Anonymous wrote:Well then the op "huge risk" gets juggled with no income or income gaps or living apart. Does the kid get affected by any of that? Other places have SN accommodations too.

Agreed, it is a spectrum hence why I am asking what other people have done when they depend upon two incomes, and at least one is ending. Back when fed jobs were stable this seemed like a reasonable state, but now is untenable in this new world order.

So if I am trying to diversify our income, there are no jobs in DC so I should just ride it out till RIF, that’s what everyone does? No new job is going to particularly stable where the spouse should quit day one, but people are doing that?

Well then the op "huge risk" gets juggled with no income or income gaps or living apart. Does the kid get affected by any of that? Other places have SN accommodations too.

Anonymous wrote:High school kids move all the time.

If you read the op, DD is special needs. So it’s a bit more disruptive than norma

High school kids move all the time.

California State Resident.

Anonymous wrote:Lots of high school kids move. It's fine, especially as a freshman.

They also might have better college choices than they would coming from the DC area.

Anonymous wrote:
how close are each of you to retirement??

10 years and still 2 college tuitions to pay.

how close are each of you to retirement??

Lots of high school kids move. It's fine, especially as a freshman.

Then it sounds like you should start searching for a job out west OP, and your wife start to retool for a new career she could pursue our west as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I truly do not understand how a SES can be so niche DC that none of the skills or expertise or subject matter can be used anywhere except the current job.
It's EXECUTIVE service. There have to be executive skills? Companies want DC type expertise and experience for strategy, regulatory matters, lots of things. OP spouse should spend $1k and talk to a career coach.

No, they don't. That's the problem.

Facebook fired all their policy and regulatory people.

I mean, what regulation do they have to negotiate?

Strategy of govt is radically different.

OP’s DW is also likely old, AND a woman, which are huge disadvantages to transition into an executive role.

There's more out there than Facebook. Pharma, pesticide, energy all have reg regimes. Just a start.

Her expertise is only relevant to a field that is actively laying off people. All her VERA colleagues are not finding work and trying to come back.

My industry only has jobs out west more or less; I was in a niche that has heritage here in DC. Now that it’s going away there is nothing. I guess I could could make 1/3 the salary as a teacher? But DW hates her job and wants a path to quitting not becoming even more of a breadwinner