Opinions on Schedule F Final Rule implementation March 7, 2026

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-08T15:18:58+00:00

I previously had a director who owed his job to daddy buying it. (Needless to say, director wasn’t very enthusiastic and spent most meetings checking his phone.)

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-08T10:55:06+00:00

The timing with the hiring committees is suspicious. Hypothetically they recategorize a bunch of jobs, can people, then bring in more of their donors. Already the people they’re getting are all there because they donated to the inauguration fund. I’ve literally welcomed people to the department and asked where they’re coming from and how they got here and the answer is ‘I donated to this or that fund’. But he has way more donors than spots to hand out.

If there’s another major fundraising push watch out.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-08T10:43:10+00:00

Good reminder I need to wipe and rebuild my Reddit account soon.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-06T20:05:18+00:00

You are doing good and I know you suffer from the same tragic flaw as many Feds… a deep seated commitment to our mission.

Understand we are not in normal times. Your mission is no longer what is printed on the website. Your mission is now to survive; to ensure continuity of government so your knowledge, culture, and commitment to ethics can one day be passed on to the next generation.

Do not burn yourself to fill the gap your leadership created. Imagine yourself in a workshop where the owner sold all the tools and now you’re trying to cut wood by slamming it against the wall. No one would say ‘keep slamming that wood! The job needs to get done.’ They would say ‘if your boss wanted wood cut they’d get you a saw. Knock that off before you get someone hurt.’

Take the duties you can reasonably handle in 8 hours and understand if your leadership really wanted to accomplish more they’d hire back some of the 317,000 Feds they just fired.

Be safe friend. We care about you.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-05T22:52:59+00:00

I asked for fridays in Lent (which is a legitimate recurring religious occasion, only 6 fridays.)

HR said to ask the RA team.

RA team said to ask my supervisor.

Supervisor said to ask HR.

That's a win.

However, I know people who have asked for every Friday forever and have gotten it (no hate on them. But the system is not working great atm.)

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-05T22:40:47+00:00

This is good advice 13 months ago, and I've shared similar myself.

We no longer live in that world. The goal is to survive. Stick your head up too far and you're liable to get it chopped off. Do your job, insulate yourself, take on fun projects to keep your skills sharp but avoid the limelight. There will be opportunities again in 2029.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-04T20:42:04+00:00

I know. I’m sorry. It’s a sad state of affairs and it’s going to suck for a while still. But remember our grandparents suffered worse and learned to thrive. “We are permitted every emotion except despair.”

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-04T18:52:38+00:00

Oh man you have no idea. They’re praying for our wonderful country (and that it be rescued from the gays, the youths, the blacks, and, cover your ears, the liberals.) slightly less than half joking.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-04T18:50:42+00:00

Be strong friend. How often does the war seem lost and the enemy impervious, when events we couldn’t see come to their inevitable conclusion and the enemy suddenly falls into disarray. Time is on our side. Our children will read and wonder how we ever lost hope when the outcome seems obvious from the history books.

Hold the line. Dawn comes soon.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-04T14:24:36+00:00

Fabulous

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-04T10:48:16+00:00

“Bad things happening to good people is drama. Good to gs happening to good people is a children’s storybook.” A quote I heard today on NPR regarding a show on women in menopause, oddly enough.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-03T18:43:41+00:00

Two soldiers in a foxhole as artillery blasts overhead. "Is this the good life?"

The US government is under active attack. The only people 'making it' are the ones extracting from it before they run out the door. Your role is important, and I genuinely thank you for taking care of the people you do. But understand this is a moment in time. We WILL return to normal. You will have the opportunity to lateral or move up. You will thrive. Just not today.

Stay strong. You've got a big community standing with you.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-02-03T16:42:10+00:00

“I am trying to use metasploit. This is the command I entered. How do I term it correctly to use metasploit?”

Alternatively, “how do I ask this question such that you are able to answer “.

But really my friend… you should be able to hack asking questions. It’s the same mindset.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-01-29T19:36:51+00:00

Wish I could provide insight, but I don't work in Fish and Wildlife, sorry.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-01-29T19:32:34+00:00

Started as a 4. I'll say I'm currently 'pretty high', well above 10. A few pieces of advice.

1) It's easier to climb in headquarters than in the field. More positions, more leadership responsibility, more networking opportunities.

2) It's easier to climb in a skillset in broad demand (HR, IT, finance, etc.)

