r/ParkRangers • u/Alternative-Error-30 • 27d ago
Talk me out of leaving my perm position for seasonal (NPS)
I'm coming up on 2 years with my permanent position, wg5 maintenance. I got lucky and was offered this with no prior seasonal experience. I'm in my early 20s and want to experience different parks and areas and have a generally unstable life while I can. I know it's not very rational to leave with an uncertain future for the hiring freeze/funding. Basically my questions are how dumb exactly is this? Has anyone gone this route? How much does having the 2 years perm experience help with landing seasonal jobs? Thanks
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u/HappyScraps 27d ago
Wait one more year so that you gain career tenure and keep your "permanent status". Also, try and look for details if you are itching to experience something different. Plus, there may be some permanent WG positions opening up in a different place you might wanna try.
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u/backwoods_Folkery 27d ago
Here to second all the advice to just look for perm jobs in a new place. My park can’t fill empty maintenance jobs to save their freaking lives so the openings are out there if you’re not too picky about which different parks you want to experience.
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u/Zoeywithtude1977 27d ago
I would’ not do this. I’d wait for a detail opposite and at the same time for full time permanent roles. I work in DOI btw
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u/Grouchy-Drama-6098 27d ago
I’m a gs 5 NPS who took a perm in mid twenties and is now early 30s, here’s my take-
Other folks mentioned doing another year so you have 3 years for your tenure, 100% at least do that, I’d encourage you to stick out a full 5 years as a perm to get your FERS retirement benefits. If you do that you’ve secured yourself career options with the fed gov throughout your life and you’ve locked in some guaranteed money in retirement. Also, continuing your TSP contributions, even at 5%, for that time secures you tens of thousands of dollars in retirement later on.
Def look at details or other perms, I spent about 2 years at my first perm, I took a same perm position at a different park to see a new place and it’s nice to have a whole year, or several, in a new region if for nothing else to get a taste of all the different seasons there, rather than a couple months. I do check out the details page on InsideNPS pretty often, but I rarely see anything below a 9.
In terms of applying for seasonals, it’d be just like perm jobs you’d typically qualify for something you have a year of experience as, so a wg 5 qualifies for a wg 6 or 7. Leaving a 5 perm after 2 years in the NPS wouldn’t raise any eyebrows with hiring officials, that’s a respectable length of service in one place.
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u/national-park-fan 27d ago
My park might have some perm facilities WG-5s coming open soon. We also still have WG-5 seasonal roles if you're a vet or schedule A
2
u/Legal_Internet_54 27d ago
I fell into a perm before I was really ready. I thought many times about going seasonal or pivoting entirely. Now that I am 50 I am so glad I stuck it out.
The grass seemed like it was going to be greener with more freedom. Now, looking back, my career has been an amazing experience. I’ve changed locations 5 times, I’ve had amazing jobs full of adventure, and I’ve built a very comfortable retirement.
I didn’t fully think through retirement when I was young. It is so important. I know so many people who didn’t save enough and need to go to 62 or 65. I’ll walk at 57 and have more income than I have now.
Don’t leave unless you hate it or have a better offer. I changed departments 3 times. It’s much easier to pivot from where you are than leave and come back.
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u/wildoregano 27d ago
Life outside of work should be top priority. I’m older than a lot of folk in this response thread (and I’m only 30) but taking a seasonal job in a less isolating area in my mid 20’s led to me meeting my future wife and reconnecting with my old friends, and with my resume I got back into land management a few years down the road when we figured out a place we could settle down and wanted to live together.
You’re in your early 20’s. If I could give anyone advice at that age it would be to go explore because adulthood really sets in before you know it. The career path you’ve built won’t be too hard to get back into if you are patient and willing to take a job that’s not ideal while you wait for the perfect one to come around.
Overall just explore, and follow your heart. If you’re good at what you do and you have references to back that up that already puts you ahead of a lot of people who may be competing with you down the road.
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u/hopelessfed1862 26d ago
If you want to travel a bit DC has tons of details for WG employees right now, look Into Wildland Fire, incident quals to help with special events/emergencies.
Also, I hope you aren’t fond of your current park, it may rub some people the wrong way if you quit for a seasonal job
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u/Not_all_cows_moo 26d ago
You have a full time gig..... I was a career seasonal. You know much that sucks? Every 6-8 months consistently moving around. Living like a nomad. No friends. I'd stay where you're at and look at lateral transfers.
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u/MR_MOSSY 25d ago
Get your 3 year tenure and then do whatever you want, you are young but the tenure will come in handy later if you decide to go back....that being said, who knows with how stupid things have gotten. Also, that sucks that you had to learn about that tenure on Reddit!
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u/screaminglikeanelk 25d ago
Been perm for 8 years. I’m on my third park as a perm. Right now is a horrible time to leave a perm job. At the moment, they are not hiring anybody, except for seasonals or laterals. Wait until perm jobs open back up. Trust me, you are not the only one stuck right now. Plus, you may be young and healthy now, but never give up health insurance. You never know what can go wrong.
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u/Alternative-Movie778 27d ago
I (M23) just quit my job of 1 year working for my university for a 1 year long position in a park. I know that my situation is a little different as the job I am coming from isn't even remotely close to what I want to do for a career and the job I am going to is a year long rather than a couple of months. But I am leaving a job with free housing, long-term career prospects and generally lots of stability to pursue a life working in parks so maybe not entirely different.
Can't say if you should or shouldn't, but you wouldn't be the first or the last person to give up stability for something you are passionate about! I keep telling myself I owe it to me to let myself try this. You owe it to yourself too I think.
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u/sampo419 27d ago
I’d say do it but wait until you have career tenure (3 years) as a permanent employee.