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Thesaurus posted:Does "Promotion Potential: 12" for a GS-7 imply that there is a ladder of 7/9/11/12? Yes
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Apr 21, 2015 15:41
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Snipee posted:Does anyone have any advice for someone graduating in 2 months with a BA in Global Studies from UCLA? I'm pretty horrified with my jobs right now. I will also get a minor in East Asian Studies, have 2 years of Mandarin + written Chinese in a classroom setting, and studied abroad in Shanghai if that matters. I have spammed a number of the USAJOBS job applications, but I feel like I must be doing something wrong. I and others have said many times in this thread to apply to every job you think you might be interested in. Once you hit submit, forget you ever applied & go on with your life. Federal hiring is so hosed, you will get emails and calls that contradict each other. I recently heard that 60% of all hirings are current employees from internal or other agencies. For the other 40%, you're competing with veterans. That's why getting hired is a miracle.
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Apr 22, 2015 01:28
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Goons, I am interested in applying for a very interesting position with the government that would require a top secret clearance. The application process seems a bit unusual in that it asks me to send some required information, which includes work experience including job titles and salaries via email (no online application form). Is providing prior salaries standard fare for certain government positions? Would not providing salaries (and they are explicitly requested) be a basis for instant rejection? How would I even accurately provide that, considering my salary has changed pretty radically over my last few positions within my current company, or can I just give a rough number?
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Apr 22, 2015 01:47
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Unponderable posted:Goons, I am interested in applying for a very interesting position with the government that would require a top secret clearance. The application process seems a bit unusual in that it asks me to send some required information, which includes work experience including job titles and salaries via email (no online application form). Is providing prior salaries standard fare for certain government positions? Would not providing salaries (and they are explicitly requested) be a basis for instant rejection? How would I even accurately provide that, considering my salary has changed pretty radically over my last few positions within my current company, or can I just give a rough number? Including salary is pretty standard for a federal resume. Can't speak as to whether it would mean an instant rejection, but with all the weird unknowns that come along with the TS/SCI clearance process, I wouldn't want to create any more bumps in the road than necessary.
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Apr 22, 2015 03:18
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And an estimate ought to be good enough; just be prepared to explain it to the interviewer. (IIRC, the form didn't let you put in a range?)
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Apr 22, 2015 13:02
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Evil SpongeBob posted:I and others have said many times in this thread to apply to every job you think you might be interested in. Once you hit submit, forget you ever applied & go on with your life. Federal hiring is so hosed, you will get emails and calls that contradict each other. I recently heard that 60% of all hirings are current employees from internal or other agencies. For the other 40%, you're competing with veterans. Hey don't forget the small percentage of contractors who get goaded into applying. Its usually the other way around but goddamnit they took my awesome supervisor and I am bitter and angry about it.
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Apr 22, 2015 13:28
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I'm happy to have just become one of the 60% agency to agency hires  . Federal career has gone from zero to two agencies in less than a year...
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Apr 22, 2015 15:43
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Evil SpongeBob posted:Federal hiring is so hosed As a contractor, I have applied for openings at my facility that are exactly what I do, except they are federal employees. I didn't make it through the first cut, FOR A JOB I ALREADY DO, nor did any of the other contractors. You know who did? 37 veterans. All but one of them washed out of the process and the one who made it all the way through turned down the position. The listing was for 17 spots that needed to be filled. Total number of spots filled since October, zero. The hiring manager at the facility willingly admits the system is completely broken but is apparently helpless in the face of OPM. They want to relaunch the vacancy announcement next month, as if doing it again will solve the problems they had the first time.
