Q&A With U.S. Department of Agriculture Employees

I’d put a rancher in charge and listen to the practical leadership s/he would provide. I’d require new supervisors to thoroughly read each employee file and not treat them like they’re new, too: we’re not new. We’re specialists. Most are smart and logical and work as scientists and other specialists: treat us as such.

I don’t remember: it was 23 years ago. We talked about editing and that I thought I’d be really good at it. (The job is not in my college major at all. This was a career change, starting at the bottom level.

30 minutes or so.

Good: for years 1-3, we gain 4 hours each of vacation and sick leave every 2 weeks; years 3-15, we gain 6 hours of vacation and 4 hours of sick leave; and in year 15, we gain 8 hours of vacation and 4 hours of sick leave every 2 weeks.

Not difficult at all.

Business meeting clothing.

Hardest resume and a very easy interview. 23 years ago! (NOTE:a few of my responses were incorrectly recorded: I’m using my phone, so I switched to landscape view and that seems to work better)

We’re not a business at all. We’re an agency of our federal government, under the US Department of Agriculture. Difficulties come from the top. They spare no expense to hire college professors to run huge government agencies, but freeze staff salaries for a decade. It’s all politics: literally!

Pleasant. A long time ago!

Uniquely AWFUL! Several years ago, we were moved to a shared building with an agency that does very loud experiments, while we try to study and read, write, and edit the scientific data gathered from farms and ranches. We have systems furniture cube offices.

I last interviewed 23 years ago. I don’t feel qualified to answer.

The usual federal government benefits for health insurance options, retirement plans, and vacation/sick days. No perks specially for my ahencu

Changing. We were about farming and ranching and rural life, and our specialized fields, saving farmlands from condo developments and improving food yields; now we are being redirected to clustering in a few cities and sharply curtailing our presence in rural agricultural areas. The bosses call it “Teamwork!”

Major in one of the earth sciences, or chemistry, etc. Take advantage of the internships we offer. Be prepared to work in rural areas and to move elsewhere to be promoted. Go to OPM.gov and create a Federal resume well in advance of applying for jobs: it’s a huge, complicated document.

Two people long-retired: a non-supervisor from Human Resources and my future supervisor, a scientist.

It was excellent until this year. Now it’s very unbalanced.

Already answered about Sec of Agriculture Perdue. I don’t know more.

Very insecure.

Male.