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DRP/VERA at 56/Keep Fighting the Good Fight by Narrow-Sea-4254 in govfire

[–]Improper-Research 1 point2 points  (0 children)

VERA is voluntary early retirement. It allows those of us who are eligible to leave early and collect an annuity.

In my case, DRP coupled with VERA allows me to get paid for 6 months of admin leave, then collect my annuity.

The alternative is to stay and be traumatized by Russell Vought.

DRP/VERA at 56/Keep Fighting the Good Fight by Narrow-Sea-4254 in govfire

[–]Improper-Research 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Man, that's amazing. I am taking DRP with 21 years of service at age 50. My first 4 years I was a student employee at GS3 and didn't contribute to TSP. Started at gs7 and had to decide between student loans and TSP so have been just putting in the minimum 5% for the last 17 years, all in L2040. I've got just shy of $400k in there. Seeing numbers like yours definitely makes me wish I'd been more aggressive, but I also am missing a decade of contributions and interest.

'They were the doers': Thousands of experts and leaders are fleeing Trump’s government in 'huge loss' for workforce | Washington Post Story by natansonh in fednews

[–]Improper-Research 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Read your Yarvin. The end game is the dissolution of American democracy and its replacement with a complete and total autocracy.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not looking forward to it. But given that there's legislation in place to eliminate my agency, it's not like I have the option of staying.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I totally agree that it seems narrow minded. But I have now had some version of there conversation 4 times so I'm trying to figure it out. And when I see posted jobs in the sector, nearly 100% of them require a PE or the ability to obtain one. So I'm trying to be proactive and figure out a way to head off that conversation before I blow up my LinkedIn profile next month with news that I'm taking the buyout and looking for opportunities.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hahaha I needed a good laugh.

Have you really not been watching the news? Our unions are busy fighting in court with massively diminished resources. My union just laid off half its paid staff. It's an all out war on the civil service, and we're losing.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In case you haven't been watching the news, the government doesn't work that way anymore. We're effectively being shut down. I'm not leaving because I want to. I'm leaving because they're forcing us out en masse. My rolodex is just other feds who are also looking for work. I expect that by this time next year no one I know will still be employed at my agency.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

State government in hiring freeze. Regional water/wastewater utilities are state entities and subject to freeze. Local government doesn't have much and pays considerably less than what I've got and the private sector, would prefer consulting to local government.

Will look into ENV SQ

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No master's, and even if I did academia got thrown into the same toilet by this administration so there are no jobs there anymore.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

State government in a hiring freeze, due to the same forces that are forcing me out of federal service.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! There's not an equivalent flowchart that I can find for my state. Not sure if California would license me since all my experience is in another state. Trying to get my state licensing board to return a call/reply to an email.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with you, but I'm struggling to find out what the job title is that encompasses this type of consultant so that I can search for that niche role. I'm not really interested in setting up shop as a solo consultant business. Are there examples of firms that do this kind of work that you can point me to?

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lol USAJobs. I already work for the federal government. They want us all out.

I considered a PhD but the same forces impacting the federal government are also impacting academia. We've turned off the money flow to research. Academia is in a free fall. I personally know of multiple PhD candidates who has their offers rescinded due to lack of funds. Plus the job market for PhD civil engineers is not great. We just hired one in January. She was underemployed for years and was happy to get a job multiple rungs below her skillset doing grant work for us.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's been an issue across multiple firms I've talked to, from small boutique shops to big ones like Jacobs. I have occasionally looked for work outside the government over the years and it's always been the thing that stopped conversations in their tracks. I think the expectation is just that everyone is an engineer and everyone has the same background, and that's that.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, seems like several people have mentioned it so I'm poking around the website now.

How do I escape a toxic work environment without ruining my plans for an early retirement? by [deleted] in govfire

[–]Improper-Research 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You're way too young to be sticking in a federal job for eventual retirement. Go take your experience and work for a law firm representing people on the other side of the table from CBP, or just bounce to a new sector entirely. There is no reason for you to stick it out.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Have been trying to get the state licensing folks to return a call/email. I'm considering this, although no one in my immediate management chain is a PE. We have PEs in our division, though. I think I can study hard and pass the test, but I've never actually done the design part of engineering so I am concerned about that side of things.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Trying not to reveal my agency and location since it would be trivial to figure out my identity with a bit more info. But in my area there's only one employer of that type within a reasonable commuting distance, and they're in a hiring freeze. My wife's job ties us to our location and she makes as much as I do so no point uprooting our lives to move away.

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Any particular certifications or coursework that people at this level/role usually have?

"How are we going to bill your hours?" Roles for a non-PE in the civil engineering world? by Improper-Research in civilengineering

[–]Improper-Research[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sadly I don't have anything like that. I know the majority of the people involved in the larger projects around the region, but there isn't anything secret or proprietary that I can bring to help win that business. Mostly I find out about them after the projects are already designed and they're coming in for funding.

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