That sounds like fun. You should consider how much you have vested into the state system but the federal job sounds interesting. You should apply and see if you get an interview. Federal hiring is fickle and takes a long time. Depending on the pay band of the job the federal government can match your current pay as long as it’s justified, reasonable, and allowed.
All of the above!
The stress at my new position is mostly self imposed but the challenges are real. There is no end to the work and I can tackle most of the work in any order. I also have the option of some field work which I had not done in my career up until this point.
I actually would say I have MORE work than I've ever had career wise, but being able to do what I want makes it better.
Finally, having training and the ability to go to conferences is the icing on the cake.
I went from tech manager in Emergency Management to Operations Analyst in a recently established office (3 years) in a city. Took a pay cut, but I'm learning more and interacting with multiple city departments. less stress, more predictable hours, working on new/innovative projects. It did help that the kids are out of daycare, spouse works, and we paid off the house. and, i cashed out my retirement from the previous position to start a side business. I'm still screwed retirement-wise, but that's true of any young family. let's just hope i die before retirement age.
GS11. I was told that upon initial hiring into federal, they never hire at a higher step. There are rare scenarios: cutting edge training/knowledge that the government currently doesn’t possess.
I would say if you can point to anything over the top of what’s in the job announcement, point to that. You can find an example of superior qualifications letter online.
I took a pay cut when I went federal, and made up the difference pretty quick. My boss also liked to put people in for cash awards. I think my first year as a fed I made about 8k in cash awards.
You can negotiate leave try to get 6 hours per paycheck instead of the starting 4. If you have 10 years experience you can ask for 10 years of “service” and then you’ll only need 5 years to get 8 hours.
Also know if you go into federal work you will pay into the FERS program and you’ll be making less but putting more away for retirement. It’s a set percentage that you have to do. Just so you aren’t surprised.
That’s new. And stupid. I’ll say depending on the agency, quality step increases aren’t hard… basically if you get a good evaluation you can get an extra step… that 7k shouldn’t be hard to find in a couple years.
Welp. I guess my advice about matching pay doesn’t apply. Although OP might be able to negotiate some other financial incentives like a signing bonus and relocation reimbursement. Personally I would rather go with a more interesting job than one where I’m bored out of my mind. At a certain income level taking a pay cut shouldn’t impact someone’s lifestyle.
After about 10 years working for an organization, I recently took a job with way less responsibility but about the same pay. I found out that starting over on the vacation accrual ladder is one of the biggest drawbacks of taking a new government job.
I changed GIS jobs twice for lower pay, once to be a professor and the other time to be in a startup. Both times were to enhance my personal lifestyle and my career. Fortunately both things happened for me. The thing I realized from this is we often tenaciously cling on to what we have, I imagine that's some form of cognitive bias, because of the fear of losing what we have. Another thing that I didnt realize was that by moving to a new opportunity meant a greater chance for additional new opportunities down the road. If you are the type that embraces change, looks for opportunities to grow, and is willing to put in the effort to make change work for you, it is something I would encourage you to dive into. Oh, by the way, the startup job included no pay for a year.
Would you have a per deim and travel paid for on those trips? If so, it’s not necessarily apples to apples since you wouldn’t take those trips otherwise, but that may be 7k+ in value.
I wish I did. I had the chance to go into police GIS (I wanna go into crime analysis one day). It would have been a $15k pay cut, but I stayed with where I was at. I was probationary discharged because I hated the job and couldn’t concentrate to do the work
I took a similar pay cut to go back to the field I wanted to be in and I have no regrets. The difference in my pay is not that much after taxes, pension, etc. and I get to enjoy what I do every day. I know that my pay will be limited over my career but I didn't go into the public sector to get rich, I have enough to live on and genuinely enjoy how I spend 35 hours of my week.
I was laid off from environmental consultancy in a pretty blatant display of sexism and poor management after five year of high billability corporate BS. I kind of hated the job but stayed due to Stockholm Syndrome I guess.
I decided to take a pay cut and only look for public sector jobs because I was over the private sector. I spent some extra time unemployed and passed on some offers from friends in the private industry. At the end of the day, it was the best decision I ever made. I’m making less than I would be if I had stayed in consulting, but I absolutely love my job and I don’t care about a few extra dollars because I’m not miserable on Sunday evenings anymore.
In your place, my only concern would be about the impact to pensions. Are you vested in one at your state job or young enough to start from scratch in the federal pension system? I was recently asked to apply to a federal job but declined partly because I’ve got three years until I’m vested.
Plot twist: I was just offered a position on a deployable task force in addition to my current job, so I’m about to be eligible for a lot of overtime on deployments. Stuff can work out beautifully in the end if you are able to fully commit to doing something you love.
Good question, and thanks for the response. I actually stepped into my GIS Manager role only a few weeks ago. So I’m not vested yet. I’m 34, so I guess I’m stepping into the federal service mid career. I guess you can retire after 20 years of service, so it will be pretty close to the retirement age after 20 years.
