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crankdatbatman posted:1. Is it meaningful to have been given a phone interview? Or is the hiring process at this point not very competitive and they are basically giving everyone a shot? For me, getting to the interview stage was the hardest part. I lost count of the Eligible-Referred to Selecting Official notices that I received. In my job (where we had many vacancies), we had 1000 people apply, around 90 panel interviews and 30 hired. My husband, 5 people interviewed for 1 position out of 50 applications. crankdatbatman posted:2. How long is the wait usually for government jobs such as this? I know that I've heard the generalization that the government takes forever to do something, but I'm sort of at a critical point in my life in terms of what I want to do with my career and personal life, so I want to make sure I'm giving this opportunity enough time to process. Once I got to the interview stage, I was notified within a week that I got the tentative offer of employment. I then had about 3 weeks before I got my firm/final offer. All in all, I applied October, interviewed in January and received the firm offer a week before I had my EOD (Feb 13). But it isn't the same for everyone. crankdatbatman posted:3. Do USAJobs applications typically give out notifications if you do not receive a job or consideration for it? I am well aware of the idea of companies/employers not interested in you never contacting you; but I honestly have had very few interviews, and zero interviews that did not turn into jobs in my young career. I don't know anything about the process that USAJobs works through. My husband had more federal interviews than I did since he had a non-competitive appointment, but whenever he didn't get the job, they usually sent an e-mail or letter saying he wasn't selected after three or so weeks. crankdatbatman posted:4. A lesser important question, but does anyone know how many more steps in the hiring process there are past phone interviews, in general? I'm sure there would be a second, more personal interview later on. Again, this is different for everyone. I didn't have a phone interview, but had a panel interview instead, then a second round where I toured the federal facilities and met the team. I then received a TO a week later, and FO three weeks after that. For my husband, he had one panel of two interview him, and received his TO a week later. At our places of work, we couldn't get a firm offer until we passed the suitability check (OF-306) and filled out the e-QIP. He also had to have a tax audit done for the last three years. It all depends on the agency as to what their process is.
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Apr 4, 2012 04:15
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Thanks for the valuable information, guys. Nintyfresh, if you can remember, how long was it between your panel interview and your round two tour? The fact it's been a little over a week since the interview is a little unsettling for me, but our hiring processes are obviously a bit different and, since I haven't heard a rejection yet, I won't get too worried about it.
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Apr 4, 2012 15:15
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I've gotten another 9 referrals since my last update with ratings between 101 and 105. What I don't understand is that out of every single referral I've gotten, only one resulted in an interview which was mentioned in my last update as well. Would that indicate that my resume is technically sufficient but otherwise unimpressive? I hate how you have to flag the keywords in a way that doesn't copy/paste the position description. Seems like far more effort than it's worth...
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Apr 4, 2012 22:13
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Supposedly the IRS is going to post a bunch of auditing positions (GS 5-11) on Monday the 9th.
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Apr 5, 2012 19:43
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Evil SpongeBob posted:10 or 5 points is almost mandatory for hiring now. The ATF exam seems to have been exclusively offered to veterans after the last announcement. Even some non-vet laterals didn't get passed through from what I've heard. Well, that's unfortunate. Although I've been in the Guard for 4 years (and spent almost a year of that AD training for various jobs) I don't qualify for veteran's preference. It's truly sad... I'd love to hop on a deployment but we just got ours canceled. Even though I've got a degree and graduated with honors, it's just not enough anymore to get a callback.
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Apr 7, 2012 03:01
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So...when is a good time to give up on hoping for a job offer after an interview? The closing date for my patent examiner job was originally the first of April, but it's been extended to the 13th. I had my interview a week and a half ago. My application status on USAJobs is still "Active". Should I even expect to hear anything offer-wise until the closing date? All this is so confusing to me, I e-mailed the contact for questions earlier this week; but I haven't heard back from her. e: I just discovered that USAJobs at least appears to be more helpful than I thought. The application status is still active and the vacancy is still open, and after perusing the application status page I realize it should tell me if I'm not selected. I'm going to put this out of my mind for the next week. Waiting for an answer is tearing me up inside. facebook jihad fucked around with this message at 04:19 on Apr 7, 2012 |
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Apr 7, 2012 03:42
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So, I want to get onto the right path to be a Special Agent in the FBI. I have a bachelors, working on a MS advanced degree in IT, have 5 years of IT experience in security/network. Certifications are in progress. Question is where do I go from here? I'm only 22 so I can't apply for another couple months but I want to build up a good basis of experience, skills and general knowledge to minimize my chances of looking like a naive idiot. Any Fed\law enforcement goons able to share some knowledge? Immanentized fucked around with this message at 03:49 on Apr 7, 2012 |
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Apr 7, 2012 03:46
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handbanana125 posted:So, I want to get onto the right path to be a Special Agent in the FBI. I have a bachelors, working on a MS advanced degree in IT, have 5 years of IT experience in security/network. Certifications are in progress. You need to meet the minimum requirements first - have 3 years work experience in the field you're applying for (or 2 with an MS). Then wait for an opening, apply. Get invited to Phase I, take it, pass it, self-assessed PFT, meet and greet, Phase II, scored PFT, background, poly, academy. You'll learn to be patient...
