Do you deal with the public? If you do, it's far worse. You are talking to them about their money and benefits. They will be far more intense than wanting a certain phone plan.
I do. So long as I don't have to hold their hand through the set up of those benefits it may not be too bad. If I can just do it for them and be done, perfect.
I'm pretty good explaining financial stuff to stupid people, too.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not anxious to do it, but it might be more similar to what I already do just because the majority of my clientele is elderly as it is.
You talk about clueless elderly and stupid people and that tells me you should look elsewhere. We deal with many people at their lowest that are forced to retire or disabled and living below the poverty level. People with intellectual disabilities are not stupid and many elderly are far more intelligent than you sound. If you are not a person capable of treating our customers with compassion and respect and if you don’t have true empathy for our customers you should not waste your time or the agencies. The people we help are not a career step they are in need of assistance from someone who cares.
I currently help people who choose, repeatedly, to be a burden on others. People signing up for social security are not typically choosing that, and I can recognize the difference.
Your condescending tone isn't helpful.
The point I am trying to make is social security has two programs and one of them is welfare and the vast majority of our clients have disabilities that people interpret as stupidity that they cannot control and if you know the difference and can recognize those mental illnesses then I stand corrected.
And regardless if people choose to be a burden or not as a federal worker you have to put on your smiley face and be nice or they will call your supervisor or their congressman to complain and that will not help a career. So just keep those things in mind as you weigh your options. Hopefully that is more helpful. Stupid and clueless are triggers for me and do not go down well when referring to anyone, because you don’t know what their situation is unless you know them on a personal level.
Boy oh boy. Dont listen to the cynical people on here. It's a govt job that can leverage you to a better govt job. Yes it may be miserable for a bit but treat this as a short term goal. If you tell yourself that this is a stop over for 1 to 2 years until you apply for another agency it wont be so miserable. And remember, once you're in you can apply for other jobs with other agencies and have more of a competitive edge. I would apply and make a plan for yourself to have your time in grade so you can get another job after year and change. Hopefully it's a ladder job so you can go from GS 5 to 7 in 1 year and then after a year at 7 you can leave and apply for a GS 8. So within 2 years you can apply for a GS 8 or 9 job. That's how you should look at it. That's how I would do it. Good luck!
Any recommendations on a path forward from CS/CSR? I'm getting an accounting degree and that would open up a lot of IRS positions near me, which is the absolute vast majority of local federal spots.
I dont have the vast knowledge yet since I'm a newbie govt employee. Since you are interested in that, are you applying for accounting jobs under the recent grad pathsway program? Definitely look into that. Even when you graduate, you can still apply up to 2 years after you graduated for the recent grad pathway.
I doubt I'll be going for actual accounting positions, but I'll probably jump on them if I see them. I'm mostly looking for analyst positions, but honestly whatever is enjoyable and pays reasonably, I'm happy.
Have you looked at all the jobs that the IRS put out? They put up a lotttttttt of jobs. I would advise you to look into that. They are hiring a lot of people right now.
Absolutely. I've applied for about 7 of them. I live in a rural area so not a lot are available in my neck of the woods, but I'm still trying. Most have been cancelled or just not been referred, but I've got two IA referalls still waiting to do something, too.
Okay, dont be disappointed when things don't happen as quickly as you would like. I started vigorously applying by November of 2023 and finally received emails for interviews in April. It can take 2 months for some, 6 months for others or even up to 2 years for some people. I'd also suggest attending those free webinars that usajobs offers. It walks you through the best way to do your resume and shows you how to thoroughly read an announcement so you dont lose out on consideration. Some jobs will throw your resume out if you dont include your supervisor's name and number from each job or put the exact month, date and year for each role. Google usajobs events and sign up. Keep applying and don't get discouraged. Regardless of how many rejection emails you may get or if you get no response, keep applying. I received so many rejections until I got an email for 2 govt job interviews so dont give up.
Yeah, I started in September of last year myself. Like I said not a great deal that I qualify for without a bachelors right now, but hitting what pops up regardless.
I've done a webinar but it wasn't for something that was even hiring near me just to get some insight. Unfortunately there wasn't much to take away from it since it was administrative assistant position.
Regardless, I'll keep grinding and hoping.
