Feds... do you plan on staying forever?

[Anonymous]

I am GS-15 in my mid 30's have been Fed for over 10 years now. I plan to be a Fed for at least another 20 years. At times it is demoralizing, and frequency of management reporting is soul robbing but I have family to care for and mortgage to pay.

After I retire, I will become a high paid contractor.

Don't mean to sound ungrateful. Feel very blessed.

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. I'm mid-40s with not a lot saved for retirement. I've been a fed for four years. If I stay for 20 years until I retire I've have a little pension at least. But the thought of staying just for that reason is demoralizing....

[Anonymous]

Nope I'm in the process of studying to go into the medical field. I simply can't stand spending most of my day at a desk doing mind numbing work and refuse to spend most of my working life doing this. But in my opinion most people that come in the government do stay, the turnover rate is much lower than the private sector.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am GS-15 in my mid 30's have been Fed for over 10 years now. I plan to be a Fed for at least another 20 years. At times it is demoralizing, and frequency of management reporting is soul robbing but I have family to care for and mortgage to pay.

After I retire, I will become a high paid contractor.

Don't mean to sound ungrateful. Feel very blessed.


+1, except I'm 28 and a GS-14. No where to go but up!

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. I'm mid-40s with not a lot saved for retirement. I've been a fed for four years. If I stay for 20 years until I retire I've have a little pension at least. But the thought of staying just for that reason is demoralizing....

[Anonymous]

I'm starting as a GS-7 right out of college. My track has potential to a GS-13. I plan to at least stay that far, if it doesn't take a huge amount of time. Do you think that is possible in 10 years? Then, I will think about private sector.

[Anonymous]

I am a FERS generation Fed who retired in 2013 after 26 yrs because early out/buyouts were offered due to sequestration effects (bad government in action, forced by Congress (primarily Rs), into which Obama got suckered (stupidly).

It's hard for me to see how anyone who came in recently or within the last 10 years will want to put up with the dismissive and disrespectful shit that too many want to heap on federal employees.

Perhaps when their tax refunds come slowly and their social security checks get slowed down and their VA benefits and service go down the shitter as a result of the service and personnel cuts that have started, and which will continue, they will understand that it's easy but ignorant to just blame all the country's woes on paying Feds a reasonable (and hardly exorbitant despite ginned up numbers to make it look that way) salary.

[Anonymous]

What's your job series?

I was a GS-15 by the time I was 29 but had to take promotions outside of current Fed agency.

Anonymous wrote:I'm starting as a GS-7 right out of college. My track has potential to a GS-13. I plan to at least stay that far, if it doesn't take a huge amount of time. Do you think that is possible in 10 years? Then, I will think about private sector.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The generation with pensions had to stay to get their payout... lots of people in my office are retiring after 30/ 40 years. What will we (the FERS a generation) or you, personally, do? Will you have a 40th anniversary as a fed?

I sure as heck hope to! FERS blows, but as our economy continues to deteriorate, it will look like a nirvana. Already does to so many people: some job announcements close within an hour or so, because the number of applications reaches the cut-off number very, very quickly.

[Anonymous]

I'll stay as long as the work is interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yup. I'm in it for the work life balance and job security. I just had my review with my boss the other day and he asked about my 5 year and 10 year plan. I told him I'm happy to be a GS-13 worker bee and cen't imagine the pay increase worth having to supervise people.

This is so me too. I'm 33 with 3 kids and plan on staying until I have 30 years in. My 8 year anniversary is next month. I would like a 14, but supervising is a no go for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am GS-15 in my mid 30's have been Fed for over 10 years now. I plan to be a Fed for at least another 20 years. At times it is demoralizing, and frequency of management reporting is soul robbing but I have family to care for and mortgage to pay.

After I retire, I will become a high paid contractor.

Don't mean to sound ungrateful. Feel very blessed.

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. I'm mid-40s with not a lot saved for retirement. I've been a fed for four years. If I stay for 20 years until I retire I've have a little pension at least. But the thought of staying just for that reason is demoralizing....

All of my former colleagues who retired from the Fed and went to work as "high paid contractors" are miserable. They are working 10x harder in private industry with a lot more stress and travel.

[Anonymous]

PP Here.

It depends on your job title.
I expect to be in middle management, developing business due to my vast contacts in the Fed Gov or work part-time for a small business.

I will already be able to get a retirement check but just need some play money. My DW and I already full fund our 401Ks combined right now just over $500K.
I will really be working to keep the mind sharp and not get too bored.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am GS-15 in my mid 30's have been Fed for over 10 years now. I plan to be a Fed for at least another 20 years. At times it is demoralizing, and frequency of management reporting is soul robbing but I have family to care for and mortgage to pay.

After I retire, I will become a high paid contractor.

Don't mean to sound ungrateful. Feel very blessed.

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. I'm mid-40s with not a lot saved for retirement. I've been a fed for four years. If I stay for 20 years until I retire I've have a little pension at least. But the thought of staying just for that reason is demoralizing....

All of my former colleagues who retired from the Fed and went to work as "high paid contractors" are miserable. They are working 10x harder in private industry with a lot more stress and travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The generation with pensions had to stay to get their payout... lots of people in my office are retiring after 30/ 40 years. What will we (the FERS a generation) or you, personally, do? Will you have a 40th anniversary as a fed?

I won't stay with the same agency, but I'd love to continue as a Fed. Love the work and flexibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The generation with pensions had to stay to get their payout... lots of people in my office are retiring after 30/ 40 years. What will we (the FERS a generation) or you, personally, do? Will you have a 40th anniversary as a fed?

I sure as heck hope to! FERS blows, but as our economy continues to deteriorate, it will look like a nirvana. Already does to so many people: some job announcements close within an hour or so, because the number of applications reaches the cut-off number very, very quickly.

FERS is fine. Many people would like a defined benefit component to their pension.

[Anonymous]

I'm FERS. I can go in three years, but won't. I like my agency, I do interesting work, and I have more guaranteed retirement than most Americans. I also have enough years in that if I have to stay home with my kid because he's sick, I stay home and no one bats an eyelash. My bosses do the same. I do laugh when I think about what I do which could be considered very important, and I see all the people complaining that their work is so important that they can't take a sick day because of some "presentation" or "client meeting" so that they can make sure another widget gets made or someone gets sued. The work is always there tomorrow and no one will thank you at the end of your life for having sacrificed everything to do it. Unless you're the last heart surgeon left alive, step back and reassess.

[Anonymous]

Yes. GS-15, 7 years federal service. I am in my early 40s and will stay till I am in my 60s and retire.