NAVAIR Question

[jRiot504]

One thing that I have heard people do is to accept both the GS-9 job and the OCS slot. Honesty is the best policy with both recruiters so they are not caught unaware. Any civilian employer is required to hold your job for you for up to X years (4?) if you go on military orders, which includes any orders to report to OCS. After your initial service obligation, you could choose to go perform that GS-9 job again. If you don’t get selected for OCS, you are a NAVAIR civilian regardless.

Wow! That I was completely unaware of, I am glad asked on here.

I will be upfront with him. He has told me to accept an offer when it comes given being selected for OCS isn't a guarantee.

NAVAIR also told me it would be GS-11/12 given my experience, that GS-9 is the minimum for the role with a graduate degree. .

 

[Hair Warrior]

It turns out USERRA gives you up to 5 years. Depending on your designator, you might not ship off to Newport for several months after you are selected for OCS (see “final select purgatory” thread). You can use that time to do work at NAVAIR and make a good impression. With any luck, they will remember you and be glad to have you back in ~4.5 years. You can switch from AD to SELRES or IRR... or you can give up on the NAVAIR job and stay in active duty for a full career. It just means you don’t have to decide this minute — gives you flexibility. Again, just be sure NAVAIR is aware of and okay with your plan.

 

[Griz882]

It turns out USERRA gives you up to 5 years. Depending on your designator, you might not ship off to Newport for several months after you are selected for OCS (see “final select purgatory” thread). You can use that time to do work at NAVAIR and make a good impression. With any luck, they will remember you and be glad to have you back in ~4.5 years. You can switch from AD to SELRES or IRR... or you can give up on the NAVAIR job and stay in active duty for a full career. It just means you don’t have to decide this minute — gives you flexibility. Again, just be sure NAVAIR is aware of and okay with your plan.

USERRA does not apply to civilians who volunteer to join. @jRiot504 needs to be in uniform before the act supports him. Now, if I misunderstand and he is already a reservist or such then the law does apply.

 

[Pags]

1. Google NAVAIR (hint: http://www.navair.navy.mil/) and understand what the mission of the organization is. There's even some links that provide info on the FRC (http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cf...play&key=336F87D3-FBB9-4ED5-A2C8-5E1E58EF1FC4) Is it something you're interested in?
2. If you're only talking to a recruiter or an HR person ask to speak to the hiring manager to be able to ask some more technical questions about what work you'll be involved in to see if it's something you're interested in.
3. There are pay charts that take in to account locality adjustment: https://www.federalpay.org/gs/2018/florida#restofus
4. Is the job a GS job or a does it use another pay system such as DP? DP jobs can get you promoted faster and have a better bonus structure.
5. Look at opm.gov for an understanding of all the benefits that federal employees have. As a vet with 10yrs of service you'd earn 6hrs of leave/pay period. There are 26 pay periods in a year for a total of 156 hours of annual leave. Depending on your work hours (9 vs 8/day) thats 17-19 days of leave. On top of the federal holidays. And there's sick leave too that you can use to go the doc or to stay home with a sick kid and not have to take PTO. NAVAIR Pax does compressed work schedule. So I work 8x9hrs days and 1x8hr day in a 9 day period and get every other Friday off.
6. As @Flash mentioned you can roll the time you served ACDU in to your FERS retirement. If you served 10yrs and "buy it back" and then serve 30yrs in the federal gov't your pension % is 40-44% of your high three rate. It's not a legacy ACDU pension but it's not too bad.
7. If reserves are your thing, you can do that along with NAVAIR (or another federal job). If you get a reserve retirement you can collect that alongside your FERS retirement.
8. It gets you into the federal system. Once you're a Govie it's much easier to move between agencies than it is to come into the gov't from the street.
9. OCS isn't guaranteed. Does this job and the opportunity of federal career sound better than your current gig? If so, go for it. There's also no guarantee of getting the job at NAVAIR.
10. You can negotiate what rate/step you come in at. It's pretty easy if you have a current pay stub showing that you make X now and that they should meet/beat your current pay.
11. Perhaps most importantly, does your wife want to leave N.Idaho for FL?

