Originally Posted by: NikeMike357 
Does anyone know what is required to jump up a pay step and/or grade?
i.e. What would it take for the re-evaluation for a FJO from a CJO to jump a grade? I was told there is a formula they plug your work exp, academics, certifications, etc. and this is how they arrive at your original grade and step. Then, after the background process and because it usually takes so long that you have acquired new skills/exp they reevaluate and give you a new number.
I want to do everything I can while in the clearance process to up my value. Getting certifications is the the most effective thing I can think of to pad that formula.
Looking further, if you finish an advanced degree while at the NSA will they bump you up at that time or just take it into consideration the next time around?
As a fed employee for 7+ years, I have never heard of such thing (jumping grade/steps after they have determined your pay based on what you put down on your application). I've seen people get promoted at their current jobs and then finding another job and having their salary adjusted based on that promotion. This is never gurantee some agencies required 52 weeks at a certain grade in order to promote you to the next grade/step. I don't think getting certifications/degrees/licenses will get you more pay unless these merits are required and will directly impact your job performance at the NSA or which ever agency you apply to because this applies across the board at the federal level.
This is how pay works at the federal level: skills equals "job compensation" (money) and each agency has a time-limited "compensation" for that specific job/grade/step. Every year, you are evaluated or "appraised." This determines career-path promotions, bonuses, etc, which can be automatically (depending on the agency/department) or pay adjustments can also be earned through merit (exceptional job performance). Even when you are on a career-path that says after certain amount of time you are due a promotion, it is not guaranteed 100%. This is mainly up to your chain of command/management team and what they think about your "performance" and how well you work on a team, etc. This can have a variety of meanings and I will leave that for another conversation but if you're in the "inner-circle" and you play politics, this will be automatically for you.
To address your question in a raw manner, you can have 10 masters degrees and 10 Phds and speak a billions languages and dialects and know the secrets of the universe etc, HR will NEVER adjust your pay based on this if you applied for an specific grade level and job tasks. These academic docs and languages do not apply your job, therefore in their eyes, there is no use for them and so why pay you for something that does not benefit them? this is how they see it. When you fight it and try to justify it, they will find 10000000000000000000000000000 reasons/excuses why your pay cannot be changed/adjusted send you on a labyrinth of laws and regulations along with their explanations. They don't care about additional skills/certifications if this won't be used to their benefit and won't directly impact your job performance, and mainly if they did not list it as a priority/requirement on the application or told you about it.
You are not the only one who has tried this, trust me lol. Currently, within the agency where I work, people who are highly qualified for their jobs (2-3 masters degrees and PhDs) have been fighting with HR for over two years to get pay adjusted based on academic degrees. HR has never given in to these arguments/claims EVER! sadly.
I am not trying to discourage you, but simply explain based on my experience.
Edited by user Wednesday, June 20, 2018 8:10:52 AM(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified
Facebook
Twitter