Countdown To Shutdown: One Federal Worker's Story

With one eye glued to C-SPAN for updates on their status, federal government workers are feverishly preparing the final work steps a total shutdown requires.

There's plenty to do before what appears will be the first full government shutdown since 1996.

AOL Jobs spoke with a senior manager in the Department of Commerce, who shared what's happening in the world of the "non-essential" employee on condition no names be used as it's bad enough being furloughed. She wouldn't want to be fired.