Today is my 25th anniversary of working in the Federal Government. I started working at the U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory as a temporary GS-5 at Aberdeen Proving Grounds at Aberdeen, MD on October 15, 1984. I was an Editorial Assistant reading very dull technical reports all the live-long day. There were four of us in a room. My desk was opposite a girl that smoked like a chimney. We didn't have any computers. We had to make any edits using an eraser, white-out, and a typewriter.
I worked at BRL for 10 months before getting a permanent Government job at the U.S. Army Engineering Topographic Laboratories in Fort Belvoir, VA, as a clerk typist, GS-4. I was able to transfer into an Editor-Writer slot after a few months that was at the GS-5 level and became a GS-7 after a year and a GS-9 after another year. I mostly did "technology transfer," which is as boring as it sounds.
I stayed at ETL (later TEC) for 11 years and eventually became the acting supervisor of the office and a GS-12. That is where I found out one of my employees was exposing himself to little girls, so I had him arrested. That is also where I decided being a supervisor isn't my cup of tea.
I then got a position at the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as a Public Affairs Specialist. This was a much more interesting job. I got to work with reporters, write consumer recall press releases, and play with recalled toys. I stayed there for 10 years and got my GS-13.
Now I'm at another agency that shall remain nameless. I've been here for more than 2 years and I mostly answer Congressional mail. It is a great job. I'm eligible to retire in 8 years. I may stick it out here, or who knows where I may go next?