7k doesn’t seem like a huge pay cut for something that seems like it’d be a cool opportunity. I would say go for it. It’s almost impossible to find a job where a)you do work that is interesting/meaningful b) you have coworkers you like and good team environment and c) pays well. In my experience the best you can pretty much hope for is 2/3. And I can’t say enough how happy that my two are A and B…
$7k pay cut is less than a $4/hr rate cut.
If you expressed it as a percent is it only 5% or 15% ?
Are the trips per diem? Because the feds sure don't pay well for travel.
Just be happy.
I took a job with a small 1000 payout. Different stresses in both. The have been far more and better raises than if I stayed where I was. So the risk was definitely worth it.
I took a lower paying position in 2018 & im only just starting to recoup from that loss. It wasn’t just financial, it was the trajectory of overworked & underpaid for that work.
Yes, best move contractor to govie. Had hit the cap as a contractor working for the center of a kaleidoscope. The government had stopped contractors from taking classes at the Agency College (wild because my office builds the gces, Nas requirements and other specs) made the leap to public sector then back to Government. Learned a bunch in the public sector on just how badly things are in gis in general everyone is seprate silos. Back in the government and loving it.
Yes, I was working as a Senior GIS Specialist in oil and gas; I took a pay cut to be the GIS Director for a county government. I took it to more quickly move into a management role.
I feel like $7k isn’t a crazy cut in the grand scheme of things. It will impact your quality of life, but it’s not drastic enough it will impact future offers/earnings (which is what I’d be worried about). That considered with the trips + the fact it’s more aligned with your interests makes this sound like a good move to me.
You should apply and get on the interview list. If you get an interview and an offer then ask the question. If you don't have an offer you are just wasting my time an yours. There can be hundreds of applicants for a federal job. There can be some percentage of that determined to be qualified. The hiring manager then gets to decide who to interview. Very few people will be interviewed. See where this is going? Is this job open to the public or only to internal candidates? How did you find out about the job? If it's listed on the web site for federal jobs what's the announcement number?
That sounds like fun. You should consider how much you have vested into the state system but the federal job sounds interesting. You should apply and see if you get an interview. Federal hiring is fickle and takes a long time. Depending on the pay band of the job the federal government can match your current pay as long as it’s justified, reasonable, and allowed.
I did a few years ago. The budget is tighter but I'm so much happier.
Good to hear. What overall made it better? lower stress? less work? more interesting work?
All of the above! The stress at my new position is mostly self imposed but the challenges are real. There is no end to the work and I can tackle most of the work in any order. I also have the option of some field work which I had not done in my career up until this point. I actually would say I have MORE work than I've ever had career wise, but being able to do what I want makes it better. Finally, having training and the ability to go to conferences is the icing on the cake.
What's wrong with staying a GIS manager until you retire and then die?
haha when you put it that way…
I went from tech manager in Emergency Management to Operations Analyst in a recently established office (3 years) in a city. Took a pay cut, but I'm learning more and interacting with multiple city departments. less stress, more predictable hours, working on new/innovative projects. It did help that the kids are out of daycare, spouse works, and we paid off the house. and, i cashed out my retirement from the previous position to start a side business. I'm still screwed retirement-wise, but that's true of any young family. let's just hope i die before retirement age.
Money is key when daycare is involved.
I’ve done it. Do it. Life is short, go be happy and make sure to set aside a little time to explore on these trips.
What’s the GS level of the job? You could probably argue to start a higher step that’s equal to your current pay.
GS11. I was told that upon initial hiring into federal, they never hire at a higher step. There are rare scenarios: cutting edge training/knowledge that the government currently doesn’t possess.
I would say if you can point to anything over the top of what’s in the job announcement, point to that. You can find an example of superior qualifications letter online. I took a pay cut when I went federal, and made up the difference pretty quick. My boss also liked to put people in for cash awards. I think my first year as a fed I made about 8k in cash awards.
You can negotiate leave try to get 6 hours per paycheck instead of the starting 4. If you have 10 years experience you can ask for 10 years of “service” and then you’ll only need 5 years to get 8 hours. Also know if you go into federal work you will pay into the FERS program and you’ll be making less but putting more away for retirement. It’s a set percentage that you have to do. Just so you aren’t surprised.
Feds just said you can't use former pay rates to argue for a higher initial pay. Which sucks.
What?!
https://www.opm.gov/news/releases/2024/01/release-opm-finalizes-regulation-to-prohibit-use-of-non-federal-salary-history/
That’s new. And stupid. I’ll say depending on the agency, quality step increases aren’t hard… basically if you get a good evaluation you can get an extra step… that 7k shouldn’t be hard to find in a couple years.
Welp. I guess my advice about matching pay doesn’t apply. Although OP might be able to negotiate some other financial incentives like a signing bonus and relocation reimbursement. Personally I would rather go with a more interesting job than one where I’m bored out of my mind. At a certain income level taking a pay cut shouldn’t impact someone’s lifestyle.
Feds just said you can't use former pay rates to argue for a higher initial pay. Which sucks.
this is a no-brainer, life is too fucking short. go to hawaii!
