A
female
age
41-50,
anonymous
writes:Career decision: I am a young lady with a GS 14 position in the Federal Government. I'm barely in this position for a year when the deputy director approached me with an offer. The offer is to transfer to another branch to help out with this lousy difficult project with high visibility which is also tied to one of our President's agenda. The best part of it is that the current administrator of the project is a GS 15 who will be retiring soon. They didn't guarantee anything but kinda promised I'll be rewarded greatly in the future. While this was going on, my current boss was saying in the background that this is not guaranteed and he won't want them to just go after talent and not look out for me.I pondered for days. Talked to my family and it seems like even the money did not entice them with this offer. They advices me to turn it down. My gut was telling me this was a great challenge that will pay off in the future but my mind was not ready to say yes. I feel like I already got thousands of things I do outside my job which worked due to the flexibility of my current position. If I take on this project, all that flexibility goes out the window. I was also thinking about settling down soon and the peace of mind I have now will pay off when starting a new family.Well I decided to turn the offer down and it killed me. I have never turned an opportunity down before.Today I had a chat with my current boss and it shattered me more. He started to plot on how he knows a guy who is already a GS 15 that can do the job. He even said he asked the agency head and he told him that if I took the position I will be rewArded. Is that a thing to say to someone who stuck by you and remained loyal to you. Now I'm second guessing my decision. Did I make this decision due to influences from outsiders who may necessarily not want to see me make more money or see me winning?What have I done and what will you do in my position?
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male
reader, Sageoldguy1465 +, writes (9 January 2014):
 Making one's way in the "real world" can be compared to being a TURTLE. After all, a turtle can only go places WHEN HE STICKS HIS NECK OUT!!!!!!
Good luck....
A
female
reader, So_Very_Confused +, writes (9 January 2014):
 I understand federal service and the GS scale totally. I'm second Gen Fed at the second largest agency in the country. We refer to it as the family business. My son is 3rd gen and is contracting for the feds now.
I'm happily RIP (retired in place) as a GS-12 having started as a GS4 25 years ago.
It is no longer what we lovingly refer to as "my father's government" My father was a GS-15 who turned down SES several times including appointments by presidents. It never affected his ability to earn, work or have massive influence in our agency. Even now, when he retired in 1994 his name still invokes responses that amaze me.
IF your aiming for SES (and at 30-35 being a GS-14 I would hope SES is your goal) then yeah you need to get to the 15 to make that easier. The money difference between GS14 and GS-15 is not HUGE... for example a GS-14 (step 10) will make 138,136 in my location this year. (pay scales for federal employees are open knowledge I'm not sharing secrets)
While a GS-15 (step 5) is making 141,660 (note that if you are a 14-10 your promotion to 15 would be at step 5 I believe since that would put you over the amount you make as a 14-10 adjust as necessary but it's a minimal difference. In the end a GS14-10 makes just under 20k less and that's at the VERY TOP... with only 1% increase this year and probably in the future... your not looking a a huge difference.
There will be plenty of 15s and SES positions for you to apply for... just keep checking. YOU do not need an invite from your boss to apply. Keep your 45 up to date and put in for anything that interests you.
Part of my joy at Federal employment is flexibility and job security. I'm old school fed... I would never leave. I'm proud to be a fed and even with all the crap we take from others I would not change it.
Also folks in private sector do not get federal service. And long term federal service while not what it was before 1982 is still pretty good in terms of a living.
Forget being a 15 if you are ambitious... go SES!
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (9 January 2014): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionLol I agree with the last part. Why on earth sill I go for something of that magnitude without a guaranteed reward. Their track records in the past also have not been very trusting. I like your response and I feel much better with my decision. Thanks
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A
female
reader, CindyCares  +, writes (9 January 2014):
 Look, I have no way to know for sure if you made the right decision or not, and btw I have no idea what is a GS 14 and GS 15, but,FWIW, my father, who was a wise , successful man and got to a prominent position in a field like yours, used to say that if you accept any move ( not just in geigraphical terms, also in terms of responibilities, competences etc. ) without an evident reward, then you are moving backward, not forward.
And my ex got royally screwed TWICE accepting offers like yours, .. nod nod , wink wink, we can't put anything in written , but , your boss is old and close to retirement...He got lured twice from a comfy position that suited him very well, to go ,metaphorically speaking ,wash somebody else's dirty laundry, and fix somebody's else mistakes, - working more hours in stressful environments, - only to be rewarded with ... high praise and handshakes at the end. Yes, of course he had been offered more money to accept the new assignment , he is not THAT stupid, in fact he is a very intelligent man, only too trustful , and optimistic about human nature. But, it is not all about money, he wasn't poor even before.
My personal conclusion is that when they say " there's no guarantee "... you can reasonably assume you are being given a lemon. People and companies and Governments too DO go after talent, and the right person to solve a specific problem or do a specific job, but how grateful they will be once the pressure is off and the job is done , that's all to be seen.
That's just my opinion, of course, unsupported by stats or hard evidence. But personally, I believe in " Hic Rhodus , hic salta ". The story is this - in some Greek island in ancient times , a foreign athlete was assisting to the preparations of the local athletes for the upcoming Olympic games . One of the locals jumps high, the foreigner says yes, that was good, but I did much better when I was in the island of Rhodes . Then another jumps even higher, and the guy says, oh yes, that was outstanding , but you should have seen me when I was in Rhodes.
At which, one of the athletes gets fed up, drags the bar in front of the braggart, and says : Hic Rhodus, hic salta " : This is Rhodes.Jump NOW .
On other words ... you want me to do X ? cool, then show me the money- or the promotion, in your case !
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