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Apr 7, 2012 07:29
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FooGoo posted:You need to meet the minimum requirements first - have 3 years work experience in the field you're applying for (or 2 with an MS). Then wait for an opening, apply. Get invited to Phase I, take it, pass it, self-assessed PFT, meet and greet, Phase II, scored PFT, background, poly, academy. You'll learn to be patient... I expect that, I've planned for a 3-4 year window for application and the other stuff. I exceed the minimum requirements, I just want to know if this can be handled like a college application where I can involve myself in activities and situations that can give me an edge. I appreciate the advice though, I have absolutely no one I know with background experience in the field so any help is good help
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Apr 7, 2012 16:26
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OK so this is a stretch. I'm about to graduate in May with a Bachelors in Finance. I really want to work for NASA in their management/finance analyst department. Its hard to tell which positions are the entry-level positions as I am not familiar with the GS pay bands. (Currently interning at a bi-state agency with ridiculous payband system) How do I go about figuring out applying to the right jobs? Seems like a long shot because I have a business background and NASA seems to put priority for engineers, even for management slots.
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Apr 7, 2012 18:20
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jshoreflyer posted:OK so this is a stretch. I'm about to graduate in May with a Bachelors in Finance. I really want to work for NASA in their management/finance analyst department. Its hard to tell which positions are the entry-level positions as I am not familiar with the GS pay bands. (Currently interning at a bi-state agency with ridiculous payband system)
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Apr 7, 2012 18:45
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You would think they would experience requirements, some do not all. Good thing I asked, one posting had not experience listing and was a GS-11 What pay band would an MBA qualify for? As I am considering going into an MBA program? THanks for the help
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Apr 7, 2012 19:00
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jshoreflyer posted:You would think they would experience requirements, some do not all. Bachelors: GS-5 Bachelors+: GS-7 Masters: GS-9 Doctorate: GS-11 There are so many ways to qualify for a GS-7 with a BS (3.0 average, top 10% of your class, etc.) that most grads will enter as a GS-7 vice a GS-5, but GS-11 generally requires a year of experience at GS-9 level, etc. There are some exceptions, though. Research positions can start as a GS-11 with just a masters, for instance. http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/group-stds/Gs-admin.asp http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/group-stds/gs-prof.asp grover fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Apr 7, 2012 |
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Apr 7, 2012 19:07
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grover posted:Generally speaking: Thank You Grover, much appreciated.
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Apr 7, 2012 19:14
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grover posted:Generally speaking: Yeah but it's so subjective. I don't think the scale appropriately reflects what you can get in the private sector for pay, and I've noticed that in rural areas especially, they'll ignore the requirements and get the best qualified regardless of whether or not you have the education/experience. Shallow hiring pools etc
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Apr 7, 2012 19:17
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Drewski posted:Yeah but it's so subjective. I don't think the scale appropriately reflects what you can get in the private sector for pay, and I've noticed that in rural areas especially, they'll ignore the requirements and get the best qualified regardless of whether or not you have the education/experience. Shallow hiring pools etc Government salaries are often far less than equivalent private-sector jobs, especially in professional fields. There's a lot to be said for the benefits and relative job security of a government job, though, especially when the economy isn't doing so well. jshoreflyer posted:Thank You Grover, much appreciated. grover fucked around with this message at 19:25 on Apr 7, 2012 |
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Apr 7, 2012 19:20
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Very true, which is why the Army is transitioning from having the computer scan your resume to an actual person from HR reading your resume. I can't say if they've completed the switch or if other agencies are doing this as well though. edit: re job security, I have seen a lot of army agencies offer early retirements with no FERS penalties because of the hit to their budgets. I wouldn't be surprised to see a RIF in the next 2 years.
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Apr 7, 2012 19:32
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Is there an equivalency between the AD and GS scales?
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Apr 7, 2012 20:38
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jerman999 posted:Is there an equivalency between the AD and GS scales? AD pay is set by each individual agency so there is no equivalency chart to compare. edit: I suppose if you saw a position offering an AD salary, you could look up the GS pay scale for that area and see roughly what it would equate to. Drewski fucked around with this message at 20:47 on Apr 7, 2012 |
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Apr 7, 2012 20:44
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With a law degree, I started at a 9, then went to 11 after a year, and 12 now.
