In the past few weeks, I’ve been making some major work-related decisions. I am not happy in my current job. I have an amazing supervisor and some incredible co-workers, but in general, I am not happy with what my job responsibilities have become, and I have a number of issues with how my part of the organization is being run. I wouldn’t say things are being done incorrectly, things are just being done in a way that I don’t agree with. My boss is aware of my current situation, and I think she is trying to get me into a better position within the department, but it’s just not going to happen.
Essentially, I was hired to fill a specific role. That role is no longer needed within the organization. Therefore, I’m getting paid to do all sorts of things, but not the things for which I was hired. I stuck it out for six months, but it’s clear that there just isn’t anything there for me in the agency.
Long story short, I’m looking for a new job. I’m currently placed on a temporary assignment at another agency, and I have to admit, I’m less than a week in and already I would very much like to stay here. But I’m looking all over to see what opportunities are available for me. The concern I have is that I will have to take a pay cut. At this point, I can’t afford to take a pay cut. When I was hired, I was promised a significant raise this September. I have been informed that the pay raise will no longer happen for the five of us hired at that time, but we should still get a very small raise simply based on our time with the government. Ideally, I would like to make an upward move and make more money, but I am at the point where I will take a lateral move, simply to get to a job I love. If it turns out I absolutely have to take a pay cut, I will have to seriously think about my situation.
I’m just sort of watching to see what happens right now, and doing my best to prove to the organization I am currently placed at that I would be a great new hire once my temporary placement is up.
Working in the government will never make me rich. But I think there are a number of jobs here for me that I would find incredibly rewarding. I just have to do my best to get into those positions. And I have to be sure that I’m making the right move. While I am not happy in my current job, it could be much worse. I have a boss I respect, and for me, that’s huge. And she’s trying to do right by me, which is also wonderful. But even with my respect for and dedication to her, I still have to do what’s best for me.
Megan is a 40-something government employee in the Washington, DC area. She got interested in Personal Finance when she got out of college and realized that her paycheck wasn’t going to go as far as she had hoped. Since starting this blog, she has managed to buy a house and make a solid start on her retirement goals, and hopes to help others do the same. Here is her story:
In 2007, I was a gainfully employed 20-something with no debt but not a lot of knowledge about personal finance. It was a co-worker’s comment about Roth IRAs that sent me to the internet, searching for information. It was then that I realized that I really didn’t know a whole lot about personal finance and that my current financial situation was due a lot to inherent frugal tendencies, generous family members, a fear of debt, and good luck. While that was working for me, clearly I needed a better plan.
While I had no debt, I was also pretty much living paycheck to paycheck and not worrying about going over budget (I say this as if I had a real budget) because I had an emergency fund set aside to cover any overages.
Except that’s not what an emergency fund is for.
So I did a lot of research, read a lot of blogs, and decided that I needed a plan. I needed to budget. I needed to know what I was spending my money on. I needed to prepare for the future.
I decided to create a blog not only to make myself accountable to others but also to share the knowledge that I gained along the way. I’ve learned so much from my fellow bloggers, and I hope that my readers can find something useful in what I have to share as well.
Hey! You’re #1 fan lol
I think you have to go where your heart is. I love what I do but my role ha also changed. I am entertaining several offers and am considering each one based on the pros / cons and what I feel is right.
One job looks to be right up my alley but will require me to travel both home and abroad. I see the pros of seeing the world, with the cons of always being on the road. The pay also helps but if I am miserable, you couldn’t pay me enough to be there. Likewise, if I am happy, then I am willing to take a little less.
I always hate the question in interviews when they ask, “How much do you need to make?” or something like that. I know why they are asking, but I respond that it depends on a number of factors but more importantly I think we should see if this is a good fit on both parts and if you feel I am well qualified then I am sure the total package will be complete and fair. Unfortunately, it’s hard to be a dollar figure on that for you at this time.
Then if they keep pushing I just throw a pretty wide range out there and say it depends on benefits, time off, etc etc…
Good Luck!
P.S. I know you say the Gov’t, but have you considered the private sector too?
Too many typos… it’s almost midnight.. time for bed!
And
“Unfortunately, it’s hard to be a dollar figure on that for you at this time.”
Should have been
“Unfortunately, it’s hard to put a dollar figure on that for you at this time.”
I hate when you say one thing and your body does another. *sigh*
Time for bed.
Tom, I have considered private sector. I’m a lawyer, so there are lots of opportunities for me on that level, but really, not only do I like the schedule and the perks of working for the federal government, I still also believe in the idea of working for America and doing what’s right. It might sound silly, but that’s just where I am right now.