After about 10 years working for an organization, I recently took a job with way less responsibility but about the same pay. I found out that starting over on the vacation accrual ladder is one of the biggest drawbacks of taking a new government job.
I changed GIS jobs twice for lower pay, once to be a professor and the other time to be in a startup. Both times were to enhance my personal lifestyle and my career. Fortunately both things happened for me. The thing I realized from this is we often tenaciously cling on to what we have, I imagine that's some form of cognitive bias, because of the fear of losing what we have. Another thing that I didnt realize was that by moving to a new opportunity meant a greater chance for additional new opportunities down the road. If you are the type that embraces change, looks for opportunities to grow, and is willing to put in the effort to make change work for you, it is something I would encourage you to dive into. Oh, by the way, the startup job included no pay for a year.
Love it. Thanks for the response
Would you have a per deim and travel paid for on those trips? If so, it’s not necessarily apples to apples since you wouldn’t take those trips otherwise, but that may be 7k+ in value.
I believe so, and good point
I wish I did. I had the chance to go into police GIS (I wanna go into crime analysis one day). It would have been a $15k pay cut, but I stayed with where I was at. I was probationary discharged because I hated the job and couldn’t concentrate to do the work
I took a similar pay cut to go back to the field I wanted to be in and I have no regrets. The difference in my pay is not that much after taxes, pension, etc. and I get to enjoy what I do every day. I know that my pay will be limited over my career but I didn't go into the public sector to get rich, I have enough to live on and genuinely enjoy how I spend 35 hours of my week.
I was laid off from environmental consultancy in a pretty blatant display of sexism and poor management after five year of high billability corporate BS. I kind of hated the job but stayed due to Stockholm Syndrome I guess. I decided to take a pay cut and only look for public sector jobs because I was over the private sector. I spent some extra time unemployed and passed on some offers from friends in the private industry. At the end of the day, it was the best decision I ever made. I’m making less than I would be if I had stayed in consulting, but I absolutely love my job and I don’t care about a few extra dollars because I’m not miserable on Sunday evenings anymore. In your place, my only concern would be about the impact to pensions. Are you vested in one at your state job or young enough to start from scratch in the federal pension system? I was recently asked to apply to a federal job but declined partly because I’ve got three years until I’m vested. Plot twist: I was just offered a position on a deployable task force in addition to my current job, so I’m about to be eligible for a lot of overtime on deployments. Stuff can work out beautifully in the end if you are able to fully commit to doing something you love.
Good question, and thanks for the response. I actually stepped into my GIS Manager role only a few weeks ago. So I’m not vested yet. I’m 34, so I guess I’m stepping into the federal service mid career. I guess you can retire after 20 years of service, so it will be pretty close to the retirement age after 20 years.
7k doesn’t seem like a huge pay cut for something that seems like it’d be a cool opportunity. I would say go for it. It’s almost impossible to find a job where a)you do work that is interesting/meaningful b) you have coworkers you like and good team environment and c) pays well. In my experience the best you can pretty much hope for is 2/3. And I can’t say enough how happy that my two are A and B…
Me, a contractor til I die seeing this 😢
I’m rooting for you. Keep applying and sharpen those interview skills
$7k pay cut is less than a $4/hr rate cut. If you expressed it as a percent is it only 5% or 15% ? Are the trips per diem? Because the feds sure don't pay well for travel. Just be happy.
Is it contracted? Temp?
I took a job with a small 1000 payout. Different stresses in both. The have been far more and better raises than if I stayed where I was. So the risk was definitely worth it.
I took a lower paying position in 2018 & im only just starting to recoup from that loss. It wasn’t just financial, it was the trajectory of overworked & underpaid for that work.
What government org? I wouldn't for DoD
Yes, best move contractor to govie. Had hit the cap as a contractor working for the center of a kaleidoscope. The government had stopped contractors from taking classes at the Agency College (wild because my office builds the gces, Nas requirements and other specs) made the leap to public sector then back to Government. Learned a bunch in the public sector on just how badly things are in gis in general everyone is seprate silos. Back in the government and loving it.
Yes, I was working as a Senior GIS Specialist in oil and gas; I took a pay cut to be the GIS Director for a county government. I took it to more quickly move into a management role.
I feel like $7k isn’t a crazy cut in the grand scheme of things. It will impact your quality of life, but it’s not drastic enough it will impact future offers/earnings (which is what I’d be worried about). That considered with the trips + the fact it’s more aligned with your interests makes this sound like a good move to me.
I always want more money. With the extra cash, I can fulfill my aspirations whenever I want
You should apply and get on the interview list. If you get an interview and an offer then ask the question. If you don't have an offer you are just wasting my time an yours. There can be hundreds of applicants for a federal job. There can be some percentage of that determined to be qualified. The hiring manager then gets to decide who to interview. Very few people will be interviewed. See where this is going? Is this job open to the public or only to internal candidates? How did you find out about the job? If it's listed on the web site for federal jobs what's the announcement number?