Has wanting money discouraged you from public service?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to hear people are making it work. It will be a bit sad to see the savings rate go down, but I guess that's what public service is all about. Will definitely need to try hard to avoid the keeping up with the Joneses attitude though as most of our friend circle is in finance, consulting, tech etc. so we'll just have to accept being the less well off ones haha.

Why do you want to go into public service? I've been in public service my whole career, and all my friends are as well. Not to discourage you, but you may not really be the public service type if you haven't already gravitated there and that's where your friends would be already. Those of us who do do it because we always had an inherently strong desire to do it. It was never even a question if I would go for the money. There are some who do private sector at the beginning of their careers to pay back loans but they never intend to stay long.

You must be really old because I have yet to hear a 20/30 something year old saying anything of the like. If anything, most realize they made a mistake.

[Anonymous]

It’s a miserable time to be a fed. Stay private. Sounds like you crave money too much anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why folks on this thread equate pursuing money - even through the revolving door of government service, to be evil. High positions and personal fortunes can do far more good than a single individual who puts in 30 years helping the homeless. Money allows fir the hiring of an army of such individuals. Just look at the philanthropic activities of wealthy people throughout history.

Perhaps the pursuit of money isn't evil - what one does with it is the determinative factor.

Yeah, I don’t think the vast majority of revolving door riders hire anyone else. It’s the pursuit of individualistic wealth and material success they want. Fine. That’s the system. You’re confusing that with entrepreneurial people who rent parasitic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why folks on this thread equate pursuing money - even through the revolving door of government service, to be evil. High positions and personal fortunes can do far more good than a single individual who puts in 30 years helping the homeless. Money allows fir the hiring of an army of such individuals. Just look at the philanthropic activities of wealthy people throughout history.

Perhaps the pursuit of money isn't evil - what one does with it is the determinative factor.

Yeah, I don’t think the vast majority of revolving door riders hire anyone else. It’s the pursuit of individualistic wealth and material success they want. Fine. That’s the system. You’re confusing that with entrepreneurial people who rent parasitic.

^ aren’t

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ha!

We are research scientists, and prefer to work in public research (NIH): cancer and heart disease. It pays very little considering the years of training required AFTER one's PhD!

I wish we could make more money! But most biotech firms have their sights firmly on the bottom line and give their clients the minimum amount of quality (sometimes not even that) while billing them big-time. That doesn't sit right with us.

I'm in cancer research at NIH as well. I agree with you.

[Anonymous]

No, wanting money did not discourage me from public service. Sometimes I think more money would be nice, but I like my job, I feel like my job aligns with my values, we have plenty of money, and I have plenty of free time/time with my family. We take a nice vacation every year, we max out our 401K/TSPs, we save for our kid's college tuition, and we live a little below our means.

[Anonymous]

A few years ago I was seriously considering making a change and joining the EPA because of my concern about climate control etc. But I didn't join for reasons not having to do with money. But now I'm very glad I didn't. Trump's and Pruitt's assault on the EPA is gutting the morale of that organization and people are racing for the doors. Similar attacks are being waged on other departments (state, DOJ, intelligence) and people are exiting.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I've always wanted to be a teacher. I love children, love learning and would have loved to have been a teacher. But no way could we have made life work on that salary. I make 125k working on federal regulations and policy and that's good enough, but a teachers salary of 50-75k wouldn't have been possible.

[Anonymous]

Public sector life is not a feel good career. If you like being micromanaged, dismissed, not communicated with, months n end spent on trivial things- than sign yourself up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd very much like to go into public service. Possibly indefinitely, possibly for a lengthy chunk of time (7-10 years). But I also quite like the lifestyle we have now with two private sector salaries. I make about $300k/year all-in and my partner makes about the same. We don't have extravagant expenses, but we very much like the ability to buy plane tickets to go see family/take nice vacations etc. without thinking about the money.

My move to public service would probably coincide with my partner moving to a less demanding job. I would end up making around 150/year and my partner would make maybe 175-200. We'd also maybe like to have a child around then. This is obviously still a somewhat comfortable combined income, but with the rise in expenses it's a drastic lifestyle change.