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Apr 22, 2015 22:47
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Slig posted:As a contractor, I have applied for openings at my facility that are exactly what I do, except they are federal employees. I didn't make it through the first cut, FOR A JOB I ALREADY DO, nor did any of the other contractors. You know who did? 37 veterans. All but one of them washed out of the process and the one who made it all the way through turned down the position. The listing was for 17 spots that needed to be filled. Total number of spots filled since October, zero. The hiring manager at the facility willingly admits the system is completely broken but is apparently helpless in the face of OPM. They want to relaunch the vacancy announcement next month, as if doing it again will solve the problems they had the first time. fed.txt
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Apr 23, 2015 01:05
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Slig posted:As a contractor, I have applied for openings at my facility that are exactly what I do, except they are federal employees. I didn't make it through the first cut, FOR A JOB I ALREADY DO, nor did any of the other contractors. You know who did? 37 veterans. All but one of them washed out of the process and the one who made it all the way through turned down the position. The listing was for 17 spots that needed to be filled. Total number of spots filled since October, zero. The hiring manager at the facility willingly admits the system is completely broken but is apparently helpless in the face of OPM. They want to relaunch the vacancy announcement next month, as if doing it again will solve the problems they had the first time. And executive I work for came into a meeting with us incredibly upset because they had a contract hire assistant who did a great job and they wanted to bring her in full time, so they created the position and told her to apply and he was basically blocked from hiring anyone other than a veteran. So I toss my application at some fed listing with people I work with, doing the exact job I do, basically, on the off-chance that veterans all slept in on some tiny open application window so that I have a shot of someone seeing my resume who actually works in the same zip code as the job location.
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Apr 23, 2015 05:34
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It's pretty crazy. At my current agency, about 40 of us were hired at the same time. Eight were Peace Corps (who have one year of non-competitive hiring eligibility after finishing), 30 were vets, one was a wife of a disabled vet, and one was part of some sort of Pathways College hiring program. So yeah, it's nuts. Join the Peace Corps or Americorps Vista I guess? And how long has federal hiring been like this? Most of the older employees here are NOT veterans and were hired "off the street" as they say. In like 10 years is every federal employee going to be a veteran, with a smattering of other special hiring authorities?
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Apr 23, 2015 14:28
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The bulk of this is being driven by Feds Hire Vets and the winding down of the wars moving a lot of active-duty folks out of the military. There's several structural reasons that the federal sector is appealing to vets, and it's not just preference and VSIP and VRA and the ability to buy back your military time to have it count towards your retirement. Admin leave for VA appointments, depending on the agency and CBA, and USERRA protections. If you are a disabled vet, accommodations for any disabilities you might have and effective immunity to RIFs. There's also cultural reasons and being surrounded by the familiar, e.g. Marines mustering out and going to work for the Marine Corps as a civilian, or vets going to work for the VA. Then there's the fact that the hiring freezes mean that, functionally, the only way you can get on with some agencies is if you are hired through a special authority. I'd estimate about 40 to 45% of AFGE's membership is veterans, and I'd hazard a guess that the veteran hiring will start to taper off in the next couple years as the last group of OIF/OEF vets leave the service.
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Apr 23, 2015 21:02
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Full disclosure. I am a 5 point veteran. You can pass up veterans for non veterans. The issue is for entry level GS jobs, the criteria is usually not specialized experience, but rather just general work experience. That's why so many vets make the cert list for entry level.
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Apr 23, 2015 21:12
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Evil SpongeBob posted:Full disclosure. I am a 5 point veteran. You can pass them but you can't control the cert list. You literally have to send it back for being only veterans which is ironically anti-vet bias.
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Apr 24, 2015 04:46
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As I understand it, veterans do not automatically go to the top of internal candidates, either--so assuming you do make it in, you are more evenly matched. At least, if our learn-about-hiring meeting explained it to me properly. My incoming group of immigration officers was seven veterans, two TSA, one Border Patrol, one Peace Corps, and the rest lawyers, other than lil' ol' overqualified me. No complaints, but it might not hurt to qualify for at least a couple GSs above the level you want to start at if you have no military/government background. Also I am mad because I have a good response to earlier posts typed up across town but that has to wait.
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Apr 25, 2015 01:41
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Quarex posted:As I understand it, veterans do not automatically go to the top of internal candidates, either--so assuming you do make it in, you are more evenly matched. At least, if our learn-about-hiring meeting explained it to me properly. Eh, at this point I just apply because it takes literal months to hear back and hey who knows I might be interested in months. Also the fun experience of receiving the same rejection 5 times in a row, then again every week for months. E: The most criminal thing to me is the internal postings that we get e-mailed about that are excellent opportunities that I'm very qualified for but cannot apply. Just don't even include me on the e-mail, jerks.
