Work post

[vicarz]

Today I'm taking a minute to count my lucky stars.

I was working in a copy shop, master's degree be damned, when I got my first government job. A racist old man looked me up on the George Mason career database, and probably selected me because I had a Hispanic name and graduated with honors > 3.5 gpa. I started that job as a GS-7, with nearly-automatic promotions to GS-11, which changed to GS-12 before I got to the top of my ladder. Not only was I lucky to land that job for money and security reasons, as my job-seeking skills were weak, but I was just crazy and immature enough that the job might have been as professional as I could handle at that point in my life. I grew up a lot at work, but not without a fair number of bumps. That racist old guy and the crazy Korean gave me an environment I could grow in - I'm still grateful.

The GS-13 was my idea, and my own blood-sweat-tears as a low-level manager in a shitty environment. That sucked, but I have to take most of the credit for both the good and the bad that came from that.

This job started as another convenient-for-them no interview position, this time a lateral at the GS-13 level. I was smarter when I started, and kept my head down until I had established a good reputation. I was trained from the ground up in a skill for 1-2 jobs that I can now fill in many parts of the government - giving me at least 3 full career areas I can go into directly, maybe 5-6 I could argue my way into. I'm far more marketable, and now that I am out of EEO, I have to work with less crazy people (interpret that either way, less-crazy people, and less crazy-people). Now I'm in this job that goes to the 14 level in ths group. I've been scanning the USAJobs listings, and found that on average this work pays at the 12-13 level. Things here aren't perfect, but they aint bad either.

The Branch Chief job is open for GS-14 with horrible duties, and many of the applicants have law degrees, masters, military experience, and the like. These are the people competing with the HS-educated girl that they selected over me for the Ethics Job - the one who is always arriving late, leaving early, and having her "staff" do her work for her (she is buddy-buddy with the selecting official). If they hand her the job over these others, there could be easy EEO fodder. I'm curious to see what they do. Still, I get more and more evidence that the position I have is a very sweet spot to be in. I like the job at the 13 level, the 14 is foreseeable, it's unusual that it is a 14 at all, and this job really doesn't suck. I'm one lucky fawker, I think.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_blackjack_/]

I'm one lucky fawker, I think.

You are. I've seen your girlfriend. (I've even got this magazine...)

[vicar.livejournal.com]

That's not luck - I also credit that to hard work. Grunt.

[cobwellac.livejournal.com]

Hey, once you get your law degree, you can come over to my work or most other federal agencies and get your 14 without having to be management. I'm looking for agencies where I can get a 15, and there are some out there, so it just takes the right place.

Btw, I do plan to be at the housewarming and I might even bring a plant that you can kill over time.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

I don't see a lot of postings for any type of lawyer at or above GS-14. I have USAJobs send me a list of all attorney positions in the DC area mailed to me daily, but haven't seen that. How are they advertised? What Agency are you again?

Sweet - look forward to seeing you. Gawd...I should make a no-candle rule. When people don't know what to bring, it's always a candle. Maybe a no-candle theme?

[cweaselle.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you have a job that is even that good. If my boss hadn't messed up my clearance I would have had a great job too. I think things will keep getting better if not easier after you have your law degree.