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Just in time for the long weekend!
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
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Great horny toads! I passed the first round at the National Office. at Washington D.C.! And it was a job I just applied to see if I'd get in! Great. Just Great! My plan was based on going west, not the other way around. Arrgh! Under normal circumstances it would be a good job. It requires you to write the proposals for federal laws and guidance. Similar to writing fiction? *chuckle*
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Congrats, Ord! And good luck! (Or do you want either? Doesn't sound like it...)
Anyway, more info on the new job. We have an interesting view out of the conference room at the end of the floor:
![[Image: 9e636b2911b0410bae740d1ee2ec03537ae19050.jpg]](http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/forumimportfiles/9e636b2911b0410bae740d1ee2ec03537ae19050.jpg)
That's the NJ State House, literally down a staircase and across a street from us. Yesterday a couple of coworkers and I discovered that they have a very nice restaurant in the basement there, which was almost completely empty even at the height of lunch hour. We'll be going back for sure.
Oh, and after managing to avoid it for 31 years, I've finally been roped into some business travel -- our team (normally scattered over three or four geographic locations) is gathering together to in Fairfax VA to meet, greet and work in the office there for all of next week. I'd ask if anyone on the board is in the area, but frankly, I don't know if I'll have any free time, even in the evenings, to meet with folks.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
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Quote:Bob Schroeck wrote:
Congrats, Ord! And good luck! (Or do you want either? Doesn't sound like it...)
Anyway, more info on the new job. We have an interesting view out of the conference room at the end of the floor:
That's the NJ State House, literally down a staircase and across a street from us. Yesterday a couple of coworkers and I discovered that they have a very nice restaurant in the basement there, which was almost completely empty even at the height of lunch hour. We'll be going back for sure.
Oh, and after managing to avoid it for 31 years, I've finally been roped into some business travel -- our team (normally scattered over three or four geographic locations) is gathering together to in Fairfax VA to meet, greet and work in the office there for all of next week. I'd ask if anyone on the board is in the area, but frankly, I don't know if I'll have any free time, even in the evenings, to meet with folks.
Actually I want to be in California and do the job at the National office. Unfortunately, the only way I can do that if I have a job like Leon Panetta. The former head of the CIA. He'd fly out to Cali on Thursday night and come back on Sunday. It's one of those choices: Ambition or family.
Bsiness travel? Count your blessings that you're not like me. Travel once a week up to 3 days a week. For the last 5 years.
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Honestly, I'd like to have the sort of job where I'm going to different parts of the world for weeks or months at a time. Be a good excuse to bring the family along and let the kids see the world in general.
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Quote:Black Aeronaut wrote:
Honestly, I'd like to have the sort of job where I'm going to different parts of the world for weeks or months at a time. Be a good excuse to bring the family along and let the kids see the world in general.
But BA, you already did that as a squid. Do you really want do that as a civilian nowadays and let the kids tag along? For the summer, yeah. Year round? Problematic for the kiddies IMO. You have to leave when you just made friends. One of the jobs I applied for has me going to Guam, Hawaii and American Samoa. I'm fine with it, but a nice desk job on the Potomac is looking pretty good right now.
BTW, here's the a flow chart on how OSHA rule making is made.
http://www.osha.gov/OSHA_FlowChart.pdf
I look at it and I am reminded of saying attributed to Otto Von Bismark: One should not see how sausages and laws are made.
Edit: Speaking of squids, I applied for a couple of IH Navy/USMC positions in California.
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Bob Schroeck Wrote:Congrats, Ord! And good luck! (Or do you want either? Doesn't sound like it...)
Anyway, more info on the new job. We have an interesting view out of the conference room at the end of the floor:
That's the NJ State House, literally down a staircase and across a street from us. Yesterday a couple of coworkers and I discovered that they have a very nice restaurant in the basement there, which was almost completely empty even at the height of lunch hour. We'll be going back for sure.
... Oh, pretty.
I should find out whether I'm allowed to publish the collection of photos I've taken of what I can see from the various datacentres I've worked at.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
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Update from Fairfax, VA. The office here is gorgeous, unlike the space we have to work in back in Trenton. Then again, CGI doesn't actually have a proper office in Trenton, just half a floor that the State of NJ has provided so there are developers local to the state DEP. Officially, I am working out of one of the NYC offices for the purposes of all paperwork.
-- Bob
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At least the scenery change is a pleasant one.
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True dat.
-- Bob
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Fairfax, eh?
