[K_Sunshine5]

Hi A71,

(Warning: this is kind of long but please bear with me!) So I have a predicament and would appreciate any opinions and advice from y’all. Here’s the scenario:

I started a government job almost 2 months ago. It wasn’t my first choice of job but I took it to get my foot in the door. It pays ok and has a good career ladder over the next couple years. I am also enjoying the people I work with. The agency hired about 250 people in the last 6 months so there are a lot of newbies like me. The cons are that I’m really bored so far and I don’t know if the skill set I get from this position will help my future career. My supervisor told me to be patient with getting work but I look at my co-workers that have been there for a couple years and they look pretty bored too. There’s not a constant flow of work since it relies on purchases for the ships, planes, and helicopters. My job will be to track purchases through the Navy ERP system. I have completed about 90% of my training but haven’t had any hands on work to do yet.

Recently, I got called for a phone interview for another government job I had applied to before I accepted the offer for the job I’m in now (the government is pretty slow when it comes to hiring so I applied in March and am just now getting an interview). The phone interview went really well and I am going in for a face-to-face next week. It is 2 grades above the grade I am in now so it would equal a $10,000 raise. It is also the job I wanted to begin with and is something I have experience in and am very interested in. Since I am a newly licensed CPA, I will be needing to complete my required CPE within a year and this job pays for all of it. The CPE is actually a requirement of the job whether you are a CPA or not so the employees can keep up with all the new rules and regulations in the industry. In my current job, the CPA designation is not a requirement at all (heck, a master’s degree isn’t a requirement either but I have that too) so my agency wouldn’t help with CPE which means I would have to pay for it all on my own.

So my question: should I stay in my current job or switch to the new job? Since I have only been with my job for a couple months, I would feel like a huge jerk leaving and I really do like the people I work with. I feel like my biggest concern would be leaving my current job and being miserable at the new one and regretting my decision but I feel like the other job would be better for the career path that I have in mind and obviously the salary bump would be pretty nice too.

What are your thoughts on this? I may have left some details out so if you want more information or specifics, just let me know. Thanks so much in advance for your input 🙂

FAR: 65, 77!
AUD: 72, 72, 80!
REG: 64, 84!
BEC: 83!
Ethics: 98!

Delaware CPA as of May 23, 2014 at 10:43am EST.

"She believed she could, so she did."

[K_Sunshine5]

Thanks, ijustwant. I took the job and am starting soon. I am going to leave my current job on my resume since I'll be there 5 months by the time I leave (April-September). It shouldn't be that big of a deal in the future. Thanks for your advice 🙂

FAR: 65, 77!
AUD: 72, 72, 80!
REG: 64, 84!
BEC: 83!
Ethics: 98!

Delaware CPA as of May 23, 2014 at 10:43am EST.

"She believed she could, so she did."

[The_Juice]

Hi K_Sunshine5, I realize that this is a super old post and you may not see this, but figured I'd try anyway, just in case 🙂
I have been searching for stories on DCAA and see that you had left after 5 months for something else. Was DCAA really that boring? Did you keep in touch with anybody from your time there? If so, what do they say about their time there? Also, if you don't mind sharing, what was the position and agency you joined? How did it go? Any regrets?

I am kind of trying to figure out if I want to stay in public (I am an audit manager at a small CPA firm), or make a change now by going into either government or private. Government is enticing due to the work/life balance, pension, and mission/purpose that aligns with my nature (I am an auditor by nature through and through haha), but I do have that fear of being bored and potentially stagnating my career. I would need to take a pay-cut and I hear that it gets super competitive to get past GS-12 (which is already below my salary as it is, even at step 10). I am not so much worried about my skill or potential to grow into the higher positions, but that it seems like merit alone will not get it done.

Overall though, based on my research, DCAA seems interesting and they are hosting virtual hiring events this month. Seems like they are likely going to go on a hiring spree so if I want in, now would be the time…

[Ninja Albert]

hi @The Juice, what is the DCAA, is that a firm, is it a remote job or in person? is it a part time or full time job?

Just interested!

Thanks

[The_Juice]

DCAA stands for Defense Contract Audit Agency. It is a government agency that conducts audits of government contractors. The auditor positions are full-time. Based on what I have been able to piece together, they have flex scheduling (can work your 40 hours in 4 days and can work your daily hours with flex timing other than the required office hours depending on your specific office). I would also like to know more from people that work there and/or used to work there.

[Author]

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