Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with federal

Question re: Organizational Cultures in the Federal Government

the hot hot side of randy — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:18:16 -0800

Where do classy, educated, intelligent people work in the (U.S.) Federal Government? Which organizational cultures would welcome me? I’ve been doing the corporate office routine for a while now. I’ve survived two layoffs in my post-collegiate career. I’ve managed to weather this recession very well, a fact for which I am profoundly grateful. All the same, I realize that my luck, like everyone else’s, is not infinite and the next time the man in the corner office decides to squeeze out an extra tenth of a percent in profit, I might find myself becoming one of those sad stories we are only too familiar with.

I decided that my next move would be to look for a job with the Federal Government, which does not provide ironclad guarantees of job security forever and ever but is the strongest option out there right now. With this goal in mind, I started networking and reconnected with a college friend on Facebook who is a Federal employee. From him I learned that there were many upsides to Federal employment but many downsides at his particular agency. I have his permission to quote and paraphrase his remarks here on the condition that I not reveal anything that would reveal his identity and workplace.

My friend did not paint a pretty picture. He characterized the atmosphere at his job as “stressful and dysfunctional”. He spoke of his frustrations with coworkers, many of whom were “stupid, utterly lacking in imagination, selfish and disrespectful.” His workplace, he said, was a “horrible caricature of bureaucratic life, where organizational imperatives trump individual circumstances and making sure that you have the proper stamp at the bottom right hand of the page matters more than the words on that page or the lives affected by those words.” My friend has made peace with the negatives of his job but he told me that he could not in good conscience recommend it for me, that I would not fit into the organizational culture and it would make me miserable.

So where does an educated, intelligent, artsy, nerdy-goofy fellow find work in the Federal Government? Which agencies would welcome people like me, people who are bespectacled, people who know the difference between “your” and “you’re”, people with leftish politics, secular . . MetaFilter people, in other words. I would strongly prefer that this position be in the New York City metropolitan area but at this stage of the game, I’m willing to be flexible for the right job.

Before we begin, please note that my question focuses on organizational cultures, not on the ins and outs of applying for federal work. Also, out of respect for my friend’s privacy, please do not ask where he works. (“Oh, does your friend work at the Department of ______. Yeah, they really suck, etc, etc.)

OK. Time to learn.

Making the Most of a Full-time MPP Program

pinterecki — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 13:04:09 -0800

I recently accepted an offer for a spot in a full time MPP program from a very decent, non-Ivy school. My funding (per an assistantship or researcher position) reduces the total tuition to approximately $3000, and the program provides an allowance for an unpaid or poorly paid summer internship. I have enough money saved to avoid going into debt if I work part time. I want to offset the opportunity costs of two years outside of work by making myself as employable as possible. I do not have a stipend to cover costs of living, but I have sufficient savings to graduate without going into debt and a good chance of getting a relevant part time job as a project coordinator with a nearby nonprofit due to past professional experiences and networking. I'm currently looking for additional scholarships and finding very few geared towards MPPs (any advice would be appreciated).

I'm 27. My undergraduate major was English and my GPA was 3.2, which explains why I did not get a full ride and (I think) why it would not be a good idea to hold off in the hopes of a better offer. I spent a year teaching English in Korea and decided that it provided little in the way of stimulation or career prospects, so I left it with the knowledge that I could always come back to it.

I started working as an entry level payment analyst for a decent company. The pay (28K per year, not including overtime) urged me to apply for other jobs within the company and outside of it, but the results were negligible (a few interviews and a lot of no-responses). I started to take community college classes in statistics and economics using our company's tuition reimbursement plan, and also began volunteering with several community ESL groups as a process coordinator and program manager.

I did this to improve myself first, to further my career prospects second, and to help the community third. I wanted to emphasize that order because, although I'm very interested in programs and institutions slated to advance the standards of living for a wide demographic, I think it's also important to portray myself as a person interested in personal and professional advancement if I'm going to get useful answers.

