I wasn't really aiming to complain about my job per se, I just get
really tired of this perception that all government employees have some
sort of free ride.  Maybe those not working for the Army in an
environmental Directorate do, but the rest of us don't.  I actually like
what I do.  I'm doing things that I learned while earning my B.S., and
am now working on my Masters.  But, like most people would be, I resent
increasing responsibility and workload without any accompanying rewards,
like a pay increase.  I don't feel that I am abnormal or unusual in that
respect.  It's true that the military doesn't really value its museum
people, we are passed up for promotions, and overlooked in general.
But, that certainly does not mean that we all lay around and do nothing
for big bucks all day long!  The people in this division work very hard
to take care of historic architecture, archaeological sites, and
paleontological sites.  We have a hard, thankless job, as this is
primarily a training base, and we often to tell high up military people
where they can and cannot play war.  This is not a cushy job, but I
enjoy the challenge, if not the pay.  I have supervisors who are good
people, and that means alot to me and enables me to get my job done.
Its not their fault that there is no comp time or raises.  I wouldn't
want a kinder, gentler job!!!

(If anyone is reading some sort of malicious tone into this post, please
don't.  I'm not angry at all, frequently frustrated, but not angry!) :)

Lauri L. Bartlema
Curatorial Assistant
Conservation Division
Directorate of Environment
Fort Bliss, Texas

> ----------
> From:         Christine Mouw[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To:     Museum discussion list
> Sent:         Thursday, November 19, 1998 10:51 AM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Gov't jobs (was "experience")
>
> The Smithonian example is the way it is for museum jobs in most of the
> Federal system, and I thought all gov't employees were allowed comp
> time--Lauri might check into this if they are denying it.  But who
> knows
> what the Army is allowed to do.  Being a museum person in a Federal
> agency (the military for example) that doesn't have many museum jobs
> and doesn't value them very highly probably makes it a low priority
> for
> them to rewrite job descriptions and promote.  It might be time to
> check
> www.usajobs.opm.gov -- there are kinder, gentler federal jobs out
> there.
>
> Christine Mouw
> Assistant Curator
> Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum
> West Branch, Iowa  52358
> [log in to unmask]
>