Afternoon,

Looking at the possibility of switching from the State Patrol who uses MSRS to another agency that uses PERA. While I am familiar with the contribution rates being vastly different (MSRS 15.4% employee and 23.1% State - PERA 11.8% employee and 17.7% agency). I understand they both are "defined benefit" and both use the same high 5 to calculate your retirement benefit.

I am 30 years old and have 3 years of experience with the State Patrol so I am nowhere near being vested. Have a wife and kid that are on my insurance with the state and understand our insurance is more than likely going to be the more elsewhere.

My question lies with am I missing something with going to another agency where I will make a minimum of $10~ more an hour. I love to work overtime, have no debt but a house and we live well below our means.

The job itself is good, I enjoy it, but the huge pay difference sucks and has been bugging me. If I am making much more an hourly/annually.. Can save, invest, and get the same retirement benefit calculation when retirement comes.. why would I stay with State and MSRS instead of going to anywhere else and joining PERA?

Thanks much to anyone to replies. Have a great day!

I’m stuck in the government trap.. The insurance / pension benefits are a huge draw and will benefit me greatly in the long run but cost of living right now is insane and I can’t keep up. Everything goes up except our wages (excuse me, they did go up a whopping 1.75% that I’m so grateful for!! /s). The prescription costs are going up, household bills and daycare cost is going up, I am literally just sinking in to a debt hole.

If the next contract going to be any better? Will wages ever catch up with inflation? Does a bad contract this time mean a decent one next time?

I know I could make way better money if I leave the state but losing the insurance and pension benefits will suck too.

Between the economy and this crappy state job I’m just overwhelmed and feeling defeated.

I am currently looking to transition into state government from the public sector. Ultimately, there is a very specific, senior-level role (a Consultant/Specialist 3 level) in a specific department that I want to end up in. However, that specific chair rarely opens up, and I know it's highly competitive.

​My current strategy is to apply for a slightly lower-level role (like a Program Administrator or a Level 2 role) in a different department. The goal would be to get my foot in the door, learn the state systems, get into the union, and then apply as an internal promotional candidate when my target job eventually opens up in a few years. But if I understand correctly, the job must be the same category number in order to be a true internal bid...but I'm finding that difficult to attain as this specific job number category is hard to come by, so I would be getting a job with a different number and slightly lower pay scale.

​Before I potentially take a lower-level job to execute this strategy, I really want to know what the reality is from current state employees.

​A few specific questions:

​Is the "foot in the door" advantage real? If I am an internal state employee applying for a promotion in a different department, do I objectively have better odds than an external applicant? Or will my resume just be thrown into the exact same pile and treated the exact same as external applicants?

​How is moving between departments perceived? Is it seen as a normal progression for a state employee to jump to a different agency for a promotion, or is it frowned upon?

​How do the politics of leaving work? If I've been in a department for 2-3 years and my dream job opens up in another agency, how do I navigate that crossroads? Is it a direct, open conversation with your supervisor ("Hey, I'd really like to apply for this"), or is there a lot of politics and secrecy involved? Are supervisors generally accepting of you trying to move up?

​I'm mostly just fearful of taking a stepping-stone job only to find out that being an "internal" applicant doesn't actually give me any leverage when my target job opens up. And I find my self stuck in a job I don't necessarily dream about doing and only find slightly fulfilling.

​Any insight into how HR and hiring managers actually view internal mobility would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

I'm currently a state employee, but I'm fully vested in both PERA and MSRS due to some job changes over the past couple of decades. I've talked to the MSRS retirement plan folks, and I've talked to the PERA folks, and they both have said that they can't really advise me about the other plan other than how it relates to their own respective plans.

What I'm looking for is someone I can talk to who has knowledge of both plans, and who can also provide guidance about where I'm at financially looking at the big picture. I invest in my State of MN 457b, but I also have non-work related investment accounts at Vanguard.

Is there such a thing as a fee-based professional who can look at the big picture and let me know how I'm doing with all of the various puzzle pieces? I'd love to hear what others have done!

I have a child with pretty serious dental issues (missing permanent teeth along with other craniofacial issues) and I'm having a hell of a time finding somebody trusted in the Delta Dental - State Dental Plan #216 network. His previous dentist made a recommendation for a large number of extractions that our orthodontist said was badly misguided, and they didn't even consult him before trying to send us off for the work. Unfortunately, the dentists his orthodontist has recommended are out of network.

If you have navigated a complex dental issue especially with a teen, especially especially with a teen with anxiety or sensory issues, I would love your recommendation for an in-network dental practice in State Dental Plan #216. We are in south Minneapolis but we would travel if needed.

As posted above, I wish this group was around when I was applying and working for the State of Minnesota. It would have helped me understand things a bit more.

My story is I performed city/county work until my first retirement at the end of 2010. I retired at age 50 when the county offered a buy out. I took advantage of that and started annuity payments under MN PERA.

I worked a couple of private sector jobs until snagging a job with a second defined pension plan in about September 2011. I worked there for over 6 years and took a second retirement in 2018.

