Tuesday, March 07, 2006

I've had it.

If you've been following my job situation, then you know that my job has been converted to a GS11 position. Being that I have actually been in the position for the past 6 years, I would normally have the inside track for it. However, the hiring official decided to hire someone else. I accepted another contract position in Hawaii but I continued to nominate myself for other GS positions both here and in Germany as we don't want to leave Europe. Most of the positions I put in for, I was a little underqualified for so I didn't expect much. However, there is a GS11 position similar to the one I do here that recently opened in Heidelberg, Germany.

I put in for it and was not surprised to find out a few days ago that I made the initial referral list. So yesterday I received a call from an acquaintance up in US Army Europe Headquarters. He called to tell me that the head guy up there was pulling strings to get one of his guys in the position. Now this happens all the time so I wasn't surprised. But he went on to tell me that he knows of at least 2 people (me and another guy) who submitted for it and who were much much more qualified for it. Apparently, the guy who is in line for it has only been at this job for a little less than a year and is only a GS9 (I'm a contractor, but I'm considered a GS12 Equivalent). He suggested that me and the other guy submit a grievance if this guy gets the position. I briefly considered it, but in the long run, it'd be a big mistake for one reason. The head guy who I would filing the grievance against is a full bird Colonel and is a very powerful man in this theater. He controls all the people who work for the Army in Europe in my particular career field. So if I ever want to come back and work in this theater again someday, filing a grievance against him would be a big mistake. I know what you're thinking - he's a Colonel so he won't be there forever, right? Well, it just so happens that he's been there more than 7 years now and will probably be there until he decides to retire someday. And then he'll get a cushy civilian job and stay there until he dies.

So in case anyone is missing the irony here, let me spell it out for you; I had the inside track for the position here but I lost out to someone who was supposedly more qualified. I am probably the most qualified guy for the job in Germany but will probably lose out to someone less qualified who has the inside track.

I've had it. The GS system sucks.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well isn't that just shitty....but unfortunately perfectly believable.

Ed said...

Seems to me that I read where the government was thinking about getting rid of the GS levels and basing everything on merit but that is got voted down in the last few weeks. Having a government job means having great benefits but it also means putting up with a lot of bureaucratic bullsh$t.