Guides
Federal Career Transition Guides
Leaving federal service creates several decisions at once: what happens to your leave, retirement, health coverage, unemployment options, security clearance, and job search. These guides explain the rules, timelines, and source documents that matter, then turn them into practical next steps for a private-sector move.
Start with the issue closest to your deadline, verify benefit or personnel details with the responsible agency, and use the related guides to build a transition plan. For workforce reductions, furloughs, and RIF-specific help, use the dedicated layoff resources linked throughout this collection.
Choose by decision
Start with the consequence you need to understand
These guides cover different moments, from an urgent workforce change to a planned retirement. Pick the decision in front of you, then use the directory for the deeper benefits, clearance, or transition question.
- 01My job situation changed or may change soonBuild a time-ordered plan for records, deadlines, benefits, pay, and support before choosing a longer guide.Open the Action Center
- 02I am deciding whether retirement is part of my exitReview the retirement, benefits, timing, and private-sector questions that should be resolved before choosing a separation date.Plan a retirement transition
Directory
20 items
- Layoffs & RIFsNews, Rights and Next Steps
- Clearance Crossover to Private-Sector JobsTiming & RisksHow your clearance crosses over to a private-sector contractor job, why the receiving agency still decides, and when it's safe to give notice before resigning.
- Federal Annual Leave PayoutCalculation, Taxes & TimingLeaving federal service? See how unused annual leave is paid out: which separations qualify, how the lump sum is calculated and taxed, and when to expect it.
- Federal Beneficiary Designation ChecklistForms & FilingFederal beneficiary designation checklist: which form covers FEGLI, TSP, FERS or CSRS, and unpaid pay, where to file it, and how to confirm it was recorded.
- Federal BuyoutHow VERA and VSIP Work TogetherSee what VERA and VSIP each cover, whether an agency can offer both together, and what to confirm on annuity, FEHB, TSP, taxes, and repayment before you elect.
- Federal Deferred Resignation ProgramIs It Still Open?See what the 2025 federal Deferred Resignation Program covered, whether an offer is open in 2026, and what it meant for pay and returning to federal work.
- What Happens to Federal Employee Benefits After ResignationSee what happens to FEHB, FEGLI, TSP, leave, and your pension after you resign before retirement age, including deadlines that affect what you keep.
- Federal Employee Buyout OfferWhat It Actually MeansA federal employee buyout offer can be a VSIP lump sum, early retirement under VERA, or a deferred resignation, each affecting pay, benefits, and timing.
- Federal Employee ResignationDates, Pay and BenefitsChoose your federal employee resignation date to protect benefits and service credit. Plan for final pay and save records before agency access ends.
- Federal Employee Resignation LetterWhat to IncludeA federal employee resignation letter typically covers your position, agency, effective date, and intent to resign; follow your agency's specific requirements.
- How Federal LWOP Affects Your Benefits and RetirementFind out which federal benefits keep running during LWOP, which need premium payments, and the time limits on health, life insurance, and retirement credit.
- Federal Retirement TransitionPay, Benefits & TimingPlanning your federal retirement transition? See how your annuity, health and life insurance, and the gap before your first full check work—and avoid delays.
- What Happens After 10 Years of Federal ServiceAfter 10 years, leaving your FERS contributions with OPM can preserve a future deferred pension; a refund forfeits it. Compare start ages, TSP, FEHB, and FEGLI.
- Medicare Part B and FEHB in RetirementCosts and DeadlinesSee whether Medicare Part B is worth adding to FEHB in retirement: your enrollment window and what your plan gives back.
- Procurement Integrity Job Search Rules for Federal EmployeesLearn which procurement integrity job search rules apply when a contractor contacts you, what to report in writing, and the next step to take.
- Federal RIF Retention Register ExplainedHow Standing WorksFederal RIF retention register explained: how competitive area, competitive level, tenure, veterans' preference, and service set your release order.
- Veterans Preference in a Federal RIFWhat It ProtectsSee how veterans' preference ranks you in a federal RIF, what bump and retreat rights cover, and how to check your retention standing before notices go out.
- What Your Security Clearance Is Worth in the Private SectorSee when a Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI clearance matters in private-sector hiring, what trade-offs to compare, and how to verify your status.
- How to Roll Your TSP Into a 401(k) the Right WayRoll your TSP into a new 401(k) only if the plan accepts it. Use a direct transfer to skip 20% withholding, and route traditional and Roth separately.
- VERA vs. VSIPWhat Each One Means for Your RetirementVERA is an early-retirement authority, VSIP is a taxable lump-sum buyout capped at $25,000, and this guide compares who qualifies and what each means.