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Apr 25, 2015 05:49
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P.D.B. Fishsticks posted:And an estimate ought to be good enough; just be prepared to explain it to the interviewer. (IIRC, the form didn't let you put in a range?) Slig posted:As a contractor, I have applied for openings at my facility that are exactly what I do, except they are federal employees. I didn't make it through the first cut, FOR A JOB I ALREADY DO, nor did any of the other contractors. You know who did? 37 veterans. All but one of them washed out of the process and the one who made it all the way through turned down the position. The listing was for 17 spots that needed to be filled. Total number of spots filled since October, zero. The hiring manager at the facility willingly admits the system is completely broken but is apparently helpless in the face of OPM. They want to relaunch the vacancy announcement next month, as if doing it again will solve the problems they had the first time. MJBuddy posted:E: The most criminal thing to me is the internal postings that we get e-mailed about that are excellent opportunities that I'm very qualified for but cannot apply. Just don't even include me on the e-mail, jerks. 
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Apr 26, 2015 23:07
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Interviewing for Railroad Retirement Board in 2 weeks. I know they're hiring for Roanoke, Baltimore, NYC, Boston, Atlanta, Tampa, Milwaukee, Oakland, and I think one other. Considering putting in for all east coasters since I'm desperate to get back in and my wife is bored with our current digs and can work anywhere. Anyone know a thing about this obscure agency?
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Apr 28, 2015 03:26
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De Nomolos posted:Anyone know a thing about this obscure agency? Social Security and the RRB have a lot in common, as far as I understand. At SSA you have to determine if RRB has jurisdiction and then let them handle claims if they do. Prior to that, I didn't know it existed. I've always imagined their offices as being situated in old brick buildings in busy railyards with an army of clerks with inkwells bent over wood desks, like in the year 1900 or something. Edit: what's everyone's favorite obscure federal agency? Thesaurus fucked around with this message at 17:11 on Apr 28, 2015 |
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Apr 28, 2015 17:07
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Thesaurus posted:Edit: what's everyone's favorite obscure federal agency? National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. They're a part of the DoD that basically look at satellite images of the planet and study them for suspicious activity, like a big and secretive Google Maps for the entire planet.
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Apr 28, 2015 21:46
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Thesaurus posted:Edit: what's everyone's favorite obscure federal agency? Does the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps count? I always liked that the surgeon general was actually in charge of their own little army.
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Apr 29, 2015 14:07
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Sure, why not? Them and the NOAA Commissioned Corps are my favorite examples of "Wait, no, why do you exist, again?", but there are many agencies like that in the Federal government...100 years ago there might have been a *reason* for semi-militarized (I have no idea whether it's accurate to call them civilians or not!) doctors, researchers, marine biologists, etc., namely the Geneva Conventions...But these days? Why do they exist still? (Do they even get deployed within appreciable distance of a combat zone anymore, even?)
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Apr 29, 2015 15:51
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DNDO Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (under DHS). Fewer than 150 employees.
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Apr 29, 2015 19:08
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I'm attempting to get a federal job and have been looking at a few openings on USA Jobs. They want my college transcript. It explicitly states my application will be thrown out if I do not include a transcript. It's been several years since I graduated from college, why is this necessary? Part of me is hoping that a lot of people won't read the novel of fine print on each posting and their applications will get thrown out and mine will be one of the few that gets through, at which point I'll be passed over for not being a veteran.
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Apr 30, 2015 00:24
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It can be an unofficial transcript. I keep mine in a word document to easily attach to apps.
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Apr 30, 2015 00:43
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I already paid the ten bucks to get my university to mail me one, I'll just scan it in and use it for everything.
