This month, for the first time in over half a decade I received a pay raise. It feels good. This is not because I am awesome or because I deserved it, but because every year congress or the President authorizes a cost of living raise, tied to inflation, for all federal employees. I should caveat this and say that some years, federal workers won’t get a pay raise for a variety of reasons, but for the most part, every January federal employees will typically get a cost of living increase (and have for 12 of the last 15 years).
In my previous job, I worked as a hospitalist for one of the largest medical staffing companies in the country, and although the pay was solid, it also was stagnant. Half a decade went by from the time I joined the company without a single raise, and between 2017 and 2022, inflation increased on an average of nearly 4 percent per year. I walked away making less money than when I started, and the issue was a pretty big talking point in the office. We were getting killed working long hours in a full hospital due to COVID, our company was seeing killer profits, and the folks on the ground weren’t getting honored for their work, and in fact, some of our benefits like Continuing Medical Education, were stripped away. That felt bad.
In all my years working in the private sector, I never imaged being a government employee, but now that I am working here, I am glad for the opportunity. Folks often see the government as being a faceless bureaucracy, but already I found a personable organization that recognizes their employees for their work. Yes it is big, but there are practices within the organization that I feel like are a thing of the past in the private sector.
Case in point: Twice a year in each embassy, both direct hires and locally employed staff get recognized and awarded for their work at a formal awards ceremony. These are not pat on the back awards where you get a thumbs up and piece of paper, but actual monetary awards that go in your HR record and are viewed by promotion panels. In my 15 years of private sector work, never once did this happen. One hospital I worked for would have a ceremony to honor people for their years of service, and basically it amounted to a free mediocre meal, a piece of paper, and a pat on the back.
I have been employed by the State Department a grand total of 9 months and I already have been given higher raises and more awards than the last 15 years of private sector employment. That feels really good, and is really motivating. It feels good to be able to work in medicine where the bottom line isn’t the most important part of your job. It feels good to be in an organization where a cost of living raise is the standard and not the exception (and this doesn’t even touch on promotion or step increases). All of this has me really hopeful for the future and for the first time I really view my job as part of a career and not just the place I work. That feels good.
Until next time! — Nick
