Should I take a big pay cut for a government job offer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. I've worked 20 years in the type of work you're considering. When you call it a dream job, realize that is a correct term- your dream, not your reality.

It can be enormously interesting and you certainly can be empowered to make a significant difference. However it is not worth the pay cut you're considering. You also believe your relative age is an advantage, and you are wrong. While it won't hurt you, it also won't weigh in your favor. You'll be facing genuine competition from 23 year olds. For example, I made 15 by age 30, and not because there was a lack of older competition.

I think more broadly, you have a good job, good benefits, good boss- you are not promised that. Federal compensation degrades every year. Ask them how much you'll be paying into the pension plan. Unless you're on an unusual pay plan, you'll get sticker shock. Example- as someone who has been in and grandfather into the old system, I pay about $50 every 2 weeks. A new person making the same amount pays $600 every 2 weeks. That's just for the pension- you'll also need to fund your TSP. Oh, and check out the premiums on health insurance.

As a private sector person, you're probably also used to things like having coffee at the office, at a minimum. Literally nothing is free in the government. You will pay all your own coffee and if the water is unsuitable in your building (ours is often brown) you'll need to bring your own water. My agency won't even pay for dishsoap in the breakroom to wash up after lunch- that's an item for "personal use" so you'll pay for that too.

And unlike the private sector where you can wear relatively inexpensive and comfortable clothing like jeans and a sweater, you'll likely need suits for daily wear, and they will need to be dry cleaned.

And most places make you pay for parking.

By the time you've paid into your pension, tsp, health care, etc and the recurring expenses of parking, buying jackets and laundering them, etc, you'll see very little of that 87k.

Also, you can do very little work from home in this field. You can't even have your cell phone with you most of the day. You're literally lucky to see a window or sunlight in some cases.

This. I interviewed for those types of dream jobs in my mid-30s and realized that the lifestyle changes would be too much for me and my family to handle.

OP here, thanks a million to everybody for the insights. I will wait till I get an official start date to make a definitive decision but as of now expect I will decline this offer. Too little money, too low a grade, and too much global uncertainty to accept it given my current strong position with a blue chip contracting firm. I very much do want to obtain a public service position in this field but will look to get either another offer commensurate with my career trajectory or scratch that itch through other means like greater involvement in my community. Thanks again

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. I've worked 20 years in the type of work you're considering. When you call it a dream job, realize that is a correct term- your dream, not your reality.

It can be enormously interesting and you certainly can be empowered to make a significant difference. However it is not worth the pay cut you're considering. You also believe your relative age is an advantage, and you are wrong. While it won't hurt you, it also won't weigh in your favor. You'll be facing genuine competition from 23 year olds. For example, I made 15 by age 30, and not because there was a lack of older competition.

I think more broadly, you have a good job, good benefits, good boss- you are not promised that. Federal compensation degrades every year. Ask them how much you'll be paying into the pension plan. Unless you're on an unusual pay plan, you'll get sticker shock. Example- as someone who has been in and grandfather into the old system, I pay about $50 every 2 weeks. A new person making the same amount pays $600 every 2 weeks. That's just for the pension- you'll also need to fund your TSP. Oh, and check out the premiums on health insurance.

As a private sector person, you're probably also used to things like having coffee at the office, at a minimum. Literally nothing is free in the government. You will pay all your own coffee and if the water is unsuitable in your building (ours is often brown) you'll need to bring your own water. My agency won't even pay for dishsoap in the breakroom to wash up after lunch- that's an item for "personal use" so you'll pay for that too.

And unlike the private sector where you can wear relatively inexpensive and comfortable clothing like jeans and a sweater, you'll likely need suits for daily wear, and they will need to be dry cleaned.

And most places make you pay for parking.

By the time you've paid into your pension, tsp, health care, etc and the recurring expenses of parking, buying jackets and laundering them, etc, you'll see very little of that 87k.

Also, you can do very little work from home in this field. You can't even have your cell phone with you most of the day. You're literally lucky to see a window or sunlight in some cases.

This. I interviewed for those types of dream jobs in my mid-30s and realized that the lifestyle changes would be too much for me and my family to handle.

