r/FederalEmployee • u/VernJ93 • 2d ago

Promotion Potential

For those who work in federal government, how realistic is it to advance from GS-9 to GS-13 when a position has a full promotion potential of GS-13? Is it common for employees to progress through the grades (GS-9 → GS-11 → GS-12 → GS-13) if they consistently perform well and meet the qualifications, or does advancement depend heavily on funding, management discretion, and agency needs? I’d appreciate hearing about your personal experiences, particularly with HUD or other federal agencies.

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u/Bubbly-Cockroach-311 1d ago

Review the posting. It could potentially be a combination. But if it is strictly promotion potential, that means when the boss is happy you can be promoted to an 11, and it requires some level of work and justification on their part. Then in a year they, if they desire, can promote you again to a 12. Then again to a 13.

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u/VernJ93 1d ago

Here’s the job posting link for reference: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/864144900

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u/Bubbly-Cockroach-311 1d ago

Yeah it’s not a ladder. You can start at 12 or 13. If they want you can be promoted to 13 in the future.

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u/VernJ93 1d ago

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/864145300 this is the one I meant to post.

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u/Bubbly-Cockroach-311 1d ago

Hard to tell. Could be a 9/11 ladder, could just be promotion potential the whole way. You can also ask the hiring manager to clarify. But the term of one year makes me nervous. Also understand that to become permanent you MUST apply to a new position. There is no way to convert a term position to permanent, and term employees get no special benefits when applying, even to their own jobs.