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Any Capitol hill goons out there? I've been trying to get on the hill for awhile after doing some past internships on the Hill and for lobbying firms. Been working at an art studio for the past couple months...but looking to get back to a job a little closer to what I went for school for. Have a couple internship interviews lined up for next week so hopefully I'll be back in the saddle working for free (at least I got paid working for the evil lobbyists)!
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Nov 15, 2010 01:03
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So I know this could be a fuzzy question, but how long does an application take and/or, as a student, when should I send an application in. I'm currently earning an M.Ed, and while I do plan on applying for classroom teaching jobs, a very cool job opened with the Smithsonian in Boston for an education specialist. I am still in the program, and graduate in June, so there is some time between me and the degree. I'm also wrestling with writing the resume in their resume builder. Before entering the program, I always had a hard time with resumes cause I didn't really have skills. Now I have/am developing skills, and it still kinda difficult, based on what they are looking for (I may not be a perfect candidate, but I still want to apply)
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Nov 15, 2010 05:10
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Zoo posted:The other thing is that while you aren't doing it by asking these questions, they'll ask whether you've ever researched how to "beat" the polygraph. What if you say "Sort of, but I don't think you really can"?
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Nov 15, 2010 06:33
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Cjones posted:What if you say "Sort of, but I don't think you really can"? Or "it's junk pseudo-science?"
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Nov 15, 2010 07:10
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Zoo posted:The other thing is that while you aren't doing it by asking these questions, they'll ask whether you've ever researched how to "beat" the polygraph. Maybe it is just my experience but they never asked me that. It was just your standard fare of questions regarding my truthiness and whether or not I ever tried to destroy the US. And I did too. 7 was an awkward age for me.
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Nov 15, 2010 07:23
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This might have been covered in this thread already, but I figured I'd ask anyway. If someone can link to a post talking about that, that'd be cool too. My college's career job board recently (as in yesterday) had a new posting for the "Acquisition Professional Career Program" with the Dept of Homeland Security. I feel as though I'd be decently qualified to do the generic non-business related series of jobs (specifically Contract Specialist and Program Manager) with my BS in biology and all my volunteer work and leadership positions while in school. Even with my not-so-related degree, I'm definitely interested in the responsibilities I'd be tasked with. I actually performed a lot of those same duties, albeit on a much smaller scale, while in school. Does anyone have any experience with this particular program or DHS in general? This program definitely comes across as setting up recent grads to do a lot of grunt work, but at the same time you'd be gaining a lot of valuable experience. Plus you're setup for 3 years, moving into a different agency each year, and as long as you're not awful they'll offer you permanent employment. Pretty swank. If anyone wants more information on this so they can apply to it as well, here's the site: http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/careers/gc_1191246953945.shtm I'm also a little nervous if they want to do any kind of security clearance on me. I've posted in LF a few times...  I've yet to make any ironic statements, but the association...
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Nov 17, 2010 09:33
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Wow, what a day. I got an email from my "NGA Hiring Buddy" who is supposed to sort of guide me along the rest of the hiring process. "Home free!" says me. Then I get a phone call from the person processing my documents who proceeds to interrogate me about my foreign travels and then tells me I need to find addresses for every single one of my (13) foreign contacts listed on my E-Qip....by Friday. Ffffffffffffffffffff I guess the good news is that my report is supposedly due on MONDAY. Yay!
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Nov 18, 2010 00:31
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Gravel Gravy posted:Maybe it is just my experience but they never asked me that. It was just your standard fare of questions regarding my truthiness and whether or not I ever tried to destroy the US. It depends on the polygrapher and agency.
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Nov 18, 2010 00:45
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I'm currently a subcontractor for the army. I'll be out of a job in about 3-6 months. I been applying on (c-pol, usjobs) and I can't get pass the screening process. Anyone have any ideas, please PM me.
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Nov 19, 2010 20:23
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CherryCola posted:Well! This process is really movin' along! I got a call from the investigator for my hometown on Tuesday who said that he should be done there by the end of this week! I also know that someone talked to my peeps where I went to grad school, and I didn't get a call from them at all so I'm assuming that went smoothly. NGA won't give you a poly until after you've come onboard, usually within the first 90 days of entry on duty (EOD). You are correct, it is a Counter-Intelligence or CI poly, not as thorough as the full-scope.
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Nov 19, 2010 20:41
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So someone mentioned there might be some sort of hiring freeze for the NGA because of some space issue with the new building. Anybody know any more details about this?
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Nov 22, 2010 20:20
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Not sure about space issues at NGA, but there's not much movement right now in DoD until the FY11 defense budget is passed (possibly next month if we're lucky, but probably not).
