YES....but only if the company offers you a lucrative equity and/or stock option vesting deal whereas if you stuck around for 5 years or so, you could easily make a cool $1-2m on your ownership stake. I was in a similar situation, but it was a decision between taking a gs15 at the Treasury vs. an internet startup. I took the internet startup, earned a higher salary, and then cashed out after working for about 5 years time. That was back in 2001, however....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a secure federal job, after 14 years I make $158k and always imagined I'd stay until retirement. One of our contractors just asked me if I'd consider doing virtually the same job for them for over $200kthough in guessing the benefits aren't as good and the company is smaller and less secure. Would you consider leaving federal employment under these circumstances?

NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Coming from a contractor who made over 200k for many years. Contractors come and go, and Fed RFQ's get rewritten all the time, so whats currently budget this year, may change next year. Hi GS14's & 15's r golden in this crazy economy. Stay put.....

"Golden" Jesus, what do you people make? I haven't dipped below 280k in years, not even including my stock options. Can't imagine considering a government income "golden". Maybe if i lived in Cleveland.

NP. We're a double 15-10 couple, so we're at approximately 320K. I might be naive, but I considered that to be a very good amount. To be sure, we are looking at no more raises or paltry ones at best. And one only has to reach step 8 now at 15 to top out, due to pay compression and the weird way the last federal raise was implemented. And I am fully aware that a 3500 sq ft house on an acre could be had in a Cleveland suburb for 350K or less.

Of couse that is good, but for a ~150k salary in this market, i definitely wouldn't consider it "golden". That salary is a dime a dozen in this town. I worked as a fed for 2 years, got my clearance, got connections, studied the lay of the land always having a much more ambition in mind when i left for the private sector. My DH has never been a fed and is in finance and makes 210k and his company pays ALL healthcare, even copays and has a full 401k match, so that is flying in his account at 36k/yr.

I think the mindset and of a fed is extremely different. I tink for some being a wage slave is a-ok with them as long as that wage is guaranteed. I'd rather "risk" a few months of unemployment, in exchange for taking our high wages and investing aggressively in real estate and the stock market. There is so much money for the taking in this country, it is really obscene.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a secure federal job, after 14 years I make $158k and always imagined I'd stay until retirement. One of our contractors just asked me if I'd consider doing virtually the same job for them for over $200kthough in guessing the benefits aren't as good and the company is smaller and less secure. Would you consider leaving federal employment under these circumstances?

NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Coming from a contractor who made over 200k for many years. Contractors come and go, and Fed RFQ's get rewritten all the time, so whats currently budget this year, may change next year. Hi GS14's & 15's r golden in this crazy economy. Stay put.....

"Golden" Jesus, what do you people make? I haven't dipped below 280k in years, not even including my stock options. Can't imagine considering a government income "golden". Maybe if i lived in Cleveland.

NP. We're a double 15-10 couple, so we're at approximately 320K. I might be naive, but I considered that to be a very good amount. To be sure, we are looking at no more raises or paltry ones at best. And one only has to reach step 8 now at 15 to top out, due to pay compression and the weird way the last federal raise was implemented. And I am fully aware that a 3500 sq ft house on an acre could be had in a Cleveland suburb for 350K or less.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a secure federal job, after 14 years I make $158k and always imagined I'd stay until retirement. One of our contractors just asked me if I'd consider doing virtually the same job for them for over $200kthough in guessing the benefits aren't as good and the company is smaller and less secure. Would you consider leaving federal employment under these circumstances?

NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Coming from a contractor who made over 200k for many years. Contractors come and go, and Fed RFQ's get rewritten all the time, so whats currently budget this year, may change next year. Hi GS14's & 15's r golden in this crazy economy. Stay put.....

"Golden" Jesus, what do you people make? I haven't dipped below 280k in years, not even including my stock options. Can't imagine considering a government income "golden". Maybe if i lived in Cleveland.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't be greedy. Remember the more they pay you, the more you have to prove your worth. They will not spend 1/4 mil on an employee who doesn't produce x2-x3 profit.

Spoken like someone with no ambition at all.

LOL. Go for it then. Ambition doesn't pay the bills.

Now spoken like a true idiot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't be greedy. Remember the more they pay you, the more you have to prove your worth. They will not spend 1/4 mil on an employee who doesn't produce x2-x3 profit.

Spoken like someone with no ambition at all.

LOL. Go for it then. Ambition doesn't pay the bills.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - thanks for the responses. I said no last night and they asked what might entice me to leave. I could counter with a higher salary request, more flexibility on pay, other benefits, etc. At my salary and benefits what would entice you to go?

Stay put. I mean maybe if they matched your annual leave, and other benefits, but otherwise no.

There is no price tag on job stability.

Anonymous wrote:No way. DH did 15 years ago and we've never quite recovered. I would stay put.

Sorry, what do you mean by never quite recovered?

Anonymous wrote:Don't be greedy. Remember the more they pay you, the more you have to prove your worth. They will not spend 1/4 mil on an employee who doesn't produce x2-x3 profit.

Spoken like someone with no ambition at all.

Don't be greedy. Remember the more they pay you, the more you have to prove your worth. They will not spend 1/4 mil on an employee who doesn't produce x2-x3 profit.

At what year do you earn health insurance for life? I though it was 20 or 25 years, right? If you're 6 years out, I'd stay put OP. If you're 11 years out, I might consider leaving.

Anonymous wrote:Op here - thanks for the responses. I said no last night and they asked what might entice me to leave. I could counter with a higher salary request, more flexibility on pay, other benefits, etc. At my salary and benefits what would entice you to go?

I'd say 250 would do it. That's a 92k raise. After taxes, maybe a 60k raise. Even if you lose out on 401k matching and pension contributions, you're still seeing an extra $4k in CASH every month. That could really make a difference.

I'd ask for 250k, 25 days of leave, and a 401k match. I'd accept a probably as low as $240k, 20 days, and 0 match.

No, contracts are only so good for so long. These days, they want the cheapest labor rate possible. What happens if there's a recompete and the company loses? You will be out of a job and the company that does win may hire you but at a much cheaper rate.

Anonymous wrote:Op here - thanks for the responses. I said no last night and they asked what might entice me to leave. I could counter with a higher salary request, more flexibility on pay, other benefits, etc. At my salary and benefits what would entice you to go?

250

Anonymous wrote:Op here - thanks for the responses. I said no last night and they asked what might entice me to leave. I could counter with a higher salary request, more flexibility on pay, other benefits, etc. At my salary and benefits what would entice you to go?

Stay put. I mean maybe if they matched your annual leave, and other benefits, but otherwise no.