Anyone apply to the new credit union examiner positions that close on 3/13? Any Credit union examiners on here want to tell us how this job is? Pros/cons?

Most of what I can find online via reviews are relatively negative regarding travel requirements, etc. I hope some current or former examiners can give an opinion of the job.

I'm not sure NCUA has its own forum, so I'll respond here for now.

I just got a TO from NCUA for an examiner position. I'm a little chapped these positions showed up now, because there are better locations in this announcement for me than the prior announcement in November that I am getting hired under. Such is life.

I do not have a start date yet, but from talking to HR I will probably start April 15 or 29. It is similar to an FDIC examiner position. NCUA regulates credit unions, and FDIC primarily regulates state-chartered banks that are NOT member of the Federal Reserve, although they have backup authority on any institution that is covered by the FDIC insurance fund. My dad is a retired FDIC examiner, so I know a little bit more than the average new hire (precious little).

The position requires a lot of travel, and that travel normally is not glamorous. NCUA gives a bonus for examiners that stay out of town on examinations more than 50 nights per year. My supervisor-to-be says that the norm in our area is between 40 and 90 nights per year. FDIC has a similar bonus for its examiners (they call it the Golden Suitcase). Realize that much of this travel is often to small towns and you stay in hotels that are not five-star. That is the largest issue that most people have with the examiner job, and that is that the travel is hard on people. It can be good for a single person (like me), but tough on families.

NCUA also does not have field offices (FDIC DOES have FOs), so if you are not working on an exam at the credit union or training in Alexandria, then you are teleworking from home.

The people I talked to at NCUA love their job. Same goes with FDIC. FDIC is consistently ranked one of the top 5 places to work in the government for midsize agencies. NCUA was just above the middle of the pack in 2018.

I interviewed for an NCUA examiner position back in 2013 and wasn't selected, but when it popped up again, I gave it a go. Spoke with the senior examiner yesterday to see if I was still interested, and we discussed the travel and all that. I'm wary that they will do a pay match for me, though my current pay with the Air Force is within the "band" for CU-9. I guess I'll make the decision if it's presented down the road, and they are flying me to Phoenix in a couple of weeks for an interview.

Seems to me that the travel has become specially onerous in the past coupple of years because they consolidated a lot of the regions. Whereas prior to 2018, the Western region (the one I'm interviewing for) went as far east as Utah, it now covers 22 states as far east as the Mississippi! From the sound of things, most travel is "local" - i.e., I would be expected to travel up to Boise or other places in Idaho for examinations, as well as Salt Lake and surrounding areas - but NCUA examiners don't have a "field office" to report to when they aren't in the credit unions doing the work. Also, the first 18 months appear to be a formal training program, and promotion to CU-12 seems pretty much guaranteed after two years if you pass the required exam and interview at that time.

I interviewed for the FDIC back in the day too, and bank/CU examining has always interested me (because I'm a terrible nerd sometimes), so we'll see what happens.

I interviewed on Wednesday in Phoenix and thought it went pretty well. I was the first interview of 8-10 planned over two days, and I took about 50 minutes to answer the five questions during the panel interview (they stated it should take about an hour). According to the hotel shuttle driver, the individual that followed me took about 25 minutes, so they were either really good at getting to the point in their answers (I tend to ramble) or they didn't have concrete examples for some of the questions.

I was told I should know in a couple of weeks, and I'm about 80% sure that I'd take the job if they offered. I would ask for a raise from my current pay to cover the travel piece of things; we'd likely have to get another car after being a single car family because of my short daily commute each day. But the benefits of working for the agency - a separate 401k in addition to TSP and a lot of working from home when not traveling - might be enough to convince me to leave the DoD.

Where would you be based? Was it dirty the nirth or south region?

How are you guys talking about work to life balance?????

Where do you guys get that? You’re gone 100 nights out of the first year. Second you’re 80 out... that means you’re gone traveling this is what I got told... then the other nights what are you doing??? Sitting at home? I don’t see how you are sitting at home 8 months out of the year while you’re gone the other 4

I’ve worked as an examiner for another regulator! Im not under the impression that this job does not require quite a bit of traveling! All depending on what area you live and work in! In an area like DC where there are so many credit unions in one local area the overnight travel is reduced! Notwithstanding that even though the job requires travel it’s not like you are gone the whole month! Most examination you may be traveling away from home one week then the next week you are working at home! So it’s not all constant travel week after week all the time! The other work life balance comes in with the flexible work schedules of choosing work 9”s having one day off every pay period! Does this job require lots of traveling? Yes most def the flexibility is in how it’s done is what I was referring to!

In my region, if you are travelling for examinations (at the credit unions) or training, you are working at home. The NCUA does not have field offices where you report everyday. Plus, they are really pushing hard for examinations that can be done 100%; i.e. the examined CU uploads the needed materials in a secure portal and the examiner accesses them all from their home office.

Again, this might be different from the other two regions, but this is what I was told when I talked to my interviewer in the Western Region.

Edited by user Monday, September 9, 2019 11:40:15 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Don't forget your weekends and holidays when accounting for days that you wouldn't be away from home. The travel does not seem that bad from my perspective, though I'll let you know if that changes if I get the job.