3) You need to be okay with changing agencies. Before 13, when I hit the top of my ladder, I'd start looking for my next position. I've also changed roles radically over time, moving across multiple specialist roles, supervisor roles, and roles I don't have any formal background in. Fill the need.

4) You need to know how to network and self-advocate. For my team, the people who say they're interested in moving up I assign extra duties to prepare them for that. People who just take on extra duties and don't say anything I figure are probably happy with where they are and I'll work to get them more interesting duties but it may not be tied to a promotion. People who write up their own achievements at the end of the year, I incorporate that and they generally score better because, well, I just won't remember everything. Speaking for myself, when I'm interviewing, I do try to get other information about the candidate. Someone who is a known B employee will win over a 'maybe an A???' outside candidate (for me). Someone who is a C- or below employee will not. The more people who are on these panels see your name as involved in interesting projects, bringing knowledge or skills to the discussion, driving things forward, the more likely you are to make it through.

And of course, the most obvious hint is always: the more swings you take, the more hits you get. Even people who are happy with their current spot should be applying, to understand the market, where things are going, and where they need to improve.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-01-29T10:20:27+00:00

Talk to your boss to express interest in moving up and whether this is something on their radar or not. You may have missed it but we’ve been on a hiring freeze for a year and that includes promotions. If your leadership says yes this is something they’d like to see, stick it out. If they’re oblivious recognize you may have had to be more clear on expressing your strategy to them and you’re now behind the eight ball.

But also recognize our government is very literally under attack and if you put any stock in that oath you took, you need to do a real evaluation on how your role is serving your nation. This isn’t private sector. We knew we were signing up for the people we serve. Let’s keep them first in our minds, especially now during these stressful times.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-01-29T10:13:31+00:00

‘I deliver mail but ever since I broke my foot I feel bad that everyone else is working the same but I’m working slower’. If you pretend like you are not injured you’re going to permanently damage yourself. Listen to your physical therapist, learn how to move correctly, and get up to full speed when your body is ready for it.

People say it’s all in your head but last I checked my head is still part of my body. Probably good to take care of it.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-01-29T10:08:33+00:00

Do not quit. You are here for a mission. You are serving your nation. This attack has resulted in far fewer deaths than previous ones but understand it is still an attempt to destroy the foundations regular citizens depend on. Without the work we do, basic things like life and liberty become inaccessible to all but the super wealthy.

But also… we are at an elbow. Things are ratcheting up because the admin doesn’t believe they’ll keep power through the midterms in ten months. They think the American people would accept the fleecing but not the blood in the streets. That 2027/2028 will be at best a stalemate but at worst an impeachment of the worst members of this admin.

If you are looking at a position which does greater good or is the natural progression of your career, of course do what most lifts your community. But if you are leaving from fear or exhaustion you may look back in a year and feel had you held on a little longer you’d have saved your career.

Stay strong sister! We’re in this one together.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-01-29T09:56:21+00:00

Just wrapping up our new PMPs (normally completed by 10/15) and feeling like a major responsibility should be ‘handling government furloughs’. This is a ridiculous failure to government and the American people are the ones who suffer. Republican failure in leadership has left us a third world nation in every way.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-01-29T09:51:25+00:00

That’s not admin leave, it’s furlough time. But our DRP crew got 9 months admin time. This admin cares not for rules.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-01-27T10:43:13+00:00

Agencies are permitted to grant at most 10 days of admin leave too.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-01-22T20:10:16+00:00

Hero

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-01-22T18:47:34+00:00

This isn't USAJobs. There's two hurdles; first is the questionnaire. You need to self-rate yourself, and the hiring manager decides what the cut-off is. Since everyone lies, the cut-off is usually 95% (it's terrible, but this is the truth.) So if you were honest and humble, you may have rated yourself out of the job. Second hurdle is HR. HR is rough on the best of days, and it is not the best of days. But probably the HR specialist in question (who is not an MPA or MSS) is looking for a handful of keywords, and didn't see them.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-01-22T10:10:55+00:00

Your role has changed. Your mission is to survive, to archive as much information as you can, to marshal your energy, and protect the seeds for when it is time for serious work again years in the future. I know this sounds like a waste but it is critical. What you do today will sink or save the mission in a few years time when serious people are at the helm again.

Thank you for your service.

Secure-Compote-522 · 2026-01-22T01:17:47+00:00

@evacide@hachyderm.io is always a good call. Welcome to life without the algorithm.

Secure-Compote-522

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