Four Months to Freedom

I have completed all of the applications, informed all of the right people, now it is a mere four months to retirement. I have spent the last 10 years in state service for various departments in California. The game is to keep moving up so you can max out your monthly retirement benefit. 

There are three departments that I would recommend to anyone entering state service. All in Sacramento, they are:

Attorney General's Office
California Department of Health Care Services
California Department of Public Health

I won't list the two departments where I had sub-par experiences and left as quickly as possible. At one location, I lasted 3 months and requested a return to the AG's office. The other awful place was a 100% remote position where I struggled for over a year and left on medical leave. 

The beauty of the state's safety net for an older worker is if you don't succeed at a promotional position, you have the right to return to your last passed probationary position. Medical leave is also available if the stress of the job becomes overwhelming. 

I will miss Sacramento. It is just now starting to revive. State departments have mandated a two day return to office in the upcoming months. New restaurants are in the works. The mourning period from the last few years is starting to lift. 

I will not miss the commute. It is a one hour one way trek on a good day. Two hours on the road each in-office work day meant I listened to a lot of music. 

If you are someone in your 30s or 40s, my advice is to have a 3-legged stool in retirement. That stool represents your social security, retirement from your job, and your personal IRA. A fourth leg to a stool would be extra income such as eBay sales. The studier that stool is, the more comfortable you will be.