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So here's a question: Does the DOE clearance have any bearing on helping with getting a DOD clearance? Say if a guy in the DOE gets a Q level clearance (10 years into background) how does that make life easier doing a S or TS clearance?
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Jun 11, 2016 01:55
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Claverjoe posted:So here's a question: Does the DOE clearance have any bearing on helping with getting a DOD clearance? Say if a guy in the DOE gets a Q level clearance (10 years into background) how does that make life easier doing a S or TS clearance? Under most circumstances another Dept. will conduct their own BI.
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Jun 11, 2016 19:13
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spongeworthy posted:Under most circumstances another Dept. will conduct their own BI. Yeah in my experience there is no carryover of clearance, they will do a brand new investigation each time. Not sure if they read the old file or not though
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Jun 14, 2016 13:44
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I've been in a summer internship with a federal government agency for about a month now, and it's been a good experience. One really fun part of the internship is that I've gotten to go on a few field trips in a government vehicle with some employees of the agency. During one field trip, I saw some really cute cats, so I made a video of the cats on my phone! In the video, I can be heard trying to communicate with the cats in cat language by meowing like a cat! I uploaded the video to youtube, and it can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySzvsgyjygs Getting experience with this federal agency has been great, and I feel like I'm very employable now because I've had a diverse array of work experiences and also already have one master's degree and am in the process of completing a second master's degree program. And my parents work for different federal government agencies and it seems to me that U.S. federal government jobs are some of the best jobs around. But I also kinda feel like I want to spend more time in school and/or travel more, so I feel very uncertain about what I'm going to do after finishing the degree program that I'm currently enrolled in. Yeah, I feel very confused and uncertain about life in general. But I hope everyone who reads this post enjoys reading it! And yeah, I must say that my experiences with U.S. federal government work have been super positive!
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Jun 19, 2016 20:59
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Berated Tham posted:And yeah, I must say that my experiences with U.S. federal government work have been super positive! Then again, you talk to cats.
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Jun 19, 2016 21:49
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Berated Tham posted:I've been in a summer internship with a federal government agency for about a month now, and it's been a good experience. One really fun part of the internship is that I've gotten to go on a few field trips in a government vehicle with some employees of the agency. During one field trip, I saw some really cute cats, so I made a video of the cats on my phone! In the video, I can be heard trying to communicate with the cats in cat language by meowing like a cat! I uploaded the video to youtube, and it can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySzvsgyjygs You're going to fit right in
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Jun 20, 2016 22:26
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I am amused that the Kitty Whisperer was banned before I had a chance to say goodbye. So anyway. Has anyone here ever done a hardship transfer? Or tried one? It sounds like it is functionally similar to non-competitive job seeking, but I just wondered if there is the subtle nuance to the process like "nobody actually ever gets a hardship transfer" I am not aware of.
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Jun 25, 2016 17:33
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Hardship transfers happen all the time. I'll use HUD's procedures as an example. You have a spouse in the military and they get PCOS'ed across the country. You request a transfer from the Director of your office, copying your frontline supervisor and your Program Director (if confidentiality is an issue, you can bypass your frontline supervisor). Once you put in for it, the PD investigates to confirm you have a hardship situation. In this case, you'd probably just have to give them a copy of your spouse's orders. Once the PD confirms there is a hardship, no further information is required, though your receiving office might be notified of the nature of your hardship. Within 30 days of the request, management has to respond with whether they agree that you have a hardship and what is being done. If you are found to have a hardship, management will offer a 120 day detail to wherever you are looking to transfer as an interim measure, and will give a final decision within 45 days. If they do not have sufficient permanent space in the office that you are being transferred to, the interim detail will be extended for another 120 days so that alternatives can be pursued, including outstationing/working remotely. If you don't get notification of a final decision within 90 days, the detail will be extended for another 120 days automatically. Hardship transfers will not result in a reduction in grade, but they also don't automatically come with relocation assistance. If management does not think you have a hardship, you can take it directly to mediation. The process looks the same pretty much everywhere else, but the details vary from agency to agency, mostly in terms of the time frames. HUD (and almost everyone else) allows hardships for the following reasons:
Some of these issues are more involved to prove than others. The spousal PCOS is pretty cut-and-dried and probably the most common hardship transfer inside of the DoD. A hardship for harassment or discrimination probably requires a history of grievances or ULPs against a supervisor that isn't being removed. Issues about health or taking care of a family member will probably require documentation from a doctor. All of this only applies to hardship transfers inside of the US. I don't know how transfers to and from overseas complicate the process.
