Retiring/separating reserve officers who transitioned to GS

[Buffmeyer]

Although Navy and GS scales aren't equivalent financially (and in other terms as well) - would be glad for informal feedback here as I try to refresh on what the conventional wisdom is for taking on GS work.

If you made the transition after the Reserve, did you start at roughly the same paygrade? I've heard about a norm that taking "one down" is common; same is also common; up one is rare. What about more than one down?

Also, was there a tipping point for you that made the package deal for combining retirements more or less attractive? Did HR help you make the determination?

Bonus question: Did you ever negotiate for more leave? E.g. 6 or 8 hours per pay period, assuming 8 hours per pay period gets you about two days of leave in one month.

 

[Swanee]

Does the Navy have reserve technicians like the AF, Army and (Air) National Guard does?

 

[taxi1]

If you made the transition after the Reserve, did you start at roughly the same paygrade? I've heard about a norm that taking "one down" is common; same is also common; u

What was/is your non-reserve day job?

 

[P3 F0]

I actually took a ladder position that took me to a -13. So, took me a couple years, but it was worth it. And I definitiely negotiated for 8 hrs of leave vice the 4, which took a lot of written justification based off my resume/work history.

 

[jmcquate]

At the agency where I work, I would say the majority of senior GS are former/retired/reserve officers.

 

[Buffmeyer]

What was/is your non-reserve day job?

I'm a consultant in the tech sector who's done some ADSW lately. Several of my peers have been making the jump, or are planning to, and punching out of the AC/RC completely.

 

[Buffmeyer]

I actually took a ladder position that took me to a -13. So, took me a couple years, but it was worth it. And I definitiely negotiated for 8 hrs of leave vice the 4, which took a lot of written justification based off my resume/work history.

It sounds like they want to go to the mat for every penny. But if they're getting good work out of you, me, or whoever, I wish they wouldn't be so stingy.

 

[Buffmeyer]

Does the Navy have reserve technicians like the AF, Army and (Air) National Guard does?

Not sure I understood your question correctly. Aviation and IDC seem to have a lot of representation in the USNR and they have their share of specialists.

 

[Swanee]

Not sure I understood your question correctly. Aviation and IDC seem to have a lot of representation in the USNR and they have their share of specialists.

A quick Google search says the Navy does not.

Air Reserve Technician Program - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Air Reserve Technicians carry a dual status, working as both full-time Department of the Air Force civil service (DAFC) employees and as uniformed Reserve Component USAF military members in the same AFRC or ANG units where they work as civil servants, performing the same job function whether in a DAFC or a military status.[3][4] ARTs are unique among DoD civil servants in that all commissioned officers and all enlisted personnel are required to wear their uniforms and utilize their rank titles at all times, whether in a DAFC civil service, regular drill, additional drill, or active duty status. The full-time use of military titles by ART personnel is used to preclude confusion, especially in interaction with Active Component personnel and particularly in the cases of those AFRC and ANG units located on Active Component air force bases, naval air stations, army air fields or joint bases.

 

[Pags]

I'm a consultant in the tech sector who's done some ADSW lately. Several of my peers have been making the jump, or are planning to, and punching out of the AC/RC completely.

A lot of this is going to depend on whether your day job is what's getting the GS job or your reserve job. That will drive what experience you can apply and which pay stubs you can use to negotiate with. Also will depend on which agency you're going to and which pay scale they consider equivalent (for instance, at some places a 13 is high grade while at others a 13 is working level).

Not sure how it goes for reservists but for veterans you show them your DD214 and you get leave based off of time served in ACDU per OPM guidance. For other cases your old pay stub is helpful to show what you had. Also your gaining supervisor should be working with you on this.

 

[taxi1]

I'm a consultant in the tech sector who's done some ADSW lately. Several of my peers have been making the jump, or are planning to, and punching out of the AC/RC completely.

I guess it would depend, then, on which career you are using as your skills base for arguing your entry level.

I’ve hired some retired mil that have flopped badly. And I mean b a d l y. Their attitude has been a piece of it, a sense of entitlement. So if you make the jump, go in with some humility. If you’re good, you’ll rise fast. If you don’t, you don’t want to work there anyway.

 

[Griz882]

Does the Navy have reserve technicians like the AF, Army and (Air) National Guard does?

No, they do not.

 

[Griz882]

It sounds like they want to go to the mat for every penny. But if they're getting good work out of you, me, or whoever, I wish they wouldn't be so stingy.

You will find negotiating for leave and pay harder and harder to do, unions frown on those kinds of deals more often than not although it is not impossible. Keep in mind, however, that your service time counts toward the GS leave levels so you should get up to the 8 hour mark very quickly. One thing to keep in mind is that comparing GS to mil pay is hard since there is no BAS and civilian “locality” pay is taxed. DoD does publish a kind of loose GS to “O” level comparison but it is not intended for pay comparisons.

 

[ChuckMK23]

At the agency where I work, I would say the majority of senior GS are former/retired/reserve officers.

Same here. Most of my peers are retired O-5/O-6's and are GS-12 or 13. I was able to negotiate GS-12 Step 5 and leave accrual

 

[ChuckMK23]

I guess it would depend, then, on which career you are using as your skills base for arguing your entry level.

I’ve hired some retired mil that have flopped badly. And I mean b a d l y. Their attitude has been a piece of it, a sense of entitlement. So if you make the jump, go in with some humility. If you’re good, you’ll rise fast. If you don’t, you don’t want to work there anyway.

Outstanding advice.