Is right now a bad time to take a federal agency job?
Recently got offered a job at the Westeren Area Power Administration as an Accountant. I start as a gs-7. It’s a non competitive gs 12 promotion potential.
I’m a very recent graduate with a master’s in accounting. Haven’t been able to get a private sector job at all after applying since basically the start of my masters.
Looking at the subreddit, it seems right now is a bad time to get a federal job. Saw a few posts months ago about layoffs being still a thing so now I’m concerned. And people saying that federal jobs are just bad now. The fact that I have to basically move to another city for the position makes it so that getting laid off would be problematic.
I do have an offer from my state government to be a tax auditor in my city but haven’t really considered it because the salary is low (around 13k lower starting salary). The position is remote (not really a huge plus for me and all my peers and past professors have told me starting you career remote is not the best idea). And the salary progression is abysmal to the point that it’s barely livable (rises by 5k in a year, and then 13k in another year, afterwards I will have to apply for the higher position in order to get a 6k rise). Being able to live at my parent’s house would help but… kinda don’t wanna be with them forever.
If I do get year by year gs increases, the state salary when including their increases would be 20k lower in a year and 22k lower in two years. I guess my home city is more of a MCOL and the city the federal position is in a HCOL (although looking at the prices, the gap doesn’t seem that significant). But even after factoring COL (rent, groceries, etc), the federal position is still better salary wise.
Only way I see taking the state position working out for my future is if I work for a year or two and apply for the private sector (probably gonna have to be a tax position) after getting my CPA (which is not a guarantee). Feels like my whole career if I take the state job will hinge on passing the CPA.
Just wanted some advice from y’all since I’m having a minor panic attack about my future.