If people made the move in these circumstances, what did you do to deal with the income drop? (Besides saving more- we're saving as much as we can now-- about 175/year and maxing both 401ks) What things did you talk about with respect to whether or not the move is worth it?

Public service means becoming a missionary and going to Africa.

Becoming a bureaucrat with a fully funded pension 10+ years earlier than in the private sector, and with a much more flexible work schedule is a perfectly legitimate lifestyle choice, but it's not "public service".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd very much like to go into public service. Possibly indefinitely, possibly for a lengthy chunk of time (7-10 years). But I also quite like the lifestyle we have now with two private sector salaries. I make about $300k/year all-in and my partner makes about the same. We don't have extravagant expenses, but we very much like the ability to buy plane tickets to go see family/take nice vacations etc. without thinking about the money.

My move to public service would probably coincide with my partner moving to a less demanding job. I would end up making around 150/year and my partner would make maybe 175-200. We'd also maybe like to have a child around then. This is obviously still a somewhat comfortable combined income, but with the rise in expenses it's a drastic lifestyle change.

If people made the move in these circumstances, what did you do to deal with the income drop? (Besides saving more- we're saving as much as we can now-- about 175/year and maxing both 401ks) What things did you talk about with respect to whether or not the move is worth it?

Public service means becoming a missionary and going to Africa.

Becoming a bureaucrat with a fully funded pension 10+ years earlier than in the private sector, and with a much more flexible work schedule is a perfectly legitimate lifestyle choice, but it's not "public service".

You have a very narrow (and idiosyncratically religious) definition of public service.

[Anonymous]

There are tiers to public service. I used to work in the non-profit sector (albeit in a market with a lower COL) and made 30k a year working one FT job and one PT job. I didn't want to live my life that way. I grew up in a rural area thinking families that made more than 75k were rich.

I chose to pursue federal service to have the public service piece and a better income. Six years later, I make 100k and my HHI is upwards of 200k. To me, we have an excellent lifestyle - something I'm not sure my childhood self ever imagined. Sending our kids to private school wouldn't be a choice we would want to make, regardless of if it was affordable for us (honestly don't know, but considering we live below our means I suspect it could be). Its all relative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd very much like to go into public service. Possibly indefinitely, possibly for a lengthy chunk of time (7-10 years). But I also quite like the lifestyle we have now with two private sector salaries. I make about $300k/year all-in and my partner makes about the same. We don't have extravagant expenses, but we very much like the ability to buy plane tickets to go see family/take nice vacations etc. without thinking about the money.

My move to public service would probably coincide with my partner moving to a less demanding job. I would end up making around 150/year and my partner would make maybe 175-200. We'd also maybe like to have a child around then. This is obviously still a somewhat comfortable combined income, but with the rise in expenses it's a drastic lifestyle change.

If people made the move in these circumstances, what did you do to deal with the income drop? (Besides saving more- we're saving as much as we can now-- about 175/year and maxing both 401ks) What things did you talk about with respect to whether or not the move is worth it?

Public service means becoming a missionary and going to Africa.

Becoming a bureaucrat with a fully funded pension 10+ years earlier than in the private sector, and with a much more flexible work schedule is a perfectly legitimate lifestyle choice, but it's not "public service".

Forcing your fairy tales down other people’s throats is not public service. Missionaries are cancers on society. Especially those that coerce people by giving healthcare only if people believe, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public sector life is not a feel good career. If you like being micromanaged, dismissed, not communicated with, months n end spent on trivial things- than sign yourself up.

This is very individual. I spent the first 8 years of my career in the public sector. Not without its up and downs, I look back at the experiences I had with awe and near jealousy for the person I was and the life I got to live during those days. I'm private sector now. My salary went from about 90k, to 150k, to about 200k in a 2 year period. I still miss those government days and would go back in a heartbeat to work with the quality of people that I was surrounded by, the energizing mission, and the incredible experiences that time offered me.

An aside: Maybe not under this administration. Seems like a shitshow at this point.

[Anonymous]

The lack of any effing fed jobs keeps me out of service. I’d love to work for an IG but there are no jobs. Biglaw associate 5th year for context.