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Nov 23, 2010 18:00
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Not sure if this was covered yet but I recently (about a month ago) applied for an IRS position, faxed my transcripts and all that good stuff. Should I give up hope or does the government take as long as I imagine them to do this sort of thing and I just have to remain patient?
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Nov 23, 2010 18:45
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Brose posted:Not sure if this was covered yet but I recently (about a month ago) applied for an IRS position, faxed my transcripts and all that good stuff. Should I give up hope or does the government take as long as I imagine them to do this sort of thing and I just have to remain patient? You can contact HR and check up on it, but yeah, compared to something in the private sector the government's hiring process normally operates on a geological timescale.
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Nov 23, 2010 18:50
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Woooo, got my very first email from a standard USAJOBS application saying my application is being forwarded to a real person. Being an expert at everything is apparently effective.
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Nov 24, 2010 02:58
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Kase Im Licht posted:Woooo, got my very first email from a standard USAJOBS application saying my application is being forwarded to a real person. Don't go crazy just yet. My application/resume has been sitting on a "real person's" desk since around July 14th for one job...
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Nov 24, 2010 07:06
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gmilo posted:Don't go crazy just yet. My application/resume has been sitting on a "real person's" desk since around July 14th for one job... You too? That's the exact day I heard back about my dream Smithsonian job...it's been in limbo ever since. (I applied on June 1st)
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Nov 24, 2010 13:34
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Kase Im Licht posted:Woooo, got my very first email from a standard USAJOBS application saying my application is being forwarded to a real person. I have 10 referrals waiting right now with no further movement from them yet. I also got a call for a possible interview in January, but they'll only set a real date once they know their budget and if they can even hire anyone. Congress needs a move on.
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Nov 24, 2010 22:16
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CherryCola posted:You too? That's the exact day I heard back about my dream Smithsonian job...it's been in limbo ever since. (I applied on June 1st) My application for a USAID JFSO position has been referred to the hiring official since March of 2009. No change in status or anything.
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Nov 26, 2010 15:27
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Oh I'm not under any delusions that this step means its going any farther. I'm just excited to have made it somewhere new. Other than apps where they're looking for very basic qualifications and then sending you on to some sort of test, I've never got a positive response back.
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Nov 26, 2010 15:39
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it's also worth pointing out that we are under continuing resolution authority until Congress passes a budget, which under this climate might push well into March. In other words - most of the federal government won't be able to make any offers and on-board new hires for several months.
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Nov 26, 2010 17:25
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Happydayz posted:it's also worth pointing out that we are under continuing resolution authority until Congress passes a budget, which under this climate might push well into March. In other words - most of the federal government won't be able to make any offers and on-board new hires for several months. UGH
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Nov 26, 2010 17:48
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Happydayz posted:it's also worth pointing out that we are under continuing resolution authority until Congress passes a budget, which under this climate might push well into March. In other words - most of the federal government won't be able to make any offers and on-board new hires for several months.
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Nov 26, 2010 17:52
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grover posted:Vacant positions in existing billets can be filled, though, just new billets can't be created? That was my understanding, at least; CRA basically just extends FY10 spending levels so anything that was funded in FY10 is funded under CRA, command just run the risk of FY11 budget cuts from FY10 levels really loving with their resourcing. We're not doing any hiring actions - even those advertised in FY10. Those who had offers in hand are good to go and still being processed. But my shop for example has 3-4 billets that were advertised in FY10 and weren't filled, and now will basically sit dormant until after CRA is lifted. Might vary by agency though - who knows.
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Nov 26, 2010 18:33
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Kase Im Licht posted:Oh I'm not under any delusions that this step means its going any farther. I'm just excited to have made it somewhere new. Other than apps where they're looking for very basic qualifications and then sending you on to some sort of test, I've never got a positive response back. From talking with several people knowledgeable of the hiring processes, it looks like applying through USA Jobs is the hardest possible way to get hired. Have you tried applying to any FCIP positions? They're significantly harder to find because there's usually no published information on them, however this also decreases the number of applications substantially and usually results in a lot more human interaction with your resume.
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Nov 26, 2010 18:49
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No hiring actions, even for FY10, as Happydayz said (this is stupid, yes). Everyone is waiting and I know a bunch of people who interviewed for other jobs in Sept-Oct but are sitting in the dark until the budget is passed. Although there are exceptions for Schedule A or Schedule A-like hires apparently, for at least one organization anyway. I am thinking it won't take until March though. The hold-up for this year's defense bill is Don't Ask, Don't Tell. It'll be up for a vote soon and I wouldn't hold my breath for passage, but even if Congress doesn't remove DADT from the defense bill and thus probably fails to pass the bill in the lame duck, I'd expect it in January. I just hope we get a miracle and it passes in the lame duck so we can avoid any FY11 slicing in the new Congress; that could delay us past January.