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Apr 30, 2015 01:34
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Thesaurus posted:Edit: what's everyone's favorite obscure federal agency? I like the Denali Commission because I like to imagine they have a badass fleet of GMC Yukons as GOVs. I like the Armed Forces Retirement Home just for existing. Despite its honorable mission, it probably shouldn't exist. Somehow they've managed to remain an independent agency rather than being absorbed by VA or just being contracted out completely. I love little underdog agencies like this.
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Apr 30, 2015 03:33
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:I'm attempting to get a federal job and have been looking at a few openings on USA Jobs. They want my college transcript. It explicitly states my application will be thrown out if I do not include a transcript. It's been several years since I graduated from college, why is this necessary? Man, if you are questioning the need to supply superfluous information during the application, go ahead and withdraw your application now. You will explode during your orientation.
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Apr 30, 2015 03:50
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Evil SpongeBob posted:Man, if you are questioning the need to supply superfluous information during the application, go ahead and withdraw your application now. You will explode during your orientation. Heed this advice. Example: federal employees who have been with the government for more than a decade can be required to supply official (i.e. direct from the university, not copied) college transcripts when accepting another federal job where they're doing the same job, just at a higher pay grade. Oh the required training that would drive you mad...just back away from USAJOBS and nobody gets hurt.
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Apr 30, 2015 09:36
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Vortex Street posted:Heed this advice. Example: federal employees who have been with the government for more than a decade can be required to supply official (i.e. direct from the university, not copied) college transcripts when accepting another federal job where they're doing the same job, just at a higher pay grade. Or an employee working in a position requiring citizenship and a security clearance can be told they must prove their citizenship 5 or so years into having the job. Why when they had to have that proof when the job started? Why when an SSBI was completed favorably just two months prior? Because Government HR, that is why. I also had to provide my high school transcript or a valid high school diploma last time I was promoted because they didn't have it on file. Er, the records show official transcripts for my bachelors degrees and masters degree, do you think somehow I managed to sneak through the system without a high school diploma? Especially since the original job at a minimum required a bachelors. Especially in the security clearance world be prepared to furnish crazy things at crazy times for crazy reasons. Plus no one talks to anyone else, HR, security, higher levels of HR and security, other agencies... So yeah, you may be 2 days from retirement and asked to prove you passed PE in second grade.
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Apr 30, 2015 19:57
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If you transfer agencies during your first year probationary period, do you just finish out the year at the new agency, or do you have to start the year over again?
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Apr 30, 2015 21:21
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Yeah the fixation on High School in some applications baffles the mind. I spent a legitimate whole day making phone calls and looking through everything from physical file boxes to sarcastic old e-mail archives to try to figure out what I did in High School that counted as something they wanted me to put down. On the plus side, I discovered in the process that the International Thespian Society is an honors society and totally listed it  take that, actual scholastic achieversThesaurus posted:If you transfer agencies during your first year probationary period, do you just finish out the year at the new agency, or do you have to start the year over again? Seamonster posted:Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (under DHS). Fewer than 150 employees.
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May 3, 2015 03:25
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I've seen a lot of postings for Contract Specialist/Contracting Specialist on USAjobs, listed under various agencies (USAF, USN, DCMA, etc). I'm interested in applying and would like any advice on becoming competitive. Although I'm a 5 point veteran, my field was not connected to contracting. I was thinking about taking some DAU-equivalent civilian courses online in the hopes that being closer to DAWIA certification would give me a boost. Before I spend money on a course, does anybody have any input on how useful it'd actually be? Also curious if anybody else has experience applying through USAjobs overseas. I've been applying for positions here in Japan since 2010 (probably 150+ by now) and even with so-called veteran's preference, have never received so much as a phone call...
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May 8, 2015 00:04
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Try applying outside the DoD. You're competing with tons of other veterans for DoD positions. Try applying to random agencies where your veteran status will give you an advantage. All of the agencies do contracting work. GSA is an agency that does a ton of contracting work as well as building management type stuff.
