Feds - What is your background and degree?

[Anonymous]

HS diploma. First professional job, 1998 in telecom. 19yrs later still in the tech industry and making about 100k more than my spouse with a degree. 1998 was a great year to get a foot in the door in the the door in IT. Had no idea at the time what a good move it was.

[Anonymous]

^^^whoops, ignore. Didnt realize this was for feds.

[Anonymous]

BS in criminal justice. Started right out of college in an admin position. Am a 13 now. Many people I work with are 13s and 14s with no degrees but they've been in for years. Much more competitive to get in now.

[Anonymous]

My professional background is law. I took a job with a federal agency six years out of law school, having spent that six years in biglaw.

[Anonymous]

Ph.D. in history. Worked outside the govt. for a few years after grad school.
Started as a fed at GS13, now at 14.

[Anonymous]

Master's degree in economics. Worked outside of government for first 6 years in the workforce. Hired at 29 as a GS-12. Now a GS-14 at 35.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only had a bachelors in IT, got a job as a federal contractor for a year, applied for a GS-13 at the agency I was supporting, got the GS-2210-13 job, 5 months later applied to a GS-14, which happened to be on the same team and is the same job as the 13. Got the GS-2210-14. I feel incredibly lucky and blessed. Bunch of people I worked with as contractors are still trying to become Feds.

Wow. You went from a 13 to a 14 in 5 months, doing the same job!?!?! I thought something like that was unheard in the feds.

[Anonymous]

Lawyer. Military out of law school. Now a GS-14. State school undergrad, Tier 4 law school.

[Anonymous]

Masters in policy/international affairs, started career as a contractor, left after 3.5 years to be a Fed at the same agency, different office. Started my Fed career as a GS-12.

[Anonymous]

Started as a Presidential Management Fellow, four years out of college (worked during grad school and took a two year break). BS in economics/public finance and BA political science (public policy); MSW (master of social work) in management, social policy administration. Started as a GS-9/11/12. 13 in 4 years. Was a 13 for 6 years. Am now a 14 for three years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ a lot of 14s in Finance with no degree too.

Mostly older people. You're not going to move up anymore without a degree.

+1. Our GS-5s have college degrees now. Most of our HR people are GS 13/14s with no college degree or an AA. They took the test downtown back in the day and got into the government that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ a lot of 14s in Finance with no degree too.

Mostly older people. You're not going to move up anymore without a degree.

+1. Our GS-5s have college degrees now. Most of our HR people are GS 13/14s with no college degree or an AA. They took the test downtown back in the day and got into the government that way.

Also, most of our veteran hires do not have degrees.

[Anonymous]

Yep, this is true. I am the GS-14 with no degree and I have been at my agency for 19 years. I don't like to think of myself as older, but I guess 39 is older, lol. I was stuck at a 13 for 9 years before I got my 14.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:JD, hired straight out of school as a PMF so not working as an attorney.

This, except I secured an attorney position during my PMF time and left the PMF program for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:JD, hired straight out of school as a PMF so not working as an attorney.

+1

+2

+3