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Jun 25, 2016 18:42
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Dr. Quarex posted:I am amused that the Kitty Whisperer was banned before I had a chance to say goodbye. Is a hardship transfer the same as displaced employee? If so, then I was told (as an NCE candidate) that the only thing that outranks NCE for selection are internally displaced candidates.
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Jun 25, 2016 19:14
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This is something we're looking at right now too, in USCIS. We hope to use my wife's health and her dad's cancer to move halfway across the US.
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Jun 26, 2016 01:57
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Beerdeer posted:This is something we're looking at right now too, in USCIS. We hope to use my wife's health and her dad's cancer to move halfway across the US. If you're in the bargaining unit, make sure to talk to your local union rep if you run into a problem on this one. CIS' hardship reassignment rules are not as strong in the union contract as the example from HUD I used, but there might be past practice or an MOU that I am unaware of that covers it. Good luck!
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Jun 26, 2016 04:44
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Can anyone tell me about working in Fed IT, specifically in Cybersecurity. I'm in a grant management position with the Fed gov't currently, but can't see myself doing this for the next 30 years, and am thinking about doing the NVCC -> GMU cybersecurity degree, but wanted to get some insight from those currently doing cybersecurity stuff with the gov't. Also, is that degree worth it?
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Jun 27, 2016 11:38
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Is there a way to tell what the test dates for the FSOT will be before it opens for registration? I'm living in Japan so I know my test dates will be very limited, and I'm also taking the GRE this Fall so I want to make sure the two don't overlap. Right now on my Pearson VUE account it's just telling me to wait until registration opens (On August 24th) before I can move on. Anywhere I can find exact dates of the older tests in my area?
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Jun 29, 2016 01:36
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Okay well I am a complete knob, but the problem was my version of IE on my work computer doesn't show the little icons on the right side of the boxes 
ixo fucked around with this message at 15:15 on Jul 1, 2016 |
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Jul 1, 2016 14:50
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ixo posted:Am I a complete knob, or is it not possible to edit your work experience on a saved resume? Do I seriously have to build an entire new one just to change the end date on my last job? Unless something has changed recently you should be able to edit. This is a resume builder one?
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Jul 1, 2016 15:07
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ixo posted:
It's great that USAjobs doesn't work on the official web browser of the US government. I've run into the same issue.
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Jul 1, 2016 19:14
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So, realistically, how hard is it to get fired as a career federal employee? The reason I ask is because I found out last week there is some sort of conspiracy against my boss. People up and down the chain are gathering evidence and making statements. Along with this, how good are anti-retaliation regulations? My boss is terrible and is doing illegal things (forging timesheets, using timecodes inappropriately), and they've asked me to type a statement on a situation that happened. My worry is there won't be enough to terminate him, and any statement I make will be easily traced back to me (its a really small office). I'm a newbie still in my probationary period. I'd like to help get my boss terminated, but not at the expense of my career or quality of worklife.
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Jul 2, 2016 04:49
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When you are on any type of probation it's much easier to fire/let you go. At least in the Bureau I work for. Another important question is are you in a union or are you exempt? And then it also comes down to how much decision your boss even has on your employment status.
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Jul 2, 2016 05:53
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I would go ahead and do what's right and make the report but make sure to document everything going forward (even a daily work summary diary would suffice) just in case. Retaliation is highly illegal but also hard to prove without some kind of record.
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Jul 2, 2016 07:13
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sparkmaster posted:So, realistically, how hard is it to get fired as a career federal employee? The reason I ask is because I found out last week there is some sort of conspiracy against my boss. People up and down the chain are gathering evidence and making statements. Forging timesheets is falsification of government documents. If it's erasing overtime, it puts the government on the hook for an FLSA back pay case, so your boss is probably hosed. While anti-retaliation rules do exist, it really does depend on how they get enforced. Even in spots where the union is extremely strong we run into retaliation issues, and it's fair to be concerned about being in your probationary period. If you'd like to discuss your specific situation privately, I'd gladly do so. The documentation suggestion from El Mero Mero is a good one: write when you came in and when you leave in a notebook every day and note any odd happenings that day. Keep the notebook in your car and don't bring it into the office with you. Might also be worth making sure you send some sort of work-related email the very first thing you do every day.
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Jul 2, 2016 13:13
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In my agency, timesheet fraud is one of the fastest ways to lose your job.