OP here, thanks a million to everybody for the insights. I will wait till I get an official start date to make a definitive decision but as of now expect I will decline this offer. Too little money, too low a grade, and too much global uncertainty to accept it given my current strong position with a blue chip contracting firm. I very much do want to obtain a public service position in this field but will look to get either another offer commensurate with my career trajectory or scratch that itch through other means like greater involvement in my community. Thanks again

You can do that? I received a conditional offer but declined it right away knowing that the paycut would be too much for me and my family to handle right now. Are we allowed to tentatively accept, go through all the background checks and decline when they provide a start date? I would think a lot of efforts and man hour that was put in when you already know you will most likely decline the offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. I've worked 20 years in the type of work you're considering. When you call it a dream job, realize that is a correct term- your dream, not your reality.

It can be enormously interesting and you certainly can be empowered to make a significant difference. However it is not worth the pay cut you're considering. You also believe your relative age is an advantage, and you are wrong. While it won't hurt you, it also won't weigh in your favor. You'll be facing genuine competition from 23 year olds. For example, I made 15 by age 30, and not because there was a lack of older competition.

I think more broadly, you have a good job, good benefits, good boss- you are not promised that. Federal compensation degrades every year. Ask them how much you'll be paying into the pension plan. Unless you're on an unusual pay plan, you'll get sticker shock. Example- as someone who has been in and grandfather into the old system, I pay about $50 every 2 weeks. A new person making the same amount pays $600 every 2 weeks. That's just for the pension- you'll also need to fund your TSP. Oh, and check out the premiums on health insurance.

As a private sector person, you're probably also used to things like having coffee at the office, at a minimum. Literally nothing is free in the government. You will pay all your own coffee and if the water is unsuitable in your building (ours is often brown) you'll need to bring your own water. My agency won't even pay for dishsoap in the breakroom to wash up after lunch- that's an item for "personal use" so you'll pay for that too.

And unlike the private sector where you can wear relatively inexpensive and comfortable clothing like jeans and a sweater, you'll likely need suits for daily wear, and they will need to be dry cleaned.

And most places make you pay for parking.

By the time you've paid into your pension, tsp, health care, etc and the recurring expenses of parking, buying jackets and laundering them, etc, you'll see very little of that 87k.

Also, you can do very little work from home in this field. You can't even have your cell phone with you most of the day. You're literally lucky to see a window or sunlight in some cases.

This. I interviewed for those types of dream jobs in my mid-30s and realized that the lifestyle changes would be too much for me and my family to handle.

OP here, thanks a million to everybody for the insights. I will wait till I get an official start date to make a definitive decision but as of now expect I will decline this offer. Too little money, too low a grade, and too much global uncertainty to accept it given my current strong position with a blue chip contracting firm. I very much do want to obtain a public service position in this field but will look to get either another offer commensurate with my career trajectory or scratch that itch through other means like greater involvement in my community. Thanks again

You can do that? I received a conditional offer but declined it right away knowing that the paycut would be too much for me and my family to handle right now. Are we allowed to tentatively accept, go through all the background checks and decline when they provide a start date? I would think a lot of efforts and man hour that was put in when you already know you will most likely decline the offer.

+1. What’s the point of waiting for a start date? Just in case your current gig implodes? If you are actually worried about that, then the gov pay cut might be worth it.

I know people who strung along a job like you describe, but only if they were buying time for another job to make an offer. If the other job didn’t come through, they would have accepted the initial offer. But that’s not what you seem to be proposing.

If you know you are going to say no, saying yes only to back out will really burn a bridge that could be costly later. Simply saying no shouldn’t have the same effect. If you think that you would be able to negotiate further after the tentative acceptance, you certainly won’t. Any negotiation would have to be beforehand.

I guess I just don’t see how you benefit from what you are contemplating and you will really piss people off who you may want to work for down the line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. I've worked 20 years in the type of work you're considering. When you call it a dream job, realize that is a correct term- your dream, not your reality.

It can be enormously interesting and you certainly can be empowered to make a significant difference. However it is not worth the pay cut you're considering. You also believe your relative age is an advantage, and you are wrong. While it won't hurt you, it also won't weigh in your favor. You'll be facing genuine competition from 23 year olds. For example, I made 15 by age 30, and not because there was a lack of older competition.

I think more broadly, you have a good job, good benefits, good boss- you are not promised that. Federal compensation degrades every year. Ask them how much you'll be paying into the pension plan. Unless you're on an unusual pay plan, you'll get sticker shock. Example- as someone who has been in and grandfather into the old system, I pay about $50 every 2 weeks. A new person making the same amount pays $600 every 2 weeks. That's just for the pension- you'll also need to fund your TSP. Oh, and check out the premiums on health insurance.