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May 8, 2015 00:20
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Suntory BOSS posted:I've seen a lot of postings for Contract Specialist/Contracting Specialist on USAjobs, listed under various agencies (USAF, USN, DCMA, etc). I'm interested in applying and would like any advice on becoming competitive. I've been recently looking at some Contract Specialist jobs myself. Can you give some more info about yourself? Do you have a bachelor's degree? Your previous field is not connected at all to contracting in any way? I've been seeing a lot of postings for the Department of Energy and Department of Veteran's Affairs. Hell, I even saw one for NASA the other day. Agencies usually have their own regulations but contracting at one agency should still largely be similar with another since they all have the FAR in common. Like laxbro said don't limit yourself to just DoD agencies. Also, the Air Force has a sort of "internship-lite" program called Copper Cap which you might want to look into if you have a degree. If you can try to study up on the FAR in general that would probably help you just as much if not more than taking a few random DAWIA equivalent courses.
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May 8, 2015 02:31
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For what it's worth, I'm not in contracting myself (I'm an 800 series engineer), but I do work for DCMA, and the contracts people our agency hires come from all kinds of experiential backgrounds, sometimes even no work experience, but they mostly seem to have at least a bachelor's related to business as a minimum.
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May 8, 2015 04:53
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For all the contract specialist interested people, for DoD contracts it doesn't matter what your background is but they generally want you to have a bachelors degree in anything and 24 credits of business related classes (Math, computer science, tons of things count as business to them). Used to be this was required, I know that for vets the degree is relaxed for many career fields, but I am not sure for this one as they are really keen on the business credits at least. Sometimes they will let you finish off the business credits within the first year or two of the job if you have a degree but don't quite have enough business to cover that requirement, though. I don't think spending money on DAU equiv courses will help much, and depending on how hard headed the training person is should you get a job somewhere you may just have to take them over again. Contract specialist is often a very in demand position. My friend got hired as one strictly on the basis of his credentials, no interview needed, and they were hiring dozens of people at a time. I would say it is really a matter of having those business credits and then timing. Due to the high turnover of contracts specialists it does tend to be a good place to start a government career, though. So give it a shot, and soon you too can be ignoring phone calls from the program office and telling people that just because the FAR says that something can be done, it doesn't mean you want to take the effort to do it. But I kid my contract specialist friends, really!
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May 8, 2015 14:36
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I'm also looking at the contracts specialist position, specifically the USAF ones seeing as they have positions at bases pretty much everywhere which is handy since my husband is an active duty USAF officer. I have a minor in professional writing plus professional experience writing contracts and proposals and stuff so I think I'd be qualified (STILL waiting on those drat transcripts). Should I get a contracts specialist position that's posted at literally every USAF base in the continental US, how feasible would it be to transfer it around the country? That would be great for me not having to job hunt every 2-3 years with a resume littered with random poo poo that may or may not be relevant to my degree.
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May 9, 2015 02:28
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Yep, the fact that federal contracting positions are seemingly everywhere is a large part of the appeal for me. I do have the basic qualifications of a bachelors, 24+ business related credits, 5 pts veterans preference and some vaguely related experience, but the application process still feels like something of a lottery. I've applied for positions with everybody from the VA to the Indian Health Bureau, so fingers crossed for a jackpot!
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May 10, 2015 02:32
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:I'm also looking at the contracts specialist position, specifically the USAF ones seeing as they have positions at bases pretty much everywhere which is handy since my husband is an active duty USAF officer. I have a minor in professional writing plus professional experience writing contracts and proposals and stuff so I think I'd be qualified (STILL waiting on those drat transcripts). Your husband is active duty? There is a special authority for hiring military spouses that attempts to accommodate the moves that are made by a military family. I believe if you are recognized as under this authority you get special preference for jobs at a new site for a year (maybe two) after the move. I am not a military spouse so that is about all I can say about it, but if your husband contacts the base's civilian HR people I am sure they could provide more info. As to portability of the position, it depends. Everywhere is going to have some sort of contracts person to deal with all the local day to day contracts needs I am sure like you said. Things like facilities, telecon, snow removal, landscaping, etc... But sites that have a program acquisition function will certainly have more slots and are more likely to have slots open on a regular basis facilitating direct transfers.
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May 12, 2015 18:20
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