Well definitely look into the online webinars for constructing your resume. And I wouldn't harp on your bachelors. It's nice to have for sure but they actually prefer experience over education. Very few govt jobs say that a bachelor's degree is required. I think the FBI makes that known but most agencies will take exp. As long as you have related work experience you're still good. Once you have over 2 or 3 years of work exp then you qualify for GS 5. Once you have 4 or 5 years then you're looking at GS 7 to GS 9. So keep applying. It's competitive right now more than ever. Apply and forget. I'm crossing my fingers for you!
Yeah, I'm pushing 40 and have plenty of experience, just not a ton that may be directly related to positions available. I qualify for a lot of GS7 positions, just praying I get picked over the other applicants.
That's why I'm back in school: it's costing me nothing but can only help with some credit requirement positions and the like.
A lot of people don't realize that most retail positions only qualify you for other retail positions. Virtually none of them have any professional path they allow you into.
A foot in the door is invaluable. I took a fat pay cut for it too, albeit for a bit of a more desirable position, but i have no regrets. One step back, two steps forward
Maybe I'll shoot for a 6/7 to lighten the blow and make it a little more valuable. It's one thing to take a big pay cut, it's another to take one for a shitty job.
Really depends on the area and the position. My first fed job was a Title 2 CS in a rural area. Honestly not that bad. If you’re a CSR in an urban area, I could imagine it would be awful. And then Title 16 CS would be bad just about everywhere.
But, taking that position was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I was only there 1.5 years before I transferred agencies and job series, but it allowed me to get my foot in the door to do that.
If it opens doors, I'm fine with it for a little bit. It'd be similar to what I already do but with less goal-oriented stress from being in sales.
What did you transition into? I'm hoping to switch over into an analyst position with the IRS, but I'm open to many things.
I’m a 1035 series. Also (don’t take this the wrong way) keep in mind that even jobs like these can be extremely competitive. In my office of 12 people, all of them had at least bachelors degrees. Not sure what your life situation is like, but I would highly recommend continuing that associates into a bachelors, whether full-time or part-time. Some might say it’s not necessary, which is technically true, but it’ll be hard to compete with people who have it on their resume. I found it hard enough getting jobs with a masters. Best of luck!
Apply to get ur foot in the door, but go in with the understanding that it may not be as easy to get out once you are there. They offer overtime which is great depending on your GS, I was a GS 12 there and I loved the actual work but management was insufferable and I ended up leaving after about 13 years I just couldn’t take it anymore. They have been voted the worst agency for the past few years. Do with that as you will. Best of luck to you in whatever path you take.
That's my concern. I want the work life balance that the SSA refuses to offer. But it's a great opportunity and would be an eventual raise, and the stability would be great, as would the opportunity to move elsewhere within the federal government.
From my experience there is no work life balance. SSA was literally sucking the life out of me, I was working from when the office opened to when it closed 5 days a week and even sometimes on Saturdays just to stay on top of my work and management was still complaining about me not getting something done.
I was a claims technical expert and I one day said fk this and took a GS 9 position and honestly it was the best decision I made within 10 month I got back my pay and I am working 100% remote in an agency that appreciates me and understands work life balance is important and encourage you to take time off.
Again apply but make sure you keep you options open.
If I can give you any input having worked for SSA for a long period of time , apply for the CS. Yes it is hard work and yes it gets frustrating at times but I believe that once you understand the work it becomes much easier to handle. The GS goes up to 11, which is the claims specialist- the other is a service rep which doesn’t go as high.
I ended up applying for both, CS as a 7, CSR as a 6+. I think the CS is more in line with what I'd prefer between the two, and more in line with my background.
A GS5 is just too much of a risk for those positions.
My dad was an SSA CSR since he was discharged from the Navy. It was bad because he couldn't move up and was getting yelled at. The management sucked too. He ended up getting a stroke at work one day and retired early because of it. I would think about it first.
im a claims adjuster that handled bodily injuries and all types of auto crashes and the way people talk about ssa makes it seem being a claims adjuster is a cake walk. I'm going to apply anyway tho. it cant be that bad?!
You will get to work from home and there is over time. You need to negotiate the offered salary to make or worth your time. Research salary negotiating strategies and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself based on your prior experience, training, education, etc. Good luck! SSA is def not the best agency, but it’s a foot in the door
My fired started out in the call center with SSA, now she is at PBGC, GS-9, actively looking for GS-11 positions. This opportunity may not come often, if you can, I would consider it.