 

[Hair Warrior]

USERRA does not apply to civilians who volunteer to join. @jRiot504 needs to be in uniform before the act supports him. Now, if I misunderstand and he is already a reservist or such then the law does apply.

Huh. Never knew that. Thanks for the info.

 

[jRiot504]

1. Google NAVAIR (hint: http://www.navair.navy.mil/) and understand what the mission of the organization is. There's even some links that provide info on the FRC (http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cf...play&key=336F87D3-FBB9-4ED5-A2C8-5E1E58EF1FC4) Is it something you're interested in?
2. If you're only talking to a recruiter or an HR person ask to speak to the hiring manager to be able to ask some more technical questions about what work you'll be involved in to see if it's something you're interested in.
3. There are pay charts that take in to account locality adjustment: https://www.federalpay.org/gs/2018/florida#restofus
4. Is the job a GS job or a does it use another pay system such as DP? DP jobs can get you promoted faster and have a better bonus structure.
5. Look at opm.gov for an understanding of all the benefits that federal employees have. As a vet with 10yrs of service you'd earn 6hrs of leave/pay period. There are 26 pay periods in a year for a total of 156 hours of annual leave. Depending on your work hours (9 vs 8/day) thats 17-19 days of leave. On top of the federal holidays. And there's sick leave too that you can use to go the doc or to stay home with a sick kid and not have to take PTO. NAVAIR Pax does compressed work schedule. So I work 8x9hrs days and 1x8hr day in a 9 day period and get every other Friday off.
6. As @Flash mentioned you can roll the time you served ACDU in to your FERS retirement. If you served 10yrs and "buy it back" and then serve 30yrs in the federal gov't your pension % is 40-44% of your high three rate. It's not a legacy ACDU pension but it's not too bad.
7. If reserves are your thing, you can do that along with NAVAIR (or another federal job). If you get a reserve retirement you can collect that alongside your FERS retirement.
8. It gets you into the federal system. Once you're a Govie it's much easier to move between agencies than it is to come into the gov't from the street.
9. OCS isn't guaranteed. Does this job and the opportunity of federal career sound better than your current gig? If so, go for it. There's also no guarantee of getting the job at NAVAIR.
10. You can negotiate what rate/step you come in at. It's pretty easy if you have a current pay stub showing that you make X now and that they should meet/beat your current pay.
11. Perhaps most importantly, does your wife want to leave N.Idaho for FL?

Thank you for the detailed response!

This was extremely helpful in terms of understanding the Federal Employee system. While I should have know they had a detailed mission statement, I didn't, so it was good to read through that. I

2) I am talking with the hiring manager on Friday so I will be sure to go more in-depth regarding the technical aspects of the job, while mentioning to her that I am applying for Navy OCS in conjunction.

9) OCS is my end goal. While I am certain I will curse myself some nights being a SWO (if selected), overall there really aren't any options that allow you to lead young men out on the open sea - I would curse myself more turning that down in the long-run.

I will know more about how this role compares to my current role at the end of this week.

10) This is good to know! I told her my current salary, along with another offer (still waiting for official word) and she did say they couldn't match the one but she immediately went from GS-9 to GS-11/12,so I will keep in mind that I can negotiate which I was unaware of.

11) Good point! We live in a rural area now without much commute. Jacksonville would be a big change.

There is another aspect I will mention, particularly for those separating. There is a certain stigma regarding DOD work within the West Coast tech community. This often make it difficult to transition from gov't work back in the private sector. We don't need to get into the illogical line of thinking here, but it is something to note. However, I also make my own schedule, come and go as I need to, without much oversight. As long as your work is done, no really keeps tracks of hours. This is fairly standard for the West coast which is a major plus. Flannel, jeans and boots for the winter, shorts, t-shirt and tennis shoes in the summer - very relaxed environment.

 

[jRiot504]

USERRA does not apply to civilians who volunteer to join. @jRiot504 needs to be in uniform before the act supports him. Now, if I misunderstand and he is already a reservist or such then the law does apply.

Thank you for the clarification. I am not in the reserves, so it would not apply.

