Government Jobs

[herm]

Best way to get in is through the old boy network, lacking that, be the 2nd or 3rd most qualified applicant.  Most of the time we weed out the most qualified, as they do not stick around long ( which seems to be your case)  Prepare to be a mindless drone at times, only to be slammed the next.  Bureaucracy is the norm, from filling out your time sheets and public interaction, to saying good morning to the cute, albeit sexist sec... err support staff, who will file a sexual harassment report if she thinks you looked at her wrong.

My advice, take the job, and learn to shut off your brain on demand.

while there is some truth to this, it is not necessarily the rule. its going to depend a lot more on what you are doing for the man.
as a federal firefighter, i was spared much of the bullshit (although not enough at times) because i could ignore it whenever we were out on an incident.
then, since i couldnt take vacation in the summer, i would spend most of the winter on leave.

[hbliam]

while there is some truth to this, it is not necessarily the rule. its going to depend a lot more on what you are doing for the man.
as a federal firefighter, i was spared much of the bullshit (although not enough at times) because i could ignore it whenever we were out on an incident.
then, since i couldnt take vacation in the summer, i would spend most of the winter on leave.

Thats the kicker right there. Any shlub can get a paper pusher job and they aren't treated very well. The firefighters, police officers, etc have a bit better time of it because it costs $150-200K to find, hire, and train someone to a level of profiency to be able to do the job. In CA after we get certified we are a commodity that other Cities and Counties love to steal from each other. Also in these jobs they take the most qualified so you work with other motivated, qualified people for the most part.

[herm]

yeh, its a kicker all right...
a mule kick at times.

the office drones regularly get paid more than the fire fighters (fed at least)

[TiAvenger]

Thats the kicker right there. Any shlub can get a paper pusher job and they aren't treated very well. The firefighters, police officers, etc have a bit better time of it because it costs $150-200K to find, hire, and train someone to a level of profiency to be able to do the job. In CA after we get certified we are a commodity that other Cities and Counties love to steal from each other. Also in these jobs they take the most qualified so you work with other motivated, qualified people for the most part.

No field people get treated well, simply because they are out of the office.  They have an easy job, great pay, almost no hassle. When you reach supervisor and management, including firefighters and police officers, you start taking shit.  It's simply due to the nature of the job. 

Oh and you get plenty of shlubs in police and fire.  They permeate the government.  Chances are you work for a shlub, and don't even know it.

[herm]

No field people get treated well, simply because they are out of the office.  They have an easy job, great pay, almost no hassle. When you reach supervisor and management, including firefighters and police officers, you start taking shit.  It's simply due to the nature of the job. 

Oh and you get plenty of shlubs in police and fire.  They permeate the government.  Chances are you work for a shlub, and don't even know it.

a) field people get treated like crap by the paper pushers
b) the my job was definitely not easy
c) nor was the pay all that good

i was a supervisor, and its true that i had to deal with more crap than my employees...but they had their share as well.

[hbliam]

No field people get treated well, simply because they are out of the office.  They have an easy job, great pay, almost no hassle. When you reach supervisor and management, including firefighters and police officers, you start taking shit.  It's simply due to the nature of the job. 

Oh and you get plenty of shlubs in police and fire.  They permeate the government.  Chances are you work for a shlub, and don't even know it.

What do you do exactly?

Last I checked police officers and firefighters jobs are not "easy". Does your job put you in the postion to get shot, hit by a car, burned, or sued on a regular basis? No hassle? 

Yesterday, just before I was supposed to go home I had to chase two felons that just robbed a retail store. So make your way through the lot fast but without hitting someone (or you will get sued), get in a vehicle chase out of the lot and onto the freeway (within policy or I get fired and then sued), stop them on the freeway (try not to get hit by passing vehicles), get them out of the car (without getting shot hopefully), determine the nature of the crime, arrest them per the penal code and question them per the US Constitution (or get sued in Federal court), drive them to jail (properly restrained and noted over the air as one was a female (or get fired and sued), book them into jail (make sure they get their mandated calls, careful not to give them any numbers to bail bondsman (or get sued), stay after my 12.5 hour shift for 3 hours (call wife to cancel plans) and finally file paperwork including proper probable cause paperwork (so the department and I don't get sued). Yep, a cakewalk. 

Shulbs permeate the goverment, true. Not the case as much in public safety. Too hard to get the jobs. DMV? Yes. Most other State office? Yes. Police or fire where less then 2% of applicants get hired and keep the job past probation? Not so much.

[TiAvenger]

a) field people get treated like crap by the paper pushers
b) the my job was definitely not easy
c) nor was the pay all that good

i was a supervisor, and its true that i had to deal with more crap than my employees...but they had their share as well.

It all depends on the department.    My employees probably get paid 4-5 dollars a hour too much.  I run interference for them so they dont have to deal with the crap.

Scott, I'm in Ag. 

Last I checked police officers and firefighters jobs are not "easy". Does your job put you in the position to get shot, hit by a car, burned, or sued on a regular basis? No hassle?  Roll Eyes

Surprisingly enough, yes.   Though not on a daily basis, those things are fairly common. I understand that your job is hard, in your area even more so, but here, well, I know a couple of CDF, local pd, and guards that qualify as shlubs.  Some of them are former employees of mine. 

[herm]

It all depends on the department.    My employees probably get paid 4-5 dollars a hour too much.  I run interference for them so they dont have to deal with the crap.

Scott, I'm in Ag. 

Surprisingly enough, yes.   Though not on a daily basis, those things are fairly common. I understand that your job is hard, in your area even more so, but here, well, I know a couple of CDF, local pd, and guards that qualify as shlubs.  Some of them are former employees of mine. 

whats Ag?

and all CDF qualify as shlubs...