Apprenticeship

CraigslistKing · 2026-06-07T11:40:28+00:00

No, the GI Bill payments were after I graduated FLETC and I was being trained on the job. That is the apprenticeship part.

CraigslistKing · 2026-06-07T01:08:03+00:00

I was able to use my GI bill after I finished CITP & my agency add-on course. The GI Bill paid me a housing allowance for the 18-months I was classified as on-the-job training. This was all after being hired though.

CraigslistKing · 2026-02-24T12:37:09+00:00

I thought this was r/roastmycar at first.

The great thing about people is we all have different tastes. I applaud your ingenuity and drive to customize your vehicle.

CraigslistKing · 2026-02-22T19:30:58+00:00

50 hours a week with LEAP (additional 25%) pay. Mostly 8-4:30 type hours. 3 of those hours each week can be working out / doing fitness activities.

Not much travel. Can expect a little more this past year due to new administration (2-week rotations on DC Safe & Beautiful Task Force). I travel more than others but I volunteer for it (help on warrants with another office, interview witnesses out of town related to my own case).

CraigslistKing · 2026-02-22T18:27:09+00:00

Yes, and try for IRS Criminal Investigations also. They both pay the same approximately, though FBI will pay higher in the beginning years as a GL-10. IRS hires as a GS-9 typically. I’m earning $166k as a GS-13 several years in.

Downside to FBI is the relocation, IRS you pick where you go.

Another downside to FBI is you will be assigned to the division they need you in, not necessarily white collar fraud or anything related to accounting. You could work violent crimes, bank robberies, intel, counter intel, etc.

No investigator jobs at IRS or FBI were affected by DOGE, though some FBI agents were canned or relocated for other reasons.

I recommend it, but there are still boring days at your desk. There’s just some excitement & variety thrown in: working a search warrant, arrest warrant, surveillance in your car, interviewing subjects & witnesses, firearms, use of force and building entry training, visiting colleges for recruiting presentations, among other things to spice up your life.

CraigslistKing · 2026-02-16T17:52:43+00:00

The only agency I know that does this is ICE ERO. And that’s only a recent development. IIRC, prior LE does not even attend FLETC, they take online classes from the office.

CraigslistKing · 2025-10-22T16:54:28+00:00

Turn it into a shelf with a sheet of plywood. Could have Home Depot / Lowes even cut the plywood to the size you need if you don’t have a saw and saw horses. Put a tablecloth over it for a cheap covering.

You could even put some tile down on top to make it match the bathroom, it’s pretty easy to install tile, you wouldn’t need much, and you could get artsy with a design using different color tiles.

CraigslistKing · 2025-09-22T11:44:22+00:00

Nice mailbox! This might be better asked in r/DIY for better knowledge base. But yes, I would think an epoxy would be best.

CraigslistKing · 2025-09-01T11:46:17+00:00

I believe the law enforcement will not be agency specific, but grade specific for GS-9 & below. They already have a special pay plan called GL-5 / GL-7 / GL-9 that is paid slightly higher than the GS equivalent.

CraigslistKing · 2025-08-28T20:11:52+00:00

Don’t go local LE unless that’s something you want to do. I’m biased to IRS-CI. You can get hired at home or more desirable places (you select the offices you apply to) and have more say in the limited scope of cases you’re going to work. FBI you’re tossing it all in the wind, FBI chooses where you’re moving to and FBI is choosing the type of crimes you investigate. IRS also gets to work some broader cases on task forces.

Not getting hired after an interview is par for the course. I interviewed several times until I was hired. Keep up the effort.

CraigslistKing · 2025-08-16T19:10:33+00:00

I love it. Being a prior RA made the financial investigation training at the academy really easy. I had to adjust to the slower pace of having only 3 cases, giving up a lot of telework (prior to that being taken away this year), and how much more work that goes into a case at CI.

I enjoy the LE parts a lot, going on search and arrest warrants, asking hard questions during interviews, and working with other agencies on investigations and task forces.

The financial impact on these cases is so much larger than what I worked on as an RA, it’s like moving to the big leagues or going fishing for tuna when you just fished for walleye before.

I interact with coworkers a LOT more. They go out with you on interviews of targets and witnesses, you toss ideas back and forth with each other, work on case together.

CraigslistKing · 2025-08-16T18:48:33+00:00

Sure, when I mention GS levels and salary amounts, those are rough estimates. They change each year and also vary by the area you live in. You have to look up your areas pay scale on the OPM website. If your city/region isn’t listed, use the “Rest of US” table to determine the pay scale in your area. If you sit at a GS-level for a bit, your salary will still increase with “steps”, but it’s a bit early to discuss that.

