OverTheOcean

Pepper84 - The "apply and see what comes back" strategy is one that I've considered. That may end up being the best option. The one wrinkle is my boss at work - she's in favor of higher education, as long as it involves staying with the same job, and doing it one class at a time. But if it involves leaving the job...well, then, that's another story. My original plan was actually to apply last fall. These plans were halted when my boss told me that, if she had to write me a recommendation letter for various grad schools, it would call in to question my commitment to the job, jeopardize future promotion potential, etc. Ouch. I have a strategy for handling it this time around, but it was enough of a surprise last fall to encourage me to put down the applications for a while. How about yourself? Have you already made the leap, or are you still weighing the pros and cons? JuneBug62 - Good point about maintaining the GS after graduation. I honestly hadn't thought of that. The GS12 combined w/ the degree may be enough to allow me to apply to GS 13 positions. I guess the only worry is that it makes us more difficult to place. Imagine a job that's being offered as a GS11; to hire us, they'd have to be willing to pay the extra money each year. As for education sponsored by the office, see above. I could probably chip away at an applied economics masters over the course of a few years, but that's not really what I'm looking for - it leaves me in the same spot, same subject matter, and very little increased career potential. Were you able to get your govt office to pay for all/part of a degree?

I could use some career & salary advice from those of you who have been pondering these things for a few years. I am four years out of undergrad at U of Mich. For the last three years, I've worked as an economist for a federal government agency, working my way up to a GS-12 salary. Within another year or two, there's a good chance I'll be able to move on to a GS-13 position, which pays about $85K/year with the locality adjustment. As the saying goes, that's nothing to shake a stick at. The problem I have is with the job I'm doing - I don't completely loathe it, but I'm not at all passionate about it. I do it because I can. Frequently, I come home and think about the major goal I had while at Michigan, and while interning w/ a state policy ofice - namely, to pursue an MPP after I had a few years of work experience under my belt. Now, here I am with the experience, and a reputable GRE score that will be expiring after this year - and I don't know what to do. I'd love to drop everything, apply this winter, and go study public budgeting and management. However, while I've certainly never considered myself to be consumed by money or a high salary, reading this thread has me a bit creeped out. Both my wife and I are working to pay down our undergraduate debt, and the idea of entering grad school to get a job that will potentially pay me $30-40K less than I'd be making without grad school...well, let's just say the economist in me is protesting loudly. Do any of you have experience making this sort of trade off? Am I foolish to want to leave the job? Am I foolish NOT to leave it? Any and all input is appreciated - thanks for hearing me out.