I've researched the positions which interest me, but I'm not limiting myself to them because of what I assume will be intense competition for employment and the likelihood that I will encounter additional organizations fulfilling similar purposes. The MPP program is three hours outside of D.C., which is probably where I would like to end up, and makes trips to the city on Fridays for lectures, policy seminars and networking. With that said, the following employers appeal to me; with the exceptions of SIGTARP, specific NGOs and specific non-profits, my program has placed its graduates into jobs within these organizations:

U.S. Department of State: Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement or FSO (Economics Cone)
GAO
SIGTARP
The World Bank
Think Tanks focusing on anti-corruption measures (please suggest some)
Watchdog Groups focusing on anti-corruption measures (please suggest some)
The Open Society Institute or one of its associated programs (please suggest more)
Transparency International Secretariat or one of its associated programs (please suggest more)
The Mines Advisory Group or one of its associated programs (please suggest more)
Danish Church Aid, Amnesty International, and organizations like them (please suggest more)
D.C. Based Consulting Firms

As you can see, I'm shooting for the moon. Wait until you see my personal and academic goals below. At present, my primary goal is to narrow my focus and minimize my risk through advice from the community. With that said, please help me plan my academic and professional schedules so that

I will be able to:

1.Graduate near the top of my class with publications in hand
2.Network effectively to ensure interviews, internships, and job prospects
3.Select relevant courses emphasizing hard skills (statistics and statistics software, econometrics, modeling)
4.Continue to develop soft skills (leadership, program management, process coordination)

and I'd also like to:

1.Begin a mutual fund, money-market, or otherwise useful investment to complement my IRA
2.Learn to code in a useful language
3.Take a 3 sequence Calculus series, Linear Algebra, and Real Analysis classes (or something similar to improve the chances of a.) acceptance to MSc programs for Statistics or b.) passing actuarial exams.)
4.Earn a PMI or Six Sigma certification

and it would be nice to:

1.Improve my Flamenco
2.Advance from intermediate Spanish to working fluency and pick up another language
3.Continue to train for triathlons and MMA
4.Eat a lot of Indian and Thai food.

Still reading? Here are the minimum elective courses I would like to take aside from the required core module (please offer advice to round out potential gaps in skills):

1.Cross Section Econometrics.
2.Time Series Econometrics.
3.International Trade: Theory and Policy.
4.Forecasting Methods and Applications
5.International Trade Law
6.Operations Research: Deterministic Models
7.Operations Research: Stochastic Models

Final word: I've been thinking about this program for a long time, and I'm trying to do my best to prepare myself for a quantitative focus by re-learning calculus before matriculating. If you have any advice as to which additional community college courses I should take in the summer interim between now and starting the program (and the summer interim during my internship), I'm all ears. Please keep in mind that I'll be working full time.

It's difficult not to see this program as a second chance for a shot at a stable, stimulating career that pays more than $50k per year. Because of this, I worry that I may be avoiding acknowledgement of the opportunity costs incurred by enrolling- I'd like to hear that side of the argument as well.

Thanks in advance,

pintereski

Career ladder positions in the Federal system.

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:20:29 -0800

I am in a career ladder position in the Federal government. I'm approaching the end of my first year on the job. I have heard from colleagues/friends in government, that going up to the next GS-level in the ladder is almost automatic (requires sign-off from supervisor). Is this true? How do I request this increase from my supervisor? Also, can you help me find documents online which show that one is eligible to go up a grade after one year? To clarify, I am not talking about step increases, but grade increases. For example, if somebody is a GS-9 on a 9-11-12 ladder, I am under the impression that that person is eligible to go from a GS-9 to a GS-11 after a year (and then from GS-11 to GS-12 the year after that), assuming great/outstanding performance. I have many friends in Federal government, and for them it has all worked like this.

I am on a similar ladder, and my performance is outstanding. What paperwork or documentation do I bring my supervisor when I ask her to increase my GS level?