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Nov 26, 2010 23:10
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For the guy who said "UGH" about the CR, believe me, you're not alone. We also have limited business travel, repair projects, and other capabilities crippled until the budget is passed. It certainly affects real peoples' lives. It's nasty like this every election year but much to your lack of surprise, that doesn't really seem to give Congress pause when it comes time to politick around instead of achieve things.
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Nov 26, 2010 23:15
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Zoo posted:I just hope we get a miracle and it passes in the lame duck so we can avoid any FY11 slicing in the new Congress; that could delay us past January. It wouldn't surprise me if the current Congress went ahead and passed most of the funding bills before recess as a parting "gently caress you" to the incoming Congress. If that's not the case, I wouldn't expect them to pass anything until after January as the fiscally conservative house goes hack and slash on the budget.
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Nov 26, 2010 23:22
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psydude posted:It wouldn't surprise me if the current Congress went ahead and passed most of the funding bills before recess as a parting "gently caress you" to the incoming Congress. If that's not the case, I wouldn't expect them to pass anything until after January as the fiscally conservative house goes hack and slash on the budget. While it's not popular to believe that, I agree that it's a possibility (maybe probability) for at least the defense budget. DADT would probably need to be removed, though, unless there are enough votes for it; haven't been keeping up in the last few weeks, so maybe.. The other reason is that the "fiscally conservative" House won't necessarily want to pass a giant omnibus bill as its first act in January. It's best to let the lame duck Democrats have that on their backs. But they also need to resolve the tax problem, blah blah, and time is running short.
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Nov 26, 2010 23:50
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or the current minority could stall everything, come in on January as the majority, and then try to shut down the government . . .
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Nov 27, 2010 00:03
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Yeah, a government shut down would make the March scenario feasible. But unlike during the Newt fiasco, they don't have the Senate. I guess we'll see.
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Nov 27, 2010 00:26
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Man this sucks. So am I right in assuming that even though I have a tentative offer and am just waiting for my clearance adjudication I won't be able to start until all this crap gets figured out? I'm about ready to start applying for jobs again... CherryCola fucked around with this message at 17:38 on Nov 27, 2010 |
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Nov 27, 2010 17:35
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CherryCola posted:Man this sucks. So am I right in assuming that even though I have a tentative offer and am just waiting for my clearance adjudication I won't be able to start until all this crap gets figured out? I'm not sure about NGA specifics, unfortunately, and you might be able to get this answer from your HR representative (if he/she isn't a dick). I suspect that since you had your conditional offer already and the ball has been rolling, you're good to go and continue waiting on your adjudication. This is probably the case, because agencies are still having indoc/orientation classes. Start dates could have been set back in FY10 for some people, but I know for certain that many of them at my agency had their start dates assigned after FY11 began.
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Nov 27, 2010 18:41
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Athazagoraphobia posted:I am in the process of being cleared for a State Department internship this coming fall but I have already had my interim security clearance denied. Has anyone had their interim denied for Secret clearance only to go on and eventually get the regular clearance approved?
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Nov 28, 2010 04:24
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Obama just announced a 2-year federal civilian employee pay freeze  My real-world income has decreased every year since 2006, which really sucks; my salary has increased tiny amount each year, but taxes and insurance have gone up much faster; my allotments are smaller and smaller every year. "Deflation" my rear end!
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Nov 29, 2010 17:41
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Just got some fantastic news from my hiring mentor. Apparently I'm "in under the wire" aaaand my adjudication is due to wrap up "soon." I'm sure I shouldn't take this as gospel truth, but at least I know I won't be affected by a hiring freeze. Phew! Pay freeze? Well at least I'll be making more than I am now....
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Nov 29, 2010 18:32
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CherryCola posted:Just got some fantastic news from my hiring mentor. Apparently I'm "in under the wire" aaaand my adjudication is due to wrap up "soon." I'm sure I shouldn't take this as gospel truth, but at least I know I won't be affected by a hiring freeze. Phew! Pay freeze? Well at least I'll be making more than I am now.... Congrats, that is good news. This hiring BS is why I am trying to get in as a summer intern to a position that will convert me to full time. Does the pay freeze mean no step increases, or no grade increases without a promotion, or what? The media hasn't put many details out yet.
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Nov 29, 2010 18:40
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grover posted:Obama just announced a 2-year federal civilian employee pay freeze Just to be certain, this doesn't include stuff like automatic promotions to the next GS grade, right?
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Nov 29, 2010 18:41
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That's exactly what it means. It applies to the entire Executive Branch, including DoD civilians but not the military.
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Nov 29, 2010 18:42
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Just to be certain, this doesn't include stuff like automatic promotions to the next GS grade, right? This needs to be approved by congress before it becomes law, but congress will have a hard time politically if they push back on this
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Nov 29, 2010 18:47
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