Inside FEMA

[Anonymous]

May have the opportunity to take a job there as a GS-15, just below the SES line. Trying to figure out if FEMA's one of places where a disproportionate number of folks are there to collect a paycheck, either because they are waiting to retire or because word got around it's a place to slack. My current D/A is a good place with hardworking folks, but does not have a well-defined career path...

[Anonymous]

Does it really matter? It seems like the important considerations is how you would be able to help in disaster relief efforts. If you were really a leader you would approach issues as an opportunity to turn around a place that executes an important mission. But it seems like you're more concerned about your work environment and career advancement than executing FEMA's critical mission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it really matter? It seems like the important considerations is how you would be able to help in disaster relief efforts. If you were really a leader you would approach issues as an opportunity to turn around a place that executes an important mission. But it seems like you're more concerned about your work environment and career advancement than executing FEMA's critical mission.

There's a lot more to FEMA than disaster relief. And I prefer not go somewhere where my ability to succeed is directly impacted by a group uninterested in working or doing the bare minimum to get paid and not fired. I know this is a problem across government, but there are some places worse than others...

[Anonymous]

My DH worked there for 1 miserable year. There is a reason that it ranks so low on government listings.
Look at the turnover for the unit you would be going into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH worked there for 1 miserable year. There is a reason that it ranks so low on government listings.
Look at the turnover for the unit you would be going into.

Can you identify which office there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does it really matter? It seems like the important considerations is how you would be able to help in disaster relief efforts. If you were really a leader you would approach issues as an opportunity to turn around a place that executes an important mission. But it seems like you're more concerned about your work environment and career advancement than executing FEMA's critical mission.

There's a lot more to FEMA than disaster relief. And I prefer not go somewhere where my ability to succeed is directly impacted by a group uninterested in working or doing the bare minimum to get paid and not fired. I know this is a problem across government, but there are some places worse than others...

Fair enough. FEMA has hr, it, admin, etc like other agencies. I've dealt with FEMA and I've met many caring people who were not there to collect a paycheck. They cared about the importance of the mission to get people back on their feet after catastrophic events. All while dealing with the insane politics, red tape of a huge bureaucracy, adverse public opinion and other headwinds. Every agency has bad apples. FEMA's career staff is caring and professional in my experience. The political staff can be ridiculous sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH worked there for 1 miserable year. There is a reason that it ranks so low on government listings.

Look at the turnover for the unit youf would be going into.

Can you identify which office there?

He was in contracts

[Anonymous]

Any updates, OP? I've been at FEMA for quite a while and love it there - great mission, people, etc.

[Anonymous]

Be sure you know whether the position is deployable, if that matters to you. My spouse is a 15 there leading an office in a position that has nothing to do with disaster relief and was deployed for a month after Sandy with no training in disaster relief, working 18hr days 7 days/week, finding dead bodies, etc. When back at the hotel at night, they'd be trying to put out whatever fires came up that day in their actual job back at the office. I'm not commenting on whether it is or is not appropriate to do that, just noting that there was a push that everyone (and I mean everyone) should be deployable. So you might want to run that down if it would affect your decision.

[Anonymous]

I started at FEMA for about 4 weeks and quit years ago. They told me the job was one thing and it clearly was not. I started asking questions to the trainers and everyone knew I had been mislead. They were desperate to hire degrees people. People were very nice but be careful.

[Anonymous]

I know someone that's been there many years. I think if you're bright and reasonably hard working you can actually stand out and advance pretty well. Probably depends on whether your boss recognizes that though.