I normally would assume that this would just happen, but my agency is a bit odd about things sometimes and I will feel more comfortable approaching my supervisor about this with documentation that this is a thing.

Any other advice would also be great. I am super nervous about this whole process (and also do not want to fall into the "women are bad at asking for promotions" trap). This is important to me, and I would not have accepted this job 11 months ago without the assumption that I would go up a grade after a year. I'm concerned that some sort of red tape will prevent this from happening (internal politics are rampant at my organization!) and that I will have to start looking for a different job. I do not want to do that, because I love my job and my colleagues.

Tales of harrowing and/or redemption? Not so much. Just the facts.

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 10:56:20 -0800

What are good resources, online and offline, for information about the average experience in federal prison camps (minimum security prisons)? I'm not looking for a story of a particular individual's time in prison (e.g. Jeff Smith's story about prison), but information along the lines of:

- What rights and privileges (e.g. Exercise, books, outdoors time, Internet(?!)) are commonly available at this sort of prison?
- What dangers and problems should be expected?
- What are most people's daily lives usually like?

Also, has anyone read the Federal Prison Guidebook? I'm thinking of getting it, but the $80 price tag is giving me pause, previews are unavailable, and it is not available through interlibrary loan in my area.

Help Me Pick Good IT Training for 2013

Irontom — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 04:22:23 -0800

Training for Senior Business Analyst - looking for recommendations. I am a senior business/requirements analyst with 14 years of experience, with 7 years in the federal healthcare IT space (as a contractor) for both the VA and the DOD. For the first time in years, I have the opportunity to take advantage of training paid for by my employer.

So, can you recommend some training courses for me? Given my preference, I would select courses that give practical skills/capabilities over resume-stuffers.

I just want to vote for the president

pikeandshield — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 07:26:11 -0800

Absentee voting for US elections - what is this 'tax liability' business? State is Massachusetts. I'm an overseas US citizen and would like to vote in the upcoming presidential elections. I've requested a ballot to vote through the FVAP and received my ballot with no problems that I can return by email. However, my ballot includes not just the federal offices (president, senator in congress, rep in congress) but state/local offices (?) as well (sheriff, clerk of courts etc).

I've no interest in voting for those latter offices; more importantly, I don't want to be liable to any sort of complications with tax that the FVAP mentions 'may' happen. The local town clerk does not know anything about this and just told me that this was the only ballot they have available.

Am I safe if I just fill in the ballot for the federal positions and leaving the state-specific bits blank? Or would the act of returning the ballot (or even registering to vote?) by itself put me at risk? I've tried google but I'm more confused than ever. I don't currently pay tax to anywhere in the US; nor am I resident anywhere in the US or intend to return soon.

Thanks!

What happens if federal appeals courts give split opinions on constitutionality of a federal statute?

denverco — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 02:27:09 -0800

If multiple federal Appeals Courts issue differing opinions on the constitutionality of a federal statute (like with the federal healthcare law), what happens if the Supreme Court doesn't take the case? Does the law apply only in different parts of the country (apply in jurisdictions that upheld and not in others)?

Civilian Review Committees for Federal Employee Decisions

CollectiveMind — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:11:42 -0800

How does the idea of a civilian review board for previewing the firing and disciplinary actions of federal managers against civilian employees sound? Currently, a small number of federal employees are protected by a union. Converserly, there are reams of documentation by the Office of Personnel Management and case law by federal attorneys that protect employers, managers and administrators against all level and manner of accusations by employees. At a number of county, state and municipal levels, oversight committees exist to evaluate the decisions of policymakers and administrators, whether it is police departments, utility companies, etc. I wonder if the same kind of oversight would give more protection to federal employees in light of the impunity with which managers demote, promote, discipline and fire employees. This, in light of the numbers of employees retiring and not being replaced, and therefore, doing double or triple duty. I am not asking this as a jumping off point for a debate about Federal employee benefits or security or anything like that. I am asking only about what you see as the strengths and weakness of such an idea. It seems to me that although the government may be operating within the letter of the law, they may not be operating within it's spirit regarding the disposition of employees always, i.e. legal but not just. And I understand there are ocassional mistakes or miscarrages. But this is a buyer's market for employers and as anybody who has been fired knows, sometimes, it's nothing to do with performance, and sometimes, it's everything. Thanks.