 

[Griz882]

Thank you for the clarification. I am not in the reserves, so it would not apply.

USERRA is one of those acts that really fall to the supervisor to dictate. You can get a GS job, apply for OCS, and then request military time off for your training. Your new boss might just approve. Guessing from the supervisors I have had I would give you a solid 50/50 chance. Now, if you are asking for some months for OCS and then several years of time in service, I doubt it will happen. They hired you because they need you to do the job. If you are just asking for some months for OCS and the back to work with a handy USNR commission in your pocket then you are probably good to go. After that, you can take the time needed to complete any schooling you need that is within reason.

 

[jRiot504]

USERRA is one of those acts that really fall to the supervisor to dictate. You can get a GS job, apply for OCS, and then request military time off for your training. Your new boss might just approve. Guessing from the supervisors I have had I would give you a solid 50/50 chance. Now, if you are asking for some months for OCS and then several years of time in service, I doubt it will happen. They hired you because they need you to do the job. If you are just asking for some months for OCS and the back to work with a handy USNR commission in your pocket then you are probably good to go. After that, you can take the time needed to complete any schooling you need that is within reason.

That is completely reasonable. I wouldn't expect a company or Federal agency to hold a job for a complete service agreement. Given the nature of my job (I suspect any job), they skill-set I have now will most likely be obsolete. In the four years I have been doing my job I have had to learn numerous technologies being released to ensure we can perform our job adequately. Since my intention is to go AD, I don't anticipate having enough free-time, particularly with a wife and young children, to keep up with demands of data science on the side.

Thank you for the input. This insight is good to know these things even if its not immediately applicable.

 

[Hair Warrior]

If you are just asking for some months for OCS and the back to work with a handy USNR commission in your pocket then you are probably good to go. After that, you can take the time needed to complete any schooling you need that is within reason.

OCS is not a commissioning source for the U.S. Navy Reserve.

 

[Pags]

Why would you tell NAVAIR that you're applying to OCS? The two are mutually exclusive and I don't see the need to tell them that you're considering other employment options. If you're interviewing for one job it's a pretty reasonable assumption that you may be going to a few other interviews. I'd think public acknowledgement of something like that would be viewed negatively in the interview process.

If you do get picked up by NAVAIR and then get picked up for OCS then you get to make a decision. If you get picked up by NAVAIR and don't get an OCS slot then who cares?

This is no different than any other job hunt; at some point there's a risk that Dream Job 2 offers you a job before Dream Job 1. You take it because it's better than Current Job and then Dream Job 1 comes back after you've started with Dream Job 2. There's also a risk that on your wedding day the girl who got away shows up at your wedding banging on the door while "Mrs. Robinson" plays. But sometimes in life you just have to make a decision and stick with it.

 

[Griz882]

OCS is not a commissioning source for the U.S. Navy Reserve.

Check!

 

[Deleted member 67144 scul]

USERRA is one of those acts that really fall to the supervisor to dictate. You can get a GS job, apply for OCS, and then request military time off for your training. Your new boss might just approve. Guessing from the supervisors I have had I would give you a solid 50/50 chance. Now, if you are asking for some months for OCS and then several years of time in service, I doubt it will happen. They hired you because they need you to do the job. If you are just asking for some months for OCS and the back to work with a handy USNR commission in your pocket then you are probably good to go. After that, you can take the time needed to complete any schooling you need that is within reason.

If you're a non-GS civilian, ask your bosses for a letter of recommendation, and they take action against you for essentially asking them to help you take time off work for commissioning + other training, does the USERRA protect you?

 

[jRiot504]

Wanted to provide a quick follow.

I had to let NAVAIR know I applied for OCS as they wanted to hire after the interview with the entire team - 6 person interview. She appreciated the honesty and still wants me to move forward with submitting my transcripts and tailoring my resume for a government position to ensure the HR person places me in a GS-12 pay grade - she didn't see why not but wants to makes sure. I told her I would hear back in March and she did not have a problem waiting until then.

As @Pags mentioned, a private sector company probably would not wait and would end the interview process there.

 

[Griz882]

Fantastic, you have found a great spot to be in. Good luck as things progress.