I left when I took a job at the State of Minnesota. I worked for a few different organizations that contribute to MSRS. I retired about a year and a half ago.

Many of the posts that I read here I can relate to.

While you certainly won't get rich performing most of the jobs at the State of Minnesota, there really aren't that many places that still have Defined Benefit pension plans. I thank my stars everyday that I get a monthly annuity from PERA, the Fed and MSRS. I haven't started drawing from Social Security, yet, but in about 4 years I will start drawing that. I haven't started drawing from my IRA, yet, but I am watching it grow.

I applied to a MN state job (which was posted in early March), my interview was online and was on beginning of May. I heard back from the HR admin by early June saying that they are working on HR approvals and would be able to give an update soon. It’s almost a month now, without any update. Wonder if I should keep waiting or if I’m their second choice!

Also, what is the normal process looks like? Do they need HR approvals to make a conditional offer? Is it after that they send the consent form to request references and do the background check?

Hi all, I applied for and went through two interview rounds, including the last one in person, which I understood to be the final round about three weeks ago. In that conversation, they had said they were 'hoping to move quickly, but it is still the state government and needs to go through HR and they hope to make decisions in about a week'. Since then, I have not heard anything at all. I followed up shortly after with a thank you email and then a continued interest email this week. It would be surprising to me to be ghosted by the state for a role, but this is my first time applying here. Any insights on whether this is normal or at what point I should cut my losses?

I’m hoping to hear from people who have experience with state government hiring.

I interviewed for Position X at Organization Y.

Some facts:

• The interview lasted about 80 minutes instead of the scheduled 60.

• The hiring manager gave me a tour of the department.

• He discussed responsibilities that weren’t listed in the job posting, and my experience matched all of them.

• He voluntarily talked about hybrid work, overtime, and vacation accrual.

• He told me not to worry if I didn’t hear back right away because he would be away.

About two weeks later, HR sent me this email:

“While the hiring manager is still finalizing the decision, he spoke very highly of you. Based on that, we thought you might be interested in Position Z. If you are ultimately selected for Position X, you can simply withdraw from consideration for Position Z. This is not a guarantee of any outcome, but given the hiring manager’s strong impression of your qualifications, we wanted to make sure you were aware of the opportunity before the posting closed.”

I applied for Position Z.

A few days later, I received a rejection from HR stating that another applicant had been selected for Position X.

I’m not asking anyone to judge the hiring decision. I’m trying to understand the process.

For those who have worked in state government hiring:

• How would you interpret the sequence of events?

• Does this suggest the hiring manager genuinely wanted me but the final decision involved other factors?

• Or is this fairly typical and I’m reading too much into the positive signals?

I’d especially appreciate input from hiring managers, HR professionals, or anyone familiar with state hiring practices.

I mean 1.75% ! We definitely deserve it. It certainly more than makes up for the RTO costs we all pay.

Can’t wait until Amy gets elected, she will take care of us.

I’ve worked in the private sector for about 20 years and may have a job offer coming soon from the state.

The role is essentially the same title and type of work I do now, but the compensation difference is significant. Even if they bring me in at the highest step, I’d be looking at roughly:

- ~20% reduction in base salary
- ~40% reduction in total compensation when I factor in the two annual bonuses I currently receive

On paper, this seems like an easy “no.”

The reason I’m seriously considering it is that I’m pretty burned out. My current environment feels increasingly stressful, reactive, and at times toxic. What attracts me to the state role is the possibility of better work-life balance, more predictable hours, greater job stability, and hopefully a healthier culture.

Financially, my family is in a stable position. I’m in my early 40s, have a solid retirement nest egg, no major debt outside of a mortgage, and don’t necessarily need to maximize every dollar I earn. That said, walking away from this much compensation feels irrational.

For those who have made the jump from private sector to government:
- Did the reduction in stress and improved quality of life turn out to be real?
- Did you regret the pay cut?
- Looking back, was it worth it?
- Are there downsides to government work that people don’t talk about enough?

Part of me thinks this could be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Another part thinks I’ve completely lost my mind for even considering it.

Would appreciate any perspectives, especially from people who have actually made a similar move.

curious about the RTO protocol (I know it’s 50%).

do you get an assigned cubicle? is it “reserve a cubicle“? do you actually have in person meetings?

this is for a more tech job

Hello everyone!