Grant to make public high school auditorium handicapped-accessible?

exhilaration — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:22:58 -0800

Are there any grants available for public high schools to make their facilities (specifically the auditorium) handicapped and wheelchair-accessible? I've been told that there might be federal funds available for this purpose but I don't know where to start looking. We're in New Jersey, could there be state funds for the same purpose?

44 USC and Federal Photocopiers: Illegal?

Jamesonian — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 03:09:30 -0800

How much in-house print and/or photocopy production can federal offices perform without violating 44 USC § 501? My federal employer plans to begin producing booklets and perfect bound publications in-house using the latest Xerox equipment, but 44 USC § 501 seems very straightforward:

All printing, binding, and blank-book work for Congress, the Executive Office, the Judiciary, other than the Supreme Court of the United States, and every executive department, independent office and establishment of the Government, shall be done at the Government Printing Office, except—
(1) classes of work the Joint Committee on Printing considers to be urgent or necessary to have done elsewhere; and
(2) printing in field printing plants operated by an executive department, independent office or establishment, and the procurement of printing by an executive department, independent office or establishment from allotments for contract field printing, if approved by the Joint Committee on Printing.
Printing or binding may be done at the Government Printing Office only when authorized by law.

If interpreted literally, wouldn't this make all photocopiers in federal offices illegal unless they have a waiver from the JCP? Does photocopy work fall under Title 44? Has the JCP ever issued any such waivers? Is there any government-wide advice on how much in-house production federal offices can perform without violating the law?

Policy Solutions for DC Prisoners?

Amy Phillips — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:04:11 -0800

I'm doing a research and policy project on DC prisoners. I'm looking for information and personal stories on what the situation is like for DC prisoners serving time in the federal system. I'm also interested in information on conditions in the former DC Prison at Lorton. I'd like to compare conditions before and after the closure of Lorton and make some recommendations for how to improve outcomes for DC inmates, both during their sentences and after release. Basically, until the late 1990s, people convicted of crimes in DC served their time at a DC-run prison in Lorton, VA. In 1997, Lorton Prison was ordered closed by Congress, and in the ensuing years, DC's inmates were sent to Bureau of Prisons facilities all over the country. The plan closed down a reportedly terrible facility and allowed Fairfax County to regain control of some pretty valuable land. However, it also meant that DC prisoners now live hundreds or thousands of miles from home, isolated from loved ones and supportive services. I want to know more about the closure of Lorton and the effect that it has had on the prison population.

I've done the obvious internet searches and some in-depth research (e.g., reading Congressional hearing testimony and interviewing folks from the local prisoners' rights community). But I'm interested in learning more about what conditions were really like at the former Lorton Prison and what they're like now for DC prisoners serving time in federal Bureau of Prisons facilities. I'm specifically interested in any information about expert recommendations for improving the fate of DC's incarcerated citizens.

Among the issues that are of particular interest to me about the incarceration situation are family separation and visitation, reintegration after release, services available (or not available) to DC inmates under each of the two incarceration regimes, post-release situations for DC inmates. I'm also interested in information about Fairfax County's view of having Lorton Prison there and the involvement of the local community in having the prison shut down.

So, what's the best solution to dealing with DC's prisoners (assuming that simply imprisoning fewer people is off the table, at least for now)? What should I read and who should I talk to in order to get the best possible sense of what policies are helping or hurting? Are there people who are actively working now to get DC prisoners out of BOP, and if so, what do they recommend?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

I Don't Need a Law to Be Safe!

