests and now I just don’t care. Since we can’t TW a late afternoon drs appt for my kid turns into nearly half a day off and again-I don’t feel guilty about. Basically I just am going through the motions to get through the 8.5hrs and the rest is my time and I will put no extra time in for people who would rather see us RIFd. I’m hoping this changes in three years and we can go back to feeling fulfilled by our work and respected by our leadership.

[Anonymous]

You should at the very least look for another job. As a 15 you may make more in the private sector which is worth more than the pension. I know plenty of feds who are leaning back, taking vacation, not working overtime, but that makes your career a meaningless job. As a former fed I couldn’t handle becoming the type of employee DOGE was characterizing us as. I enjoy having a meaningful career. That is why I became a fed to begin with. I don’t think public service will be what it was in our lifetime. Stick around for the salary until you can find something that is a more fulfilling fit, but at least look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 3 years in and I'm bored out of my mind and want to die. I'm only 36.

Would you recommend moving within the federal government?

I mean, putting histrionics aside, it would mean completing another probationary period, but is it more of the same crap?

At 36 with 3 years in, I would just get out. I don’t think there’s anywhere in federal government that doesn’t suck.

[Anonymous]

I’m a 14 and my job is institutional knowledge and part transferable skills and RTO is killing me slowly. The market is terrible and I would be looking at a large pay cut, which as a single parent breadwinner with kids on the cusp of college I cannot afford. I am 12 years from retirement.
I am well and truly stuck. I would never ever have taken this job if I’d known we would be going in 5 days a week. It was truly unimaginable because even before Covid people in my current office were not going in 5 days a week. If I’d stayed in my old job my commute would have been manageable.
I am exhausted, in pain, and less of a parent to my teens. I am not “managing” it but going into negative sick leave.

It’s easier to leave if you are only a couple of year in. And if you are only a couple of years from retirement, at least there is light at the end of the tunnel. For the rest of us there is just no hope and I kind of want to die.

[Anonymous]

I'm in the same boat. GS-15, 17 years in. My workplace is not hostile but I am bored out of my mind because I have been doing the same job for so long. There is nothing out there right now. I'm keeping myself sane by taking liberal use of paid time off and traveling with my family. I'm also working out a lot and I'm going to start doing pro bono work rather than buying my way out of it each year. My advice is to find ways to make the time that you are out of the office fulfilling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old are you?

The hotelling sounds really painful. I think in your shoes I would try to figure out ways to make it more tenable and any possible workarounds.

47.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in the same boat. GS-15, 17 years in. My workplace is not hostile but I am bored out of my mind because I have been doing the same job for so long. There is nothing out there right now. I'm keeping myself sane by taking liberal use of paid time off and traveling with my family. I'm also working out a lot and I'm going to start doing pro bono work rather than buying my way out of it each year. My advice is to find ways to make the time that you are out of the office fulfilling.

OP here. I’m jealous you are bored. I wish I was. I feel like I’m doing the work of two. My time out of the office is just spent recovering and meal prepping and taking care of household tasks that I am too tired of doing in the evenings after work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a 14 and my job is institutional knowledge and part transferable skills and RTO is killing me slowly. The market is terrible and I would be looking at a large pay cut, which as a single parent breadwinner with kids on the cusp of college I cannot afford. I am 12 years from retirement.
I am well and truly stuck. I would never ever have taken this job if I’d known we would be going in 5 days a week. It was truly unimaginable because even before Covid people in my current office were not going in 5 days a week. If I’d stayed in my old job my commute would have been manageable.
I am exhausted, in pain, and less of a parent to my teens. I am not “managing” it but going into negative sick leave.

It’s easier to leave if you are only a couple of year in. And if you are only a couple of years from retirement, at least there is light at the end of the tunnel. For the rest of us there is just no hope and I kind of want to die.

I’m so sorry, PP.