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Apr 7, 2012 22:27
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grover posted:That's assuming your resume gets into the hands of the hiring official. All too often, nearly-qualified (I would go as far as to say "best" qualified) candidates are discarded from the pool on single-category technicalities and never get any consideration at all. So while underqualified candidates can get hired in shallow pools, this only applies to more subjective qualifications, like experience in specific systems/jobs/etc. If you don't have the right degree, your application will most likely be outright rejected. As far as having the "wrong" degree is concerned I think that is highly dependent on veteran's preference and experience. I wouldn't count yourself out just because your degree isn't an exact fit. For example, I just landed an engineering job with a math degree. Does anyone have much experience with the ND pay band? I'm supposed to be starting at ND-3 or the top end of the ND-2 band. I am curious as to how these bands work compared to GS because being hired at the top end of a band feels like starting at a high step such a GS-7 step 10. However, I don't think thats even possible which is why this top of the ND band position confuses me.
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Apr 8, 2012 00:34
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Quantum Jazz posted:As far as having the "wrong" degree is concerned I think that is highly dependent on veteran's preference and experience. I wouldn't count yourself out just because your degree isn't an exact fit. For example, I just landed an engineering job with a math degree. grover fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Apr 8, 2012 |
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Apr 8, 2012 00:45
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handbanana125 posted:I expect that, I've planned for a 3-4 year window for application and the other stuff. I exceed the minimum requirements, I just want to know if this can be handled like a college application where I can involve myself in activities and situations that can give me an edge. Their needs vary every few years, currently they have way too many lawyers and diversified applicants and are in need of science, engineering, accounting and computer/IT. A decade or two ago they were dying for lawyers... They look at you as a whole, very similar to a college application so extracurriculars will always help. Stay away from all drugs. If you can do some military time in the Reserves or Guard, that would help a lot too. Hope this helps, there's a few books and forums out there with good, up to date information.
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Apr 8, 2012 01:29
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This is loving bullshit. The job I've applied to's closing date got changed from tomorrow to May 5th. I guess that means pretty much three to four weeks of more waiting. Goddammit.
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Apr 13, 2012 03:41
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So I got an email that indicated that I passed the Border Protection Officer exam. The next step is to fill out and upload signed documents, which I'm doing as we speak. After that, it says my passed status is good for one year, which means it could be weeks or months whether or not I get a callback for an interview, if ever. Meanwhile, I also passed the exam for Communications Officer with my local sheriff's office, to which they guarantee a callback for an interview in a week or two from now. If by chance I get offered both jobs, I wonder which I should go for.
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Apr 13, 2012 04:10
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Primoman posted:So I got an email that indicated that I passed the Border Protection Officer exam. The next step is to fill out and upload signed documents, which I'm doing as we speak. I'd weigh my options between whichever position has the best promotability, location, benefits package, and retirement. I know very little about sheriff's programs to be honest. It isn't federal but rather a county job right? Because your federal retirement counts all years at all jobs. I don't think the sheriff's job has that kind of flexibility. Drewski fucked around with this message at 15:33 on Apr 13, 2012 |
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Apr 13, 2012 15:31
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Primoman posted:So I got an email that indicated that I passed the Border Protection Officer exam. The answer to this is: "Do you want to move to a shithole town on the Southwest border?" If the answer is no, then go sheriff. If the answer is maybe, then go CPB.
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Apr 15, 2012 01:14
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After bitching and complaining for the last page on this thread, I got my job offer today. GS-7 Patent Examiner, exactly three weeks after my phone interview. Thanks for all the advice everyone. I may have some questions about my move to DC in the next few weeks, especially since my start date is a little over a month from now.
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Apr 17, 2012 19:58
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crankdatbatman posted:After bitching and complaining for the last page on this thread, I got my job offer today. GS-7 Patent Examiner, exactly three weeks after my phone interview. Thanks for all the advice everyone. I may have some questions about my move to DC in the next few weeks, especially since my start date is a little over a month from now. Welcome to the cool kids club! GSA ruined our ability to provide punch and pie, so you'll have to pay for that yourself.
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Apr 17, 2012 23:41
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Primoman posted:So I got an email that indicated that I passed the Border Protection Officer exam. The next step is to fill out and upload signed documents, which I'm doing as we speak. Hey man the position you're applying to is often referred to as a CBP Officer, AKA the Customs guys as opposed to the Border Patrol Agents. CBP officers wear dark blue clothes and work at border crossings, international airports, and international seaports. There is a huge variety of poo poo to do, and if you're young and ambitious I'd recommend going to the largest port of entry that you can. They will teach you Spanish if you need it (Southwest border positions, Miami, and San Juan) in a 6 week immersion, and you can do poo poo like K9 handler, some plain clothes operations, and various intelligence functions that involve digital forensics if that excites you at all. If you're on land border crossing expect to rip open a lot of cars and trucks for weed. I'd really recommend you watch the show "Border Wars" (I think Season 1 is on Netflix, it's a Nat Geo show) and pay attention to what the blue suits are doing.