TinWhistle — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:57:51 -0800

I am trying to find the actual law which states that infants younger than one year old and under 20 pounds need to be in a rear-facing car seat in Minnesota. Not only can I not find the actual law, but I am getting conflicting information on .gov and .org websites. My research trail inside... For those of us with young kids, it is "common knowledge" (always a dangerous assumption) that babies under one year old and 20 pounds need to be in a rear-facing car seat, by law. It is recommended that kids are rear-facing until they are two years old, yada yada.

So, since I don't like assumptions, I thought I would find the actual law which states the under one year/under 20 pounds law for Minnesota.

But I can't find it. At all.

I started on this site and this other site, which both state the infant under one year/under 20 pounds law. They both cite §169.685, subdivision 5.

Okay, so §169.685 does not say anything at all about infants under one year/under 20 pounds. Not a single word. The only age mentioned is "under the age of eight and shorter than four feet nine inches." There is a statement that says that the restraint itself must meet federal motor vehicle safety standards.

So, then I went to this site, which lists car seat laws by state. For Minnesota, infants/under 20 pounds is not mentioned, but the under 8 and 57" is mentioned, as in §169.685.

So, then I went to the Code of Federal Regulations, and I found §571.213 (also here) which talks about the construction and testing of rear-facing car seats, but it doesn't state that a rear-facing car seat must be used for infants under one year and under 20 pounds.

I went to the site of laws for other states, and other states do clearly mention the under one year/20 pounds law, but not Minnesota.

I know that federal laws override state laws, but I can't find a federal law regarding under one year/20 pounds, either--just the CFR for car seat construction and testing standards.

So, am I crazy and having serious issues in my research skills, or am I not crazy after all and Minnesota actually doesn't have a rear-facing under one year/20 pounds law? Or, did I stumble across a major exclusion/typo in the law and it needs to be corrected?

(P.S. This question clearly isn't about car seat safety itself--I understand the recommendations, and our baby will be in a rear-facing seat until he is at least two, etc, etc, so don't derail my question into this area, please.)

Two Careers & Retirement

CollectiveMind — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 06:49:56 -0800

Three questions: (1) How many current civil service employees are also reserve/national guard members, (2) How many current civil service employees were also active duty military service members, and (3) How many of both groups retired from the military? I've been to DOD, the Census, OPM ... I'm not having much luck.

What is the Real SES Timeline?

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:04:06 -0800

What is the actual timeline for interviews, notifications, etc. for the SES selection process in US government employment? I have applied for an SES position with a federal agency in Washington, DC. The agency is striving to abide by OPM's "45-day" SES selection process. My package was sent via e-mail and I followed up with a printed package, both within the submission deadline. I received an e-mail confirmation of receipt. When should I expect to hear if I have been selected for an interview (or not)?

With prior applications, using the USAJobs online process, I was notified of status changes in the application as they progressed. This was an e-mail submission only, so it seems to be outside of the progress tracking system. Any insight on what the timeline and process should be?

Incessant credit card offers are one thing, but this is a whole other ballgame.

Salvor Hardin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:07:23 -0800

Normally, an unexpected $10,000 check in the mail would be super. Not f it comes from a secret surprise student loan. Help me fix this please! Short summary: I found out that I have $20,000 in federal student loans I didn't ask for, want, or know about. I have only received $10,000 of it. My school account says the first $10,000 of it was sent to me in October, but I never received it. What do I do?

Long version:

I'm in a one-year M.Ed. program, and took out a $5,550 federal student loan in 6/2011. It was credited to my student account at my school, and I received the resulting refund check. Great.

Fast forward to February, when I get a nice little $10,000 check in the mail from my school. I decide it's probably not just good karma, so I log into my student account (which I obviously should do more often), and find out to my considerable surprise, that since September, an extra $20,000 of student loans have been disbursed to my student account!!!?!?!?! There was a long period of taking deep breaths to regain equilibrium.

I checked my Sallie Mae account (they're servicing my Dept. of Ed. loans), and indeed, I have, instead of the expected $5,550 of loans, $26,000 of student loans!

