You might be a 'fedneck' if...

A "fedneck,” according to members of our online forum FederalSoup.com, is a long-time government employee who can be identified by a number of unusual characteristics or behaviors.

Here are some leading indicators to help you determine whether you might be a fedneck. Read all the signs and symptoms — and suggest your own — at the career planning and development forum on  FederalSoup.com.

You might be a fedneck if…

You are totally envious of anyone working for Uncle Sam who can still use a thumb drive in a work computer;

You knew better than to believe that the National Security Personnel System was meant to benefit you;

You're still working with Windows 2000 and Microsoft Office 2003 while your private-sector counterparts moved to Windows7 and Office 2010 months ago;

Your point of contact for personnel actions is FederalSoup.com;

You sit at your desk puzzling over the mandated "Paper Reduction Act" while you prepare "end of FY" hard copy reports in triplicate;

You know it takes an act of Congress, a wing and a prayer, and more than 30 days to get approval for an external hard drive because of the NMCI limit; or

On your application for a security clearance you use a FederalSoup.Com member as a personal reference.

Read more and contribute your own at the career planning and development forum on FederalSoup.com