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Apr 18, 2012 00:14
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Go for a Canadian slot so you can get some of the sweet, sweet poo poo that CBSA confiscates and doesn't report (this never happens 
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Apr 18, 2012 00:34
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Drewski posted:Welcome to the cool kids club! GSA ruined our ability to provide punch and pie, so you'll have to pay for that yourself. 
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Apr 18, 2012 02:20
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I've got someone going on a trip to Vegas in September that was planned last year. I am the GovTrip master now at my workplace, and we just implemented a bunch of new standards for trip planning regarding cost-comparisons before booking, so we shall see if that trip will be canned.
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Apr 18, 2012 02:36
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TheUnhorse posted:Hey man the position you're applying to is often referred to as a CBP Officer, AKA the Customs guys as opposed to the Border Patrol Agents. CBP officers wear dark blue clothes and work at border crossings, international airports, and international seaports. There is a huge variety of poo poo to do, and if you're young and ambitious I'd recommend going to the largest port of entry that you can. They will teach you Spanish if you need it (Southwest border positions, Miami, and San Juan) in a 6 week immersion, and you can do poo poo like K9 handler, some plain clothes operations, and various intelligence functions that involve digital forensics if that excites you at all. If you're on land border crossing expect to rip open a lot of cars and trucks for weed. I'd really recommend you watch the show "Border Wars" (I think Season 1 is on Netflix, it's a Nat Geo show) and pay attention to what the blue suits are doing. Thanks for the advice. That's about what I read about the job as well, so I'm glad there is a distinguishable difference between CBP and Border Patrol. Seems I wasn't the only one who didn't know there was a difference, as many people have responded to my application with "Have fun getting killed in Puerto Rico". Of course, I have no idea how easy or hard it would be to be placed in Miami International Airport. I'm hoping I won't have to move out of town to some other unfamiliar place. I'll also give that series you mentioned a look as well. Anyway, potentially stupid question incoming: In the paperwork I had to fill for the next phase, it asked if I was registered with the Selective Service System, and to list the reasons why if I wasn't. I read the wiki page on it, and apparently I don't need to register as I was born on 1981. At least, I'm really hoping I read that correctly. Just want to make sure I didn't mess up, since I've never even heard of this system until the question kept popping up in these federal job applications.
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Apr 18, 2012 20:07
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CBP does operate in Puerto Rico. 
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Apr 18, 2012 21:26
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I'm at the academy for CBPO in Georgia so if anyone has questions just shoot them my way or PM me. CBP does operate in Puerto Rico and I hear it's pretty tough to get. The wait for Miami is not that long as some other ports take 3-4 years to open up. However, you can get through quickly if you sign up for the SW border ports. I'm pretty sure that anyone over 18 must be registered for the Selective Service. Register ASAP if you haven't done so. (If I recall, you can't receive Federal Student Loans if you don't sign up).
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Apr 18, 2012 22:04
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kys posted:I'm at the academy for CBPO in Georgia so if anyone has questions just shoot them my way or PM me. I wouldn't even know where to check, much less sign up. I'd better find out once and for all if this applies to me, in case I have to send a correction to the documents. I do have a couple of basic questions about the Academy. 1. How rigorous is the training, assuming you're already at average shape (as in, you can do push-ups and sit-ups and can jog a reasonable distance)? 2. How many hours a day do you need to do? 3. What do they test you on? 4. Is Georgia the only place that has the academy? In one of the forms, it had Miami, FL as an option (where I'm located), so I'm wondering. 5. Is the room and board free? Do you get WiFi (I would assume, since you're posting)?
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Apr 19, 2012 02:43
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Primoman posted:I wouldn't even know where to check, much less sign up. I'd better find out once and for all if this applies to me, in case I have to send a correction to the documents. Room and board is free, WiFi is not and borderline scammish. Ugh
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Apr 19, 2012 04:43
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Primoman posted:I wouldn't even know where to check, much less sign up. I'd better find out once and for all if this applies to me, in case I have to send a correction to the documents. https://www.sss.gov/default.htm If I remember correctly, I got the form to register on my 18th birthday at the local post office, but it looks like you can register online now. But yeah, if you're a male and not old, you're supposed to have registered.
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Apr 19, 2012 12:37
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P.D.B. Fishsticks posted:https://www.sss.gov/default.htm I wouldn't exactly call 30 "old", but I tried to fill out that form, and it said "You must be under 26 to register". quote:If you're a male U.S. citizen, age 18 through 25, and are living INSIDE the United States or its territories, or if you have an APO/FPO address, you can register with Selective Service by filling out the form below and clicking on "Submit Registration." It sounds like I don't have to do it, but I'd still like to get an official statement for good and all. Who could I contact for confirmation, though?
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Apr 19, 2012 22:17
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