I also checked the Dept. of Ed. "National Student Loan Data System", and it confirms the loans. More than half of the $20,000 is unsubsidized, too, which means $137 of interest has already appeared on the account :( :( :(. I called Sallie Mae, and they informed me that they don't create the loans, just service them, and my beef is with the school bursar's office.

There are two questions I plan to ask the bursar's office (which I will call on Tuesday when they reopen) about this situation:

1. How the HECK did $20,000 of student loans get taken out in my name without me knowing about it or signing anything?!

2. WHERE THE HECK IS THE FIRST $10,000 THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY DISBURSED AND REFUNDED TO ME IN SEPTEMBER?!?!?! DID THE CHECK CLEAR? IF IT DIDN'T CLEAR DURING THE LAST FOUR MONTHS, WHY DIDN'T YOU CONTACT ME ABOUT IT?!

I have no memory of receiving such a check, I certainly didn't deposit it, and to be sure I have combed my bank account, and no such check has been deposited. The $10,000 check which I did just receive is in my lockbox, awaiting a resolution to this situation.

My questions for you kind mefites are these:

1. What do you think happened? Have I been defrauded? A simple error? I did sign a master promissory note in June for the first loan that I actually wanted, but I can't imagine that would allow someone to take out loans for me without my explicit approval, right? Does this kind of mistake happen frequently?

2. Given that my goals are:
- make the $20,000 loan disappear
- locate the missing $10,000
- give back all the money
- avoid paying any interest on unwanted loans
- avoid damage to my credit score
what is my best strategy? Who should I call, what should I ask? Do I need a lawyer? At the moment, my only plan is to call up the bursar's office on Tuesday, ask them what happened, and hope they can fix it for me, but if they are less than helpful, I have no idea what to do.

3. What did I do wrong? Is there something I could have done or can do for the future to avoid this?

I am pretty unfamiliar with loans in general, and totally bewildered by this turn of events, and I'd really really like to wrap this up quickly and neatly, with a minimum of "Dude where's my car"-esque antics.

Does the tax man keep your money if you overpay?

doomtop — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:41:09 -0800

If you pay estimated taxes and then end up not owing those taxes, do you get them back? I made quarterly estimated payments based on previous tax years, but then the situation changed and I will not owe taxes. Do I get the estimated payments back or do they stay on some sort of account with the tax department?

Is this legal?

defmute — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:11:31 -0800

Has someone violated my rights? I live at an adult foster care home (basically a mental hospital) where you are not allowed to have cameras. I have a camera and left it on table one day. Staff found it later and I told them it was mine so that I could at least get it back when I am discharged from the home. Today the vice president told me that they are deleting the photos because they are inappropriate (naked pictures of my girlfriend). Is this legal? I was under the impression that they would not even be allowed to LOOK at the pictures much less delete them even if I wasn't supposed to have the camera to begin with.

Also, this institution prohibits cellphones and one of my friends has a Blackberry that was confiscated after he carelessly left it in a bathroom. The vice president flipped through the phone to find out who the phone belonged to and stumbled upon an email from my gmail account (I borrow his phone often and leave my gmail signed in cause he doesn't have gmail). The vice president claims the email was already on the screen once she opened the phone's browser. She did read some of the contents of the e mail, however. Did she commit a crime in this instance?

Say that what the vice president did was a federal offense. Could I just call the FBI and tell them to investigate the case? If not, would I be able to get some kind of a public defender to represent me or would I just have to pay for a laywer? Thanks for the help, yall.

Why does NPR refer to the interest rate as "near zero"?

odinsdream — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:54:01 -0800

Why does NPR always refer to the US Federal interest rate as "near zero" rather than a specific amount? Googling shows it's between 0 and 25 basis points. What is the exact amount, and why is it not referred to exactly? I'd also be interested to hear if other media sources report the rate in a similar fashion. I've avoided asking this question for several months already in case it was just a fluke in a few reports, but I listen to NPR almost every day, and recall not a single instance of the rate being reported exactly. It is always reported as "at or near zero" or "near zero".