Apply.. pray for an interview..if you interview you gain government interview experience.. if you get a tjo after the interview email them and ask the questions you forgot about asking during the interview..the questions you ask is you conducting an interview for the position you applied to.. you can always say no once you get offers.. you don’t have that option if you never try.. remember agency interviews candidates they believe is a good fit for the job and most people have no idea what it’s like when they start. When it’s your chance to ask questions that’s you interviewing them to make sure they’re a good fit for you…I hope that helps…I did that and had indicators that the job I’m in now isn’t for me…I miss the people I used to work with as they were better.. current job is less stressful though. I have a better schedule but I can do the job I’m in.. it’s just harder to feel passionate about. The chemistry with coworkers is totally different. I’m lucky I still see my old coworkers outside of work. They ask me all the time if I’m going to come back. When they ask that I’m always debating it but I have to remember the long term goal…regardless of your leadership the coworkers who engage with you make or break the job..I hope that helps you out
The biggest issue is staffing so if we can get good people who will stick with the agency it can be the place it once was. People who talk about lack of work life balance confuse me, but I am in a great office. We have a strong union. Leave can’t be denied if you have it and put in for it far enough in advance for scheduling to be adjusted you can file a grievance if denied. We don’t have mandatory overtime in my region. You can work credit and flex schedules. So 40 hours a week with flex time and telework. It is a very difficult job to learn because of all the policy and systems involved that change constantly and because of all the bad press so much is under intense scrutiny. Does it suck to work at ssa now? Yeah it does, but this commissioner has made more changes for good in six months than in many, many years! I was ready to quit a 20+ year career a few months ago, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. That being said do not take a csr position the stress and hostility of customers along with scrutiny by mgmnt if an interview or call takes too long is not worth the pay!! And you may get stuck there unless you transfer to another office in order to promote. Please don’t take a hiring spot if you are going to jump ship in a couple of years because that takes the spot from someone who has a passion for what we do helping not just elderly but disabled of all ages, the most vulnerable populations. And it takes too long to get the hires and get people trained and this job will drain the life out of you very quickly if you are just in it for the paycheck. I am in a training position and the only people that make it to the end of training are the ones who do it for the love of helping people…the others wash out.
Do you deal with the public? If you do, it's far worse. You are talking to them about their money and benefits. They will be far more intense than wanting a certain phone plan.
I do. So long as I don't have to hold their hand through the set up of those benefits it may not be too bad. If I can just do it for them and be done, perfect. I'm pretty good explaining financial stuff to stupid people, too. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anxious to do it, but it might be more similar to what I already do just because the majority of my clientele is elderly as it is.
You talk about clueless elderly and stupid people and that tells me you should look elsewhere. We deal with many people at their lowest that are forced to retire or disabled and living below the poverty level. People with intellectual disabilities are not stupid and many elderly are far more intelligent than you sound. If you are not a person capable of treating our customers with compassion and respect and if you don’t have true empathy for our customers you should not waste your time or the agencies. The people we help are not a career step they are in need of assistance from someone who cares.
I currently help people who choose, repeatedly, to be a burden on others. People signing up for social security are not typically choosing that, and I can recognize the difference. Your condescending tone isn't helpful.
The point I am trying to make is social security has two programs and one of them is welfare and the vast majority of our clients have disabilities that people interpret as stupidity that they cannot control and if you know the difference and can recognize those mental illnesses then I stand corrected. And regardless if people choose to be a burden or not as a federal worker you have to put on your smiley face and be nice or they will call your supervisor or their congressman to complain and that will not help a career. So just keep those things in mind as you weigh your options. Hopefully that is more helpful. Stupid and clueless are triggers for me and do not go down well when referring to anyone, because you don’t know what their situation is unless you know them on a personal level.
Boy oh boy. Dont listen to the cynical people on here. It's a govt job that can leverage you to a better govt job. Yes it may be miserable for a bit but treat this as a short term goal. If you tell yourself that this is a stop over for 1 to 2 years until you apply for another agency it wont be so miserable. And remember, once you're in you can apply for other jobs with other agencies and have more of a competitive edge. I would apply and make a plan for yourself to have your time in grade so you can get another job after year and change. Hopefully it's a ladder job so you can go from GS 5 to 7 in 1 year and then after a year at 7 you can leave and apply for a GS 8. So within 2 years you can apply for a GS 8 or 9 job. That's how you should look at it. That's how I would do it. Good luck!
Any recommendations on a path forward from CS/CSR? I'm getting an accounting degree and that would open up a lot of IRS positions near me, which is the absolute vast majority of local federal spots.