We're in the same state, but you're roughly 3 hours north of me. ^_^
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Heh. Well, like I figured I'd be, I was too busy to meet up with folks anyway. And right now I'm in the middle of packing to go home tomorrow.
-- Bob
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Be glad to have you back, Bob. You'll see that I've been a busy boy over in the Other Peoples Fanfiction forum.
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I remember working for the civil service once.
We played golf.
In the office.
Because everyone else had moved to a new building, but we'd been left behind.
So we played mini-golf around the cubicles. Through the chairman's office, around the reception desk and through the national control centre.
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Quote:Dartz wrote:
I remember working for the civil service once.
We played golf.
In the office.
Because everyone else had moved to a new building, but we'd been left behind.
So we played mini-golf around the cubicles. Through the chairman's office, around the reception desk and through the national control centre.
How long before someone remembered you guys?
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Not long enough. Our move date was two weeks later.
Also one of the most competent groups of people ever, in a pinch. As in, make a mistake and the entire country is beyond fucked kind of competent.
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Speaking of not meeting stereotype, the public defender's office is located across the hall. I met one their investigators. If you say investigator, I keep thinking Jerry Orwell. She is a cute 20 something who looks like she should be in high school. I suppose that is an advantage. The cops are more likely to be less on their guard around her.
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.... We need more investigators like that.
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Okay, this is not fun. I just got an email from DC stating that they'd like to do a 1 hour test where they give me a scenario and I have one hour write a report. and I have duty officer week. Also called hell week. I am going to see if I can push it to next monday, otherwise I'll have to do it an hour before the crazy day starts. Not fun. The things I do for God and country.
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ordnance11 Wrote:Okay, this is not fun. I just got an email from DC stating that they'd like to do a 1 hour test where they give me a scenario and I have one hour write a report. and I have duty officer week. Also called hell week. I am going to see if I can push it to next monday, otherwise I'll have to do it an hour before the crazy day starts. Not fun. The things I do for God and country. Could they possibly be timing things that way on purpose, to see how you react to that much stress at once? If working "inside the Beltway" (which you would be metaphorically if you're drafting policy) is anything like working on Parliament Hill, you'd be looking at 16-hour days as a matter of course.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
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Quote:robkelk wrote:
Quote:ordnance11 wrote:
Okay, this is not fun. I just got an email from DC stating that they'd like to do a 1 hour test where they give me a scenario and I have one hour write a report. and I have duty officer week. Also called hell week. I am going to see if I can push it to next monday, otherwise I'll have to do it an hour before the crazy day starts. Not fun. The things I do for God and country.
Could they possibly be timing things that way on purpose, to see how you react to that much stress at once? If working "inside the Beltway" (which you would be metaphorically if you're drafting policy) is anything like working on Parliament Hill, you'd be looking at 16-hour days as a matter of course.
Rob, let me explain what this week is like. We (that means me and my supervisor) had to have a conference with U.S.Army Material Command people over technical data. Then we had to send out to the Region office a case that is novel (read something not normally seen). And the Solicitors are jittery because they want an expert to bless the case and they have not talked to one yet. And to that the duty officer (read customer service) I had to perform during the day. The phone system is dysfunctional since 2 years ago (and hasn't been fixed). Our newly hired admin assistant cannot answer the general phone line phone 9line), so guess who has to answer the general phone line along with the duty officer phone? I deal with people who either have a beef with their competitors, so their ratting them out, people who claim we need to go over to the other side of the state to see something horrible, but won't provide details, people who get mad that Uncle Sam can't help them with their particular problems, sorting out the entire mess to see what's legit and what's fake. present the mess to the AD, get her final decision, process the paperwork with the printer far away, fax letters, email letters if no fax (scan letters first then email it)....
*sigh*
repeat for 5 days
I need fur therapy
So if she/he doing it on purpose, he/she has got to be a sadist on par with Marquis de Sade.
I'm going to bed.
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Ok, good news. Test is scheduled on Monday 0700 local. Earlier than I liked, but I can deal with it. Just need to have 2 cups of coffee and me. I am surprised on how fast this is moving though. 2 weeks from the close of the announcement to being called on. normally it would take 1-2 months for this to happen. there was an interesting notice. Management wanted more names to interview. Which means that very few people (how many I wonder) applied for it. Oh, well. Less competition.
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Looks Like did good enough for the written portion . Interview scheduled for next Tuesday. On to Round 3!
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Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell
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Good luck!
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
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