Should I take this job just to be able to have a job with the Federal government?

reenum — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:02:20 -0800

I'm interviewing for a job with the Federal government that is far below the qualifications I have. What to do if I get an offer? I've been scheduled for an interview as a contact representative for the Social Security Administration. It's a GS-7 position. I'd work in a call center position where I would be explaining benefits to people who call in. The maximum promotion potential for the job is GS-8.

I'm an attorney with 6 years of experience, so this job is lower on the ladder than I would like to start. But, I do want to get a foothold into the Federal government.

My question is whether it makes sense from a career standpoint to take this position if offered or to hold out for something with a higher starting rank. I currently have unemployment coming in, which covers almost all my expenses. That should keep going for another 5-6 months. The job pays about as much as I made while working for my last employer here in Kansas.

Also, the job would necessitate a move from Kansas to NYC, which means I'd have to downgrade my lifestyle for a couple of years.

Any thoughts or advice is most welcome.

How much does an inexperienced programmer get paid?

Anonymous — Tue, 17 May 2011 13:10:40 -0800

How much should I get paid as an inexperienced programmer doing Java web development for a US government contractor? I’m clueless. I think I’ll mainly be doing Java EE-based web development with Tomcat, and maybe some Python programming as well. I’ll be working at a major federal agency in DC, but my employer is technically a contractor rather than the government itself. (The government people were involved in the hiring decision, but I don’t know if they have any say in this part.)

I have very solid knowledge of Java, Python, and the tools they’re using, but basically no experience with web development, and less than one year of total experience as a professional programmer. I think I’m their only candidate right now, and they’ll almost certainly give me a formal offer of a job once I tell them how much I want to be paid.

I need to set an hourly rate. Obviously I should ask for more than they want to pay, but only a little bit more. I’m very inexperienced, so I have absolutely no idea what’s reasonable.

How much would you ask for, if you were in this position? Even the vaguest ballpark estimate, or any other related advice, would be a great help!

Let's Go Mexico (City for 6 months)

Anonymous — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 16:51:12 -0800

I am a US citizen considering spending 6 months in Mexico City in about 12 to 18 months from now. What kind of things do I need to consider over the next year or so? I anticipate leaving my job in 1 to 1 1/2 years and would like to take some time off from working before starting a new job. Need to recharge the creative side of my life and after a few visits I've decided Mexico City is the place to do it.

I don't plan on working or driving while I am there. I would like to rent a small place in a nice, walkable part of town (hopefully Condesa) and spend my time doing some kind of creative writing and composing music.

Some things I'm already thinking about:

Are furnished efficiency-style apartments available for six month rental in Mexico City? I won't need much space but would like a small kitchen, shower and reliable internet access. I would like to do this as cheaply as is possible while still staying in a reasonably nice and safe neighborhood.

Will a tourist visa be sufficient for me?

What should I bring with me versus buying once I am there? I would like to bring one suitcase of clothes, a computer and maybe 12 books. I would like to buy a bicycle and cheap nylon string guitar once I am there.

How should I handle my finances while I am there? Set up a bank account in the US with a bank that has a no-ATM-fees agreement with a Mexican bank?

What other things do I need to start considering? Please limit answers to practical considerations about making this happen not whether or not I should do it.

Other background info: I live in Texas. My Spanish is limited but I am already working on that. Don't drink so that should save some cash.

Asking anonymously because current co-workers also read Mefi and I don't want my employer to know that I am considering this. Throw-away email: askmexicocity@hotmail.com

Help me debunk Auntie (& Bill Whittle)

Reasonably Everything Happens — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:43:31 -0800

Help me debunk Auntie (& Bill Whittle) - warning, highly politicized fiscal data Help me debunk Auntie (Bill Whittle) - warning, highly politicized fiscal data

My sweet, generous, well-meaning aunt forwarded me this video from Bill Whittle. A fair warning: the framing for this information is highly skewed to a conservative vantage point.