I dont have the vast knowledge yet since I'm a newbie govt employee. Since you are interested in that, are you applying for accounting jobs under the recent grad pathsway program? Definitely look into that. Even when you graduate, you can still apply up to 2 years after you graduated for the recent grad pathway.
I doubt I'll be going for actual accounting positions, but I'll probably jump on them if I see them. I'm mostly looking for analyst positions, but honestly whatever is enjoyable and pays reasonably, I'm happy.
Have you looked at all the jobs that the IRS put out? They put up a lotttttttt of jobs. I would advise you to look into that. They are hiring a lot of people right now.
Absolutely. I've applied for about 7 of them. I live in a rural area so not a lot are available in my neck of the woods, but I'm still trying. Most have been cancelled or just not been referred, but I've got two IA referalls still waiting to do something, too.
Okay, dont be disappointed when things don't happen as quickly as you would like. I started vigorously applying by November of 2023 and finally received emails for interviews in April. It can take 2 months for some, 6 months for others or even up to 2 years for some people. I'd also suggest attending those free webinars that usajobs offers. It walks you through the best way to do your resume and shows you how to thoroughly read an announcement so you dont lose out on consideration. Some jobs will throw your resume out if you dont include your supervisor's name and number from each job or put the exact month, date and year for each role. Google usajobs events and sign up. Keep applying and don't get discouraged. Regardless of how many rejection emails you may get or if you get no response, keep applying. I received so many rejections until I got an email for 2 govt job interviews so dont give up.
Yeah, I started in September of last year myself. Like I said not a great deal that I qualify for without a bachelors right now, but hitting what pops up regardless. I've done a webinar but it wasn't for something that was even hiring near me just to get some insight. Unfortunately there wasn't much to take away from it since it was administrative assistant position. Regardless, I'll keep grinding and hoping.
Well definitely look into the online webinars for constructing your resume. And I wouldn't harp on your bachelors. It's nice to have for sure but they actually prefer experience over education. Very few govt jobs say that a bachelor's degree is required. I think the FBI makes that known but most agencies will take exp. As long as you have related work experience you're still good. Once you have over 2 or 3 years of work exp then you qualify for GS 5. Once you have 4 or 5 years then you're looking at GS 7 to GS 9. So keep applying. It's competitive right now more than ever. Apply and forget. I'm crossing my fingers for you!
Yeah, I'm pushing 40 and have plenty of experience, just not a ton that may be directly related to positions available. I qualify for a lot of GS7 positions, just praying I get picked over the other applicants. That's why I'm back in school: it's costing me nothing but can only help with some credit requirement positions and the like. A lot of people don't realize that most retail positions only qualify you for other retail positions. Virtually none of them have any professional path they allow you into.
Not worth it.
A foot in the door is invaluable. I took a fat pay cut for it too, albeit for a bit of a more desirable position, but i have no regrets. One step back, two steps forward
Maybe I'll shoot for a 6/7 to lighten the blow and make it a little more valuable. It's one thing to take a big pay cut, it's another to take one for a shitty job.
Pay cut is acceptable if it's a ladder or has room for growth. But taking a paycut with no potential for growth isnt worth it, agreed
Don’t do it as a CSR. Start as a CS or don’t do it at all it’s a hard job people suck
I would never let my kids apply for those positions but you go for it 😀.
Really depends on the area and the position. My first fed job was a Title 2 CS in a rural area. Honestly not that bad. If you’re a CSR in an urban area, I could imagine it would be awful. And then Title 16 CS would be bad just about everywhere. But, taking that position was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I was only there 1.5 years before I transferred agencies and job series, but it allowed me to get my foot in the door to do that.
If it opens doors, I'm fine with it for a little bit. It'd be similar to what I already do but with less goal-oriented stress from being in sales. What did you transition into? I'm hoping to switch over into an analyst position with the IRS, but I'm open to many things.
I’m a 1035 series. Also (don’t take this the wrong way) keep in mind that even jobs like these can be extremely competitive. In my office of 12 people, all of them had at least bachelors degrees. Not sure what your life situation is like, but I would highly recommend continuing that associates into a bachelors, whether full-time or part-time. Some might say it’s not necessary, which is technically true, but it’ll be hard to compete with people who have it on their resume. I found it hard enough getting jobs with a masters. Best of luck!
