Federal government is an excellent choice for a chill place to work as your last job. One perk of theirs is being able to keep their healthcare plan after you retire, and it’s one of the best available in the country.
I was told they do have some slower paced roles (versus most of the "tip of the spear" work they do) during my last interview cycle, but it has been some time since that has occurred. Appreciate the recent ground truth. Does 18F still have a remote contingent of support/ancillary roles? It's always helpful to know who I can send where for those looking for work vs those needing work done.
Edit: Many thanks for taking the time to reply in depth.
If people are looking for hard (the hard mostly comes from the ambiguity of problem space and autonomous nature of our teams) impactful work, send em our way (USDS).
If they’re looking for impactful work, but not necessarily some of the things that make USDS “hard,” our partners are also great places to land.
There’s plenty of work for those that can do it though
I would vote in anyone who recognizes what a giant problem it is that the first suggestion for someone who only wants to write SQL for one specific database is our federal government.
I do not want the government to be the landing place for people who just want to coast. We could make a rubber-room department if we really need it, just pay this woman to make SQL reports on nothing to nobody if just getting her a salary is the goal.
But if we need real work done this woman is not our collective best option.
You're entitled to an opinion, but consider reading the room that this particular opinion has no value in this thread. What you want is immaterial to OP seeking a role for his loved one that isn't a grind. If you’re not helping, what was the point in writing this comment? More empathy please.
On a different note, you're probably understanding the value of a good sql programmer, especially outside of pure tech companies. I've seen one provide more value than a team of programmers, and unlike many codebases it's rare that you need to do a complete rewrite 5-10 years later.
Indeed, just because you’re not willing to grind doesn’t mean you don’t have value, or have less value. Value discovery requires experience and wisdom. Great comment.
https://www.usajobs.gov/
Slower pace but remote available and very much in demand. Should carry your Mom through to retirement. Hope it helps.