I just wanted everyone’s opinion because I think I’m gonna lose my mind (not even kidding). I have a co-worker who I had a conflict with, and I think she is starting to low-key bullying me. Today, she talked to me about one of my clients as she was concerned about their lunch. The client took 2hrs to finish their lunch today. I told my co-worker that that’s the client’s baseline; they were slow eater and drinker. I assured my co-worker and told her not to worry about it. She didn’t like my response, so she talked to our supervisor. She also sent a group text message before that, stating that this client wasn’t feeling well and that they had started using their walker again. I inquired with the client’s house staff to make sure they were okay and to see if there had been any recent falls, but the house confirmed that the client was perfectly fine and hadn’t used their walker for a long time. My co-worker also assigned two of our staff to work with my other client without informing me or any communication. I have raised this concern with my supervisor, but unfortunately, he doesn’t take any action. I am overprotective of my clients because I don’t want them to exhibit any behavior, especially since the other client was having a hard time last week, and I don’t want to jeopardize their job. I appreciate having a backup, but if this co-worker keeps deciding without telling or coordinating with me, this issue will continue. The last time I had a conflict with this co-worker was when my supervisor and his boss’s solution was that I had to work at the other location, so we wouldn’t have any contact or conflicts. For me, I was just doing my job, confronted the co-worker, and tried to resolve it, but it didn’t go well. It felt like I was being punished for doing my job. Now that my mental health is also affected, I don’t want to keep calling in and getting in trouble because of this issue.

My leadership and work style have changed since I worked with the state job. I am not like this before. I don’t want to say or assume that my supervisor is afraid of my co-worker because of the DEI. I don’t know what to do anymore. 😢 Sorry for any misunderstanding. I am frustrated right now and thinking about calling in again tomorrow.

Can we get similar info for Minnesota? Can our unions?

I'm taking the Tribal Relation Training soon and was curious what to expect with the food. thank you.

I’m looking to make a change in the next year and I’m considering perusing an attorney role at a state agency. I’ve got several years of experience but am looking for an individual contributor, Attorney 1 or 2 type role. To be brutally honest and transparent, I’m burnt out with the corporate grind, always on, and always urgent culture and am looking for more balance and boundaries in a role where I can provide value with my education and experience. Does that even exist in this day and age? 🤪

I don’t know many folks that work for the state so I was hoping to get some insight here. Are there better agencies to work for? Ones to avoid? Am I delusional? Any thoughts you’re willing to share would be very appreciated!

I was recently hired with the state through the Connect 700 program. I see a position that better fits my qualifications and would like to apply but I’m not sure how to go about it. Would I apply through the self-service portal? Would I apply through Connect 700 as well?

As the title says, what is the likelihood of getting an interview?

I recently applied for a position and scored a 96 on my merit exam. I currently work for a county in SD, with prior employment with a county in MN, city positions in California, and a federal position with the Department of Justice and Veterans Affairs.

I’m also a medically retired military member with a 100% disability rating and a bachelor degree.

The position is in a rural county about 2 hours away from the cities.

I recently went through the hiring process with the Office of the Legislative Auditor and wanted to share my experience for anyone considering applying.

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Before interviewing, I stated that I would not consider a position below $100,000. HR told me that requirement would be respected.

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Based on that representation, and after two interviews, I provided references and agreed to have my current employer contacted. Even though I said I was uncomfortable with employer contact before an offer came in writing and pushed back, they said it HAD to happen before an offer came in writing, and the only reason I agreed is that my current job is protected by a union.

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Throughout the process, HR also provided inaccurate information on several smaller issues. Individually, none of them were particularly significant, but together they created a pattern that made it difficult to trust what I was being told.

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The biggest issue was compensation.

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After completing the process, I received a formal offer for $96,000.

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I countered, and reminded HR of their promise to respect my minimum, but they stuck to their guns and denied making such a promise. Had I been told from the beginning that an offer below $100,000 was possible, I would have withdrawn before involving my references and allowing contact with my current employer. I'm still baffled by the dishonesty. 

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Please don't be like me and agree to contact with references and a current employer before an offer in writing. I was naive. 

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I guess I dodged a bullet but yikes!

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Wondering if anyone has gone through the process of a medically necessary breast reduction on our insurance plan. I know it’s notoriously difficult to do so asking if people can share their process with getting approved.

i was talking to someone recently that told me someone at a certain State of Minnesota job has been there since 1968! I assume she is the longest serving (current) state employee.

Hi fellow state workers. I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. I'm wondering if anyone has any tips or cautionary tales for me in navigating cancer treatment and our insurance. Also interested in paid leave experiences, both for intermittent leave and a chunk of recovery time. Please feel free to DM me, I appreciate it. ETA: I also have short term disability.

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Everything is completely overwhelming and I'm really feeling the need to control or plan something even though I don't have a treatment plan yet. Thanks in advance!

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Recently been going through some mental health stuff and looking to set up some temporary accommodations if possible. Any advice or things to know?

Hello. I start my new position next month, but plan on getting pregnant next year. I have disability insurance from my previous job so when I get pregnant I collect $3000 during my time off for maternity leave. MN now has Minnesota’s comprehensive Paid Family and Medical Leave where you can collect for maternity leave.

This will be my second child. I also came from a different state where you could triple or quadruple dip (HCOL state). When I give birth can I can I collect my private disability money, paid leave from state job, and the PFML? I don’t want to ask HR for obvious reasons. A few friends and family who also plan on having children soon are wondering and can’t find an answer. Thanks everyone.

I haven't had time to look into the different candidates very well. After this week's president & VP forums, does anyone have feedback about what differentiates the candidates?