As a private sector person, you're probably also used to things like having coffee at the office, at a minimum. Literally nothing is free in the government. You will pay all your own coffee and if the water is unsuitable in your building (ours is often brown) you'll need to bring your own water. My agency won't even pay for dishsoap in the breakroom to wash up after lunch- that's an item for "personal use" so you'll pay for that too.

And unlike the private sector where you can wear relatively inexpensive and comfortable clothing like jeans and a sweater, you'll likely need suits for daily wear, and they will need to be dry cleaned.

And most places make you pay for parking.

By the time you've paid into your pension, tsp, health care, etc and the recurring expenses of parking, buying jackets and laundering them, etc, you'll see very little of that 87k.

Also, you can do very little work from home in this field. You can't even have your cell phone with you most of the day. You're literally lucky to see a window or sunlight in some cases.

This. I interviewed for those types of dream jobs in my mid-30s and realized that the lifestyle changes would be too much for me and my family to handle.

OP here, thanks a million to everybody for the insights. I will wait till I get an official start date to make a definitive decision but as of now expect I will decline this offer. Too little money, too low a grade, and too much global uncertainty to accept it given my current strong position with a blue chip contracting firm. I very much do want to obtain a public service position in this field but will look to get either another offer commensurate with my career trajectory or scratch that itch through other means like greater involvement in my community. Thanks again

You can do that? I received a conditional offer but declined it right away knowing that the paycut would be too much for me and my family to handle right now. Are we allowed to tentatively accept, go through all the background checks and decline when they provide a start date? I would think a lot of efforts and man hour that was put in when you already know you will most likely decline the offer.

+1. What’s the point of waiting for a start date? Just in case your current gig implodes? If you are actually worried about that, then the gov pay cut might be worth it.

I know people who strung along a job like you describe, but only if they were buying time for another job to make an offer. If the other job didn’t come through, they would have accepted the initial offer. But that’s not what you seem to be proposing.

If you know you are going to say no, saying yes only to back out will really burn a bridge that could be costly later. Simply saying no shouldn’t have the same effect. If you think that you would be able to negotiate further after the tentative acceptance, you certainly won’t. Any negotiation would have to be beforehand.

I guess I just don’t see how you benefit from what you are contemplating and you will really piss people off who you may want to work for down the line.

OP here, that's not how it works. Absolutely nothing is certain until I have an official start date. That could come through in a week or in a year. The hiring agency reserves the right to withdraw the offer at any point for any reason until then and have instructed me to make no changes in my plans until such date has been given. As instructed I will make my definitive decision to accept or decline once that date comes through.

[Anonymous]

^NP here and while you shouldn't give notice to your current employer until you have an official start date you shouldn't accept a tentative offer if the terms are not acceptable to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. I've worked 20 years in the type of work you're considering. When you call it a dream job, realize that is a correct term- your dream, not your reality.

It can be enormously interesting and you certainly can be empowered to make a significant difference. However it is not worth the pay cut you're considering. You also believe your relative age is an advantage, and you are wrong. While it won't hurt you, it also won't weigh in your favor. You'll be facing genuine competition from 23 year olds. For example, I made 15 by age 30, and not because there was a lack of older competition.

I think more broadly, you have a good job, good benefits, good boss- you are not promised that. Federal compensation degrades every year. Ask them how much you'll be paying into the pension plan. Unless you're on an unusual pay plan, you'll get sticker shock. Example- as someone who has been in and grandfather into the old system, I pay about $50 every 2 weeks. A new person making the same amount pays $600 every 2 weeks. That's just for the pension- you'll also need to fund your TSP. Oh, and check out the premiums on health insurance.

As a private sector person, you're probably also used to things like having coffee at the office, at a minimum. Literally nothing is free in the government. You will pay all your own coffee and if the water is unsuitable in your building (ours is often brown) you'll need to bring your own water. My agency won't even pay for dishsoap in the breakroom to wash up after lunch- that's an item for "personal use" so you'll pay for that too.

And unlike the private sector where you can wear relatively inexpensive and comfortable clothing like jeans and a sweater, you'll likely need suits for daily wear, and they will need to be dry cleaned.

And most places make you pay for parking.

By the time you've paid into your pension, tsp, health care, etc and the recurring expenses of parking, buying jackets and laundering them, etc, you'll see very little of that 87k.