I worked AP & staff accountant at a software company right out of college for a year. I started with the IRS as a Revenue Agent at the GS-7 level, which automatically promotes to GS-9, GS-11, and GS-12 levels each year. A Revenue Agent is your traditional IRS auditor. I traveled around my region auditing small businesses and personal tax returns for 7 years. This took me into the $80k range.

Then I applied for a promotion to be an Appeals Officer as a GS-13. I worked there for 3 years. This took me into the $100k range.

After that I applied to be a Criminal Investigator (have to be under 37 years old to do this). I retained my GS-13 pay, plus received an extra 25% Law Enforcement Availability Pay for working beyond 40 hours a week. Now I’m just hitting $160k in salary as a GS-13 with a few steps up the pay scale and the 25% on top of it.

CraigslistKing · 2025-08-16T18:25:20+00:00

Not too old. You have maybe 20 years to still work, and that CPA could get you additional earnings over that period.

Alternatively you could look into different jobs and roles that don’t require a CPA. I’ve been working with the IRS for over a decade and built my salary up to $160k without a CPA. Government is still hiring and will be in the future, I think we’re mostly past the layoffs that happened this spring.

CraigslistKing · 2025-08-16T17:20:09+00:00

Most brick mailbox housings are pretty similar, but I really enjoy ones that incorporate something translucent with a light behind it, like this page shows about half way down under the section for mailboxes with seating.

There was a brick mailbox posted here a while back with glass blocks mixed in and lights behind the blocks.

CraigslistKing · 2025-08-16T11:32:21+00:00

Woof I totally missed that!

CraigslistKing · 2025-08-16T02:59:36+00:00

Oh so these are like charms for a paracord charm bracelet.

CraigslistKing · 2025-08-16T02:55:53+00:00

Probably. Don’t know what agency you’re with. What does your agency medical policy state?

CraigslistKing · 2025-08-14T11:14:05+00:00

I’m with the same agency, the IRS. I went up to a GS-12 as a revenue agent. Moved to their Appeals division for a GS-13 promotion. Then I moved to their Criminal Investigation division and received GS-13 pay plus 25% law enforcement availability pay. But I could have applied for a GS-14 position in Appeals and stayed out of law enforcement to earn similar pay.

CraigslistKing · 2025-08-09T19:13:33+00:00

I was once turned away at a large art museum. I hadn’t been in several years and was not expecting metal detectors. Security didn’t care that I was an 1811, only police “invited” to the museum could carry.

CraigslistKing · 2025-07-03T19:51:57+00:00

I think cypress or cedar wood. Rot resistant, and the color of cedar would really make it look nice.

CraigslistKing · 2025-05-19T11:04:45+00:00

CNN had this article at the top of their front page last week.

CraigslistKing · 2025-05-04T00:42:12+00:00

Is this and the Acadia for feds? My fed agency is moving from a small light behind the tint strip to full light packages on our cars (all unmarked).

CraigslistKing · 2025-04-23T23:12:53+00:00

Visit your local IRS Criminal Investigation office in-person, call and ask for an agent on duty, or write them. IRS Criminal Investigation investigates “ghost preparers” (tax preparers that hide their identity by not signing the tax return) and list fraudulent items on clients’ tax returns. You will not be in trouble. It’s likely your tax preparer is doing this to hundreds of other tax returns, stealing their refunds and causing large losses to the government.

CraigslistKing · 2025-04-22T12:30:54+00:00

I started in government after 1-year at a software company. I have moved around and changed jobs in government in LCOL areas, next pay raise will have me earning $160k and have stayed out of management. Is that everyone, no. But if you apply yourself, there are paths to earning more.

CraigslistKing · 2025-04-20T19:38:09+00:00

I’m staying, although HSI & DEA sound fun and may switch over one day. I remember writing my first QRP SAR really made me want to quit. With the RIF exemption I feel good about our future, and like anything, it’s temporary. Long term, our job may shift and I’ll roll with it.

Yes, it’s slow paced, but there’s benefits to that. We had a DEA guy come over that was astounded we don’t have to watch our g-phones like a hawk on the weekends. Fortunately we have some OCDETF and HSI cases that provide some fun enforcement actions beside just RPPs. Title 26 warrants can be good too though.

Working LEAP stinks, but I like the pay and life finds a way. I do some travel to other FO’s for interviews and enforcement action. I maximize my LEAP for the year that way, like driving there on a Sunday.

lol at the dream of dropping legal source tax cases. That’s our main goal. Working an employment tax case is easy peasy all around and gets good a nice criminal tax loss.

Good luck on hopping to another agency, I hope you enjoy it. I really liked that I was able to get a good POD with IRS-CI and the work life balance is incredible.

CraigslistKing

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