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Jul 2, 2016 13:32
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Let me clarify the timesheet issue: my boss has been putting on his timesheets that he is in the office and working when he is not. Like, getting paid for a whole day of work when he's gone for a big chunk of it. Regularly being gone for 2+hrs almost every day. Pretty much everyone hates my boss. My boss pretty much hates everyone. But not me. I'm on his good side so far. I'm not too worried about getting canned. But even I can see he's terrible at his job and in turn that puts more work on me to do my job and his job. Hence why I'd like him gone and someone competent in his place. At the same time, I don't know of a timetable or even if this grand conspiracy is going to bear fruit. Also, there is no Union where I work. sparkmaster fucked around with this message at 16:43 on Jul 2, 2016 |
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Jul 2, 2016 16:41
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Yeah that's a good way to not just get poo poo-canned but prosecuted in federal court for fraud. Even with no union being at your job site, my offer to chat privately about this stands.
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Jul 2, 2016 18:34
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Must Love Dogs posted:Hardship transfers happen all the time. I'll use HUD's procedures as an example. It sounds like my situation will be an interesting one when/if it comes up; I would be looking to move because my spouse had to take a new job. On one hand, there is something in the agreement about how your spouse intentionally leaving her/his current job for a new one does not count as a hardship...but my spouse's job is ending one way or another after next year, so I hope "look, you are the one who made the stupid decision to find a new job" is not seen as the same thing. El Mero Mero posted:Is a hardship transfer the same as displaced employee? If so, then I was told (as an NCE candidate) that the only thing that outranks NCE for selection are internally displaced candidates. Beerdeer posted:This is something we're looking at right now too, in USCIS. We hope to use my wife's health and her dad's cancer to move halfway across the US.
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Jul 5, 2016 20:56
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Lord I hate USAJobs. Didn't get referred to a GS-9/11 because I included my Master's degree transcripts but not my Bachelor's one and therefore didn't meet the minimum qualifications. For some reason I was under the impression only one transcript document could be uploaded. Really kicking myself for that one, it's not often a permanent position in my field pops up in the same city that I live.
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Jul 6, 2016 04:39
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Dr. Quarex posted:Thanks for that, that was very interesting and thorough. Yeah, dual-career is a bit dicier if your spouse isn't a fed or in the military, but if you have kids you've got a good shot. Last thing any boss wants is the union managing to arrange some bad local press about how the agency is breaking up the family of its workers for no good reason. As always, check with your friendly neighborhood union steward if you have any questions or concerns.
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Jul 7, 2016 02:58
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Splish posted:Lord I hate USAJobs. Didn't get referred to a GS-9/11 because I included my Master's degree transcripts but not my Bachelor's one and therefore didn't meet the minimum qualifications. Use the USA Jobs resume builder and literally list everything. Same thing for transcripts - include everything: community college, Bachelors, Masters, some grad school, one graduate course, etc.Never assume that the hiring manager is going to look at your application and assume anything about it - such as holding a Bachelor's but not listing the transcripts, even if it's in something completely unrelated. It sucks to get all of the documentation ready, but for the most part when I apply for things the first section on USA Jobs is just a few mouse clicks and re-uploading a slightly tailored resume.
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Jul 7, 2016 04:09
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Speaking of unions, what are people's opinion of the afge? Worth the dues?
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Jul 7, 2016 07:11
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I think so, they lobby Congress and stuff on our behalf, not sure how much they really get done past master agreements and Local supplementals, but I figure the dues are rather low anyhow.
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Jul 8, 2016 19:04
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May I do a dance of joy briefly? I just got asked in an email: "Will you be interested in an interview at (location) Immigration Court on 7/12/16 or 7/13/16? Please respond to this email today, no later than 7/11/16." My first interview for a Federal job ever. I'm nervous and yet incredibly excited. Hoping beyond hope this goes well. It's 7/8 today, so wow their timeline for a response is short, thank God my parents can drive me to the place instead of me taking the train or AccessLink to the interview. It's for a GS-5 legal assistant position (so 0986 job code thing) with the Executive Office for Immigration Review at DOJ. Questions I can think of right now amidst tons I want to ask those on this thread: 1. I'm already reading up as much as I can about the agency, the position, etc., however there isn't much there to read. The vacancy announcements, as usual, didn't tell me much about what the job entails. Anybody with info, please help. 2. What should I expect they want to know about me? Keep in mind, I applied under Schedule A, so they know I'm disabled. 3. I know GS-5 is entry level. However, I don't even have internship experience under my belt as a paralegal. Is that to be expected with a GS-5, or am I doomed? 4. Is it a terrible thing that I don't know a word of any foreign languages? They never specified that it was required, and obviously they decided to interview me, but. Obviously, anything anyone might have to offer would be great. Like, uh, tips on how to settle my nerves the day of the interview. Not-edited to add: Interview set for 7/12/16 @ 9:30 AM. Here goes.