I've taken this opportunity to see if rational, detail oriented dialogue can exist between people with very different points of view. I'm not optimistic of being successful, but I think a lot may be learned from the effort.

What I'd like for help is (1) a point by point debunking of the data where it's applicable and (2) a nuanced big-picture reframing of this that I hope will be convincing to her.

I have a background in economics and have already created a decent amount of contextual data that shows Bill's points to either be misleading or entirely incorrect. However, there's a lot here in a short 4 min and I'm not nearly as wonky as some of the people I've seen on here.

Another thing is that I was surprised (if Bill's #'s are anywhere near accurate), that this much wealth could be fit into the equivalent of one annual federal budget.

This is a pretty big topic, so let me know if I can clarify anything.

Thanks for your help!

Gold Standard Minus Federal Reserve

spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:43:24 -0800

What would the U.S. economy be like right now if it hadn't left the gold standard and the Federal Reserve had not been created? The reason I ask is because I'm continuing to hear of certain factions calling for the abolishment of the Fed and a return to the gold standard. So I'm wondering, "OK, say they accomplish that, the Fed goes away, gold standard is back, now what? How does that change things?"

What if I say no, don't contact my supervisor?

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:31:29 -0800

When applying for federal jobs, how problematic is it not to allow a potential employer to contact a previous supervisor? So, up until last January I was in ministry, and I've been a stay-at-home Dad/adjunct college instructor since then. I'm now starting the process of applying for jobs at the USAjobs.gov website, and there are some that I think would fit my skills very well. However: my last ministry posting ended very messily. There was ongoing conflict between me and the lay leadership regarding the scope and parameters of my responsibilities, and--I found out afterward--some false and damaging accusations had been leveled against me by a mentally ill church member. I'm not sure that those accusations were completely believed (no action was taken by any party) but I have no doubt that they still colored the way I was perceived. I really don't have the faintest idea what my supervisor would say about me if contacted, but the options basically range from neutral to devastating. I have excellent references from previous positions, yet I'm concerned that this one bad experience will derail my job prospects.

When filling out information on the website, for each previous job they ask "May we contact your supervisor?" The options are "Yes," "No," and "Contact me first."

I'm tempted to say "No," on this one, but I'm concerned about how that would look. "Yes" is risky. It could be okay, and it could awful. It won't be great. I guess "contact me first," makes the most sense, and then I can put whatever response they will get in context, and mention that previous experiences were much more positive. But I'm really only familiar with the ins and outs of ministry jobs, and I don't know how a potential federal employer would view a "no" or "contact me first" response. Any insights to help me figure out the best choice?

Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:48:11 -0800

I'm filling in a background-check form for a US government job--Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions--and I'm confused. Help! I think this is less stringent than an actual security clearance, because I won't be working with secret information (but I'll be working in a secure building). The form is confusing, and there's no one to answer my questions, so I hope someone will know what to do!

1. I lived in the same place more than once in the last 5 years (eg. in college and at my parents' house). How should I list the dates? If I list them multiple times, must I list different people who knew me during each time I lived at the same place? (There's only space for one start date and one end date for each address.)

2. For some places I lived, I don't have the address of anyone I still know. (At the college I attended briefly and then left, I don't still know anyone, and they've all moved anyway.) Should I pretend I didn't live there, and stayed at my other address in the same city? (I'd like to avoid lying if possible; technically it's a felony.)

3. Will the investigators necessarily contact all the people on the form? (If so, why don't they want phone numbers?) Should I ask people's permission before listing them, in case they don't want to go through tedious questioning?

4. For times that I was in school, should I list myself as unemployed, or as a student with the school as my employer? (I have been unemployed both while in school and out of school.)

Also, if there's some other source of information that would help me, please let me know. (The Office of Personnel Management website certainly doesn't help.) Thanks!