211–220 of 320 posts
How is this different from the formerly-great USDS?
>What is the expected compensation for participants? Compensation varies based on experience level and agency placement. Annual salaries are expected to be in the approximate range of $150,000 to $200,000. Benefits include health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and eligibility for performance-based awards. >Tech Force will primarily recruit early-career technologists So "early-career" but they're going to…
(1) Are you saying it's bad if they're upping engineer pay to be more competitive, or you're just skeptical that they will? (2) I'd actually like the American government to pay better wages for its engineers, and optimize for hiring the best, rather than those desiring a stable, low-paying bureaucracy — I don't think that attracts the best people. (3) On talent and recruiting: This is being done by the National Desig…
#2: Overwhelmingly I agree. Federal pay is very, very broken. They should reform it to align more with the private sector, and there are laws in place that do that, and every year the sitting president literally writes a letter stating it would be an economic emergency to pay federal employees equivalent wages and instead sets them low. You are still limited by federal law to that current $195k, so it means it's impossible for the federal government to hire technical experts and pay them a fair wage.
#3: I'm sure the federal government is paying those people some ridiculous amount of money to put this together, and they'll probably do a decent job because of it. It still doesn't change the fact that federal hiring is really broken, and has become significantly worse in this admin.
If you want to know what you are up against I highly recommend - https://www.amazon.com/Recoding-America-Government-Failing-D... This book discusses the IT systems at the IRS and VA and shows the kind of push back you can expect from entrenched players.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
There's just no path to home ownership in the DC area for the fed career path after the ZIRP era. A capable person would have to be insane or desperate given the economics alone.
DC has the highest per capita income of anywhere in the US (vs other states/territories), so when you realize federal workers are producing the most value for America the economics are at least a little better. If you look at relative economic slackers like workers of NYC and the private industry where less value is per capita created, it's a bit rougher.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fortunately that's addressed in the extremely fine FAQ: > How is Tech Force related to other government technology programs, including ones at GSA or the United States DOGE Service? > While Tech Force will coordinate across all of government, it is distinct from other technology initiatives within government, including the United States DOGE Service and programs managed by GSA. These programs differ in their mandates…
How are they different? Well, they're different. That's how.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Employers would have to be pretty spiteful to look at it the way you purposed. I wouldn't want a spiteful employer. The flip side is that a lot of government jobs lead to pretty good private sector opportunities working with those same agencies. If you want to contact to DOE, knowing how it works in the inside and knowing people there definitely helps. A lot of military contractors are former military. Who better to…
Yes and no. I have hired people to work under me. Generally, if someone can pass the interview and do the job, I don't care that much about your views unless you are very outwardly with them. The only time I had to filter out a candidate was due to a quick check of his public social media where he was "enthusiastically" pro Palestine with questionable posts. That being said, having interviewed plenty of ex government…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What does this have to do with the price of DC housing and federal employee salaries' ability to purchase it?
Lower salaries at the same home prices would make it even more difficult. This is what we see in NYC, for instance. DC has some of the highest home prices but also the highest incomes.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I believe the new grad DOGE employees were GS-15s. So yes, it seems likely that they plan to hire at GS-14 or GS-15.
Nothing like putting in a multi decade civil service career and coming in one day to find a 20-something installed over you whose primary qualification was being hired at a "friendly" tech company and making the right kind of joke around the CEO. ... although that seems depressingly like it would also be the experience with new administrators being installed in executive agencies every 4 years, except they're slightl…
> whose primary qualification was being hired at a "friendly" tech company and making the right kind of joke around the CEO
That’s being awfully dismissive of the individuals skill set. Nobody gets the job by making the right kind of jokes around the CEO. Nobody. Getting in the door takes hard work, talent and some amount of luck.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This feels like it needs a MAGA vs Republican distinction. There are plenty of Republicans who (privately) have issues with some things Trump is doing.
Talk is cheap; actions are what matters. Based on their actions (or lack thereof), the group you're describing must be a very small minority indeed.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Benefits include health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and eligibility for performance-based awards Paid time off??? Health insurance??? Retirement plans???? OMG this is incredible! What an offer! /s
No 401k can ever match the beauty that is the TSP.