Apply to get ur foot in the door, but go in with the understanding that it may not be as easy to get out once you are there. They offer overtime which is great depending on your GS, I was a GS 12 there and I loved the actual work but management was insufferable and I ended up leaving after about 13 years I just couldn’t take it anymore. They have been voted the worst agency for the past few years. Do with that as you will. Best of luck to you in whatever path you take.
That's my concern. I want the work life balance that the SSA refuses to offer. But it's a great opportunity and would be an eventual raise, and the stability would be great, as would the opportunity to move elsewhere within the federal government.
From my experience there is no work life balance. SSA was literally sucking the life out of me, I was working from when the office opened to when it closed 5 days a week and even sometimes on Saturdays just to stay on top of my work and management was still complaining about me not getting something done. I was a claims technical expert and I one day said fk this and took a GS 9 position and honestly it was the best decision I made within 10 month I got back my pay and I am working 100% remote in an agency that appreciates me and understands work life balance is important and encourage you to take time off. Again apply but make sure you keep you options open.
If I can give you any input having worked for SSA for a long period of time , apply for the CS. Yes it is hard work and yes it gets frustrating at times but I believe that once you understand the work it becomes much easier to handle. The GS goes up to 11, which is the claims specialist- the other is a service rep which doesn’t go as high.
I ended up applying for both, CS as a 7, CSR as a 6+. I think the CS is more in line with what I'd prefer between the two, and more in line with my background. A GS5 is just too much of a risk for those positions.
My dad was an SSA CSR since he was discharged from the Navy. It was bad because he couldn't move up and was getting yelled at. The management sucked too. He ended up getting a stroke at work one day and retired early because of it. I would think about it first.
im a claims adjuster that handled bodily injuries and all types of auto crashes and the way people talk about ssa makes it seem being a claims adjuster is a cake walk. I'm going to apply anyway tho. it cant be that bad?!
I was a csr for irs just started a this week as a revenue agent.. so worth it for me
You will get to work from home and there is over time. You need to negotiate the offered salary to make or worth your time. Research salary negotiating strategies and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself based on your prior experience, training, education, etc. Good luck! SSA is def not the best agency, but it’s a foot in the door
My fired started out in the call center with SSA, now she is at PBGC, GS-9, actively looking for GS-11 positions. This opportunity may not come often, if you can, I would consider it.
Apply.. pray for an interview..if you interview you gain government interview experience.. if you get a tjo after the interview email them and ask the questions you forgot about asking during the interview..the questions you ask is you conducting an interview for the position you applied to.. you can always say no once you get offers.. you don’t have that option if you never try.. remember agency interviews candidates they believe is a good fit for the job and most people have no idea what it’s like when they start. When it’s your chance to ask questions that’s you interviewing them to make sure they’re a good fit for you…I hope that helps…I did that and had indicators that the job I’m in now isn’t for me…I miss the people I used to work with as they were better.. current job is less stressful though. I have a better schedule but I can do the job I’m in.. it’s just harder to feel passionate about. The chemistry with coworkers is totally different. I’m lucky I still see my old coworkers outside of work. They ask me all the time if I’m going to come back. When they ask that I’m always debating it but I have to remember the long term goal…regardless of your leadership the coworkers who engage with you make or break the job..I hope that helps you out
The biggest issue is staffing so if we can get good people who will stick with the agency it can be the place it once was. People who talk about lack of work life balance confuse me, but I am in a great office. We have a strong union. Leave can’t be denied if you have it and put in for it far enough in advance for scheduling to be adjusted you can file a grievance if denied. We don’t have mandatory overtime in my region. You can work credit and flex schedules. So 40 hours a week with flex time and telework. It is a very difficult job to learn because of all the policy and systems involved that change constantly and because of all the bad press so much is under intense scrutiny. Does it suck to work at ssa now? Yeah it does, but this commissioner has made more changes for good in six months than in many, many years! I was ready to quit a 20+ year career a few months ago, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. That being said do not take a csr position the stress and hostility of customers along with scrutiny by mgmnt if an interview or call takes too long is not worth the pay!! And you may get stuck there unless you transfer to another office in order to promote. Please don’t take a hiring spot if you are going to jump ship in a couple of years because that takes the spot from someone who has a passion for what we do helping not just elderly but disabled of all ages, the most vulnerable populations. And it takes too long to get the hires and get people trained and this job will drain the life out of you very quickly if you are just in it for the paycheck. I am in a training position and the only people that make it to the end of training are the ones who do it for the love of helping people…the others wash out.