Also, you can do very little work from home in this field. You can't even have your cell phone with you most of the day. You're literally lucky to see a window or sunlight in some cases.

This. I interviewed for those types of dream jobs in my mid-30s and realized that the lifestyle changes would be too much for me and my family to handle.

OP here, thanks a million to everybody for the insights. I will wait till I get an official start date to make a definitive decision but as of now expect I will decline this offer. Too little money, too low a grade, and too much global uncertainty to accept it given my current strong position with a blue chip contracting firm. I very much do want to obtain a public service position in this field but will look to get either another offer commensurate with my career trajectory or scratch that itch through other means like greater involvement in my community. Thanks again

You can do that? I received a conditional offer but declined it right away knowing that the paycut would be too much for me and my family to handle right now. Are we allowed to tentatively accept, go through all the background checks and decline when they provide a start date? I would think a lot of efforts and man hour that was put in when you already know you will most likely decline the offer.

+1. What’s the point of waiting for a start date? Just in case your current gig implodes? If you are actually worried about that, then the gov pay cut might be worth it.

I know people who strung along a job like you describe, but only if they were buying time for another job to make an offer. If the other job didn’t come through, they would have accepted the initial offer. But that’s not what you seem to be proposing.

If you know you are going to say no, saying yes only to back out will really burn a bridge that could be costly later. Simply saying no shouldn’t have the same effect. If you think that you would be able to negotiate further after the tentative acceptance, you certainly won’t. Any negotiation would have to be beforehand.

I guess I just don’t see how you benefit from what you are contemplating and you will really piss people off who you may want to work for down the line.

OP here, that's not how it works. Absolutely nothing is certain until I have an official start date. That could come through in a week or in a year. The hiring agency reserves the right to withdraw the offer at any point for any reason until then and have instructed me to make no changes in my plans until such date has been given. As instructed I will make my definitive decision to accept or decline once that date comes through.

It is how it works. As 14:25 said, you should not accept an offer you don’t plan on taking. That’s very different than quitting your current job. But do what you want. It will be your bridges burned.

I once backed out of an acceptance of a “tentative” offer because I got a much better job in the interim. I can assure you, I will almost certainly never get hired again by the agency I spurned. And that’s even when I did plan to actually take that job and only changed my mind when the other offer (which offered substantially more pay and other benefits, so it would be hard for someone to objectively turn it down) came about.

In my case it was worth it because the offer was that much better. But it seems foolhardy for you to burn that bridge unnecessarily. Especially since you want to work there later in your career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’re going to travel and have you live abroad, you will do it early and the government will pick up your expenses - housing, etc. After a few years your new salary will have moved up and if you are smart, you will have banked much of your earlier salary. It’s apples and oranges. I took a job like that and in my low earning years I lived on the government’s dime. Came home and had a downpayment saved.

OP here - yep, I'm very aware of the government benefits while living abroad. I do have those sorts of options in my current job as well but of course huge prestige difference in being a contractor vs. 'real' government employee.

Definitely struggling with this choice as this offer was a life-long dream of mine but the pay cut just feels insulting.

Is it just you? Do you have a significant other? Kids?

If it’s a lifelong dream, negotiate the offer. Build that bridge of what you need and what the employer needs. I wouldn’t get hung up on the numbers per se.

Just me and my partner but she has a very legit career and there is no way in hell I would ask her to be a "trailing spouse" and take some bullshit job abroad or permanently sacrifice her career. So would have to figure that one out.

Dude! You need to figure this out NOW! You need to talk to her and ask what she wants to do. Is she willing to wait years at home for you? Is she willing to come with you? It’s insane that you’re considering this job and you DO NOT KNOW the answers to these questions!!!

Also, if you ever plan to have children, being apart is horrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to sit down with your partner and discuss this. I have seen far too many FS or other agency trailing spouses end up embittered and resentful for their careers stalling. The government does not owe your partner a job, contrary to what many spouses think. Not all telework setups function properly for trailing spouses. Your partner might only be able to secure an administrative job at the embassy. Nurses and teachers always seem to do okay IME.
Then again, many spouses like working at the Embassy so they can keep an eye on their partners. Seriously.

Thanks, really appreciate that. My partner would be qualified for a lot of implementing development jobs at places like Chemonics (she does similar work but domestically focused), but that would be very dependent on timing and which country I got placed in. Zero interest in forcing my partner's career to stall out. I'm quite invested in both of our success.

Demonics will beat the soul out of her.