What's my best move here?

[robespierre]

Due to some changed circumstances (personal, professional and financial), I've decided I can't switch to an ALJ gig until about 1/1/16. Is my best move to:

1. Ask OPM to suspend me from the register? (I'm wary about being able to get back on; who knows what whim OPM could use to keep me off.)

OR

2. Let my name come up on certs throughout 2015 and just decline the cities? (This impresses me as not totally honest, plus the cities will be lost to me when I come back on the register.)

Any advice appreciated! Thanks.

P.S., I do realize that hiring is hot and heavy right now so I'd be missing out on a great time to be a candidate, but I just can't change jobs right now. C'est la vie.

[saaao]

Suspending yourself sounds like your best option, though I would confirm with OPM that you can indeed re-activate yourself without having to go through testing again. Keep in mind that the register is technically supposed to expire in 12/2015. It will probably be extended, but in the event that OPM actually does let it expire, you will be starting from square one along with everyone else.

Cutting yourself from cities you would otherwise accept will just hurt you down the line, especially since many cities tend to repeat themselves every hiring round.

[gary]

If it were me, I would suspend from the register with OPM.

[JudgeRatty]

Ditto. If you decline cities, those are gone until a refresh which is always risky. Better to suspend with all your cities intact until you are in the running again. You never know what may change between now and then, and better to have as many cities available as possible once you are in the game.

[71stretch]

Suspend. No question.

[funkyodar]

Futuressaalj, a great guy and good friend I haven't seen posting in a while, had to suspend.a while back to complete a military obligation. As I understand it, he is now back active with no ill effects.

[christina]

i agree. suspend. i know a sitting ALJ who suspended their app for awhile. as others noted, check with opm to make sure there are no unforseen problems going that route. this is a bad time to take yourself off register but it looks like you've processed that issue already and removing yourself is still the wisest decision for you.

[Deleted]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and be a contrarian, RobP. Without knowing anything about your circumstances, there is a third way: Hang in there. Whatever obstacles are in your way, you can overcome them. Don't miss a great opportunity. I think some of the fellow vets on the board would agree and know what I am talking about when I say "you can adapt to anything for a year." You don't have to prosper and thrive during a difficult transition, you just have to survive it until things smooth out. You can do it!

[gary]

If you go with the majority advice here and suspend, you may want to give some thought to when you would want to unsuspend. What I have in mind is the lead time between SSA getting started on a round of hiring and the starting date for those hires. In other words, if you will be available for an ALJ appointment as of 1/1/2016, you may want to unsuspend before that time to try to catch onto a first quarter FY2016 set of certs pulled in late 2015.

[thankful1]

I agree with RobG and the board. Suspend if you must, don't decline. My hearsay knowledge is that rejecting is a kiss of death. In theory you can decline, but you won't be given the opportunity to decline again. But rather than suspend, think long and hard about accepting and dealing with the consequences. If the scuttlebutt is correct, 2015 is THE year for hiring. If you miss out now, who knows when you will get the opportunity again. Unless of course you are a high scorer with a wide GAL, then the roll of the dice is not quite as risky as it may be for someone with a low score/ small gal, or both.

[Missundaztood]

Sorry to hear, robes. Good luck on a tough decision.