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Jul 8, 2016 21:02
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Dude, I travel all over the world for my job and I don't speak another language fluently. You're good on that regard. I just wanted to say congrats on landing the interview and good luck, I know you have been looking for quite a while. If possible, do practice interviews with someone. You can find sample interview questions online. Not necessarily relevant to this specific job, but you want to get in the habit of hearing a question about yourself / your background / a time you solved a problem, and answering it in a timely and organized fashion. I would recommend thinking of your answers in a "PAR" format: Problem > Action you took > Result. And don't be afraid to pull in examples from high school clubs or volunteer organizations or whatever, if it's a good answer it's a good answer.
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Jul 8, 2016 21:21
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Yeah, language isn't a necessity. Even places like State and USCIS don't have that many bilingual people. I would certainly suggest learning Spanish though. Both because it'll be a really good skill professionally in the long term, but also because it's increasingly prevalent these days. Also, the language sounds sexy as gently caress. And for the interview, just research as much as possible the court. Has there been a high profile deportation gone out from there recently? Do you know what the local ethnic groups are (Ethiopian v Mexican v Guatemalan v Bosnian etc?) Asking about that sort of thing should help a bunch.
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Jul 8, 2016 22:11
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Rakeris posted:I think so, they lobby Congress and stuff on our behalf, not sure how much they really get done past master agreements and Local supplementals, but I figure the dues are rather low anyhow. We get a decent amount done, some recent major legislative victories include things like getting BOP corrections officers pepper spray and freezing the A76 process in DoD to prevent contracting out. A lot of our bigger wins depend very much on the climate in Congress, which is quite chilly at the moment, but the small COLA raises the past few years are better than nothing and largely the work of AFGE with assists from IAMAW, NTEU, and NAGE. But really, the big stuff to my way of thinking is stuff like the hardship transfer discussion a bit up the thread, or dealing with an abusive or harassing supervisor. That's the kind of thing that changes peoples' lives when they're on the receiving end of it. If folks got AFGE questions, I'd be glad to answer them as best I can.
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Jul 9, 2016 02:03
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Spacewolf posted:May I do a dance of joy briefly? Got my fingers crossed for you, bud. Hope this is the shot that gets you in the door.
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Jul 10, 2016 13:57
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sparkmaster posted:Let me clarify the timesheet issue: my boss has been putting on his timesheets that he is in the office and working when he is not. Like, getting paid for a whole day of work when he's gone for a big chunk of it. Regularly being gone for 2+hrs almost every day. When I was a fed, my team lead told me on day one "There are basically three ways to get fired from this job. Falsify your time card, watch porn on the clock, or falsify travel reimbursements." Of those, the category I have personally witnessed firings over is time card fraud. That take that seriously. He's toast.
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Jul 12, 2016 03:08
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For those curious, my interview went well - after a morning where everything that could go wrong did short of a car accident, so I went in wondering whose black cat I'd pissed off. Very structured, but I got some chance to brag about myself. Unfortunately, at the end of the week everything gets sent off to DC and DC makes the final decision whenever, so...No idea when, or if, I'll hear back. As this thread has taught me, I shall now put the matter out of my mind because I might never hear back on it.
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Jul 13, 2016 00:35
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I'm the process for a Federal job and I saw this on the agency website's job status thing, what does "selected candidate declined location" mean? The posting was for several locations, does that mean someone else had been selected and turned it down because they didn't like the location they were offered and that's how I got to the next step?
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Jul 14, 2016 20:12
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I applied to a job that uses the USA Hire Occupational Judgment Assessment. Apparently these are big in the UK and they call them "Situational Judgment Tests." Took a few small practice tests (that are really designed to sell test prep materials, so most likely intended to produce low scores). They do, however, seem downright random and that has me worried. Has anyone taken these? Are there good rules of thumb to follow? I don't want to slammed because I'm unaware of best practices for a job I haven't done yet. Fat-Lip-Sum-41.mp3 fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Jul 14, 2016 |
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Jul 14, 2016 23:25
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I've been offered a job in a field office where I want to be, so at least I don't need to hardship transfer. Now I just have to find a place to live and get a family of four moved 3 states over in less than a month.
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Jul 21, 2016 03:42
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Beerdeer posted:I've been offered a job in a field office where I want to be, so at least I don't need to hardship transfer. Now I just have to find a place to live and get a family of four moved 3 states over in less than a month.
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Jul 21, 2016 15:08
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