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TheMadMilkman posted:IRS Goon here. Go ahead and add me to the OP.  There is actually a surprisingly high ratio of us in the IRS.
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Jul 18, 2010 04:24
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fivetwo posted:IRS Criminal Investigation Division (Special Agent) There was a job posting for this the year I was hired, and I think there was a VERY brief posting last year. It almost always tends to fill up internally before being posted to USAJOBS.
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Jul 18, 2010 06:31
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prussian advisor posted:So can you tell me/us about what your job is and how you got it? Are you IRS CID? I really, really want to work for the IRS. Well, i'm pretty low on the pay band so I can only tell you very basic stuff. I'm a GS-5 Tax examiner, which means I set at a desk for 10 hours a day (i'm on a 4/10 schedule) and try and puzzle out your bullshit. I am not CID. Those jobs are really, really hard to get, and to qualify you need a lot more education/law enforcement background than I have. (Or a lot of experience within the IRS) The majority of IRS gigs are a lot like the job I do, just one cog in a many-geared machine. Your tax documents pass through a bunch of hands, of which I am only one, until they are ultimately stored in a dark climate-controlled cave. Essentially my job is trying to figure out what the person who filed the form was TRYING to do, and then (depending on the form) either decide if they qualify for whatever it is they were trying to do, or send it on to somebody who can decide that. I make a lot of editing marks all over the form to make it "easier" for the data entry people to read and that is basically my whole job. It's incredibly boring, but also very easy. The IRS is FILLED with jobs just like that, people who perform a specific task and then pass the form down the line to the next guy. Everyone who starts at the IRS has this vision of sitting at a desk with a massive adding machine from the 1700s and working on a single form for each taxpayer with some kind of encyclopedic knowledge of tax laws and regulations. In reality, it's much more of an assembly line process, with each team only handling specific items, and handling them over and over and over, thousands of times a day. Whatever boring scenario you imagine, trust me it's worse. The IRS is a giant lumbering beast of an agency, and generally speaking, one side of it has absolutely no idea what the other side is doing, and they like it that way. This isn't true of everything. If you have a law degree or accountant degree you might be able to slide into one of the more esoteric gigs, like CI or Innocent Spouse or something, where you deal with cases rather than forms. Those are the fun gigs, but they're also harder to get, and are generally at the top of, or above the GS pay grade. More than anything, the IRS prefers to hire from within, and there are all kinds of roadblocks and requirements in place to make sure that happens rather than hire from USAJOBS. Not to say that they DON'T hire from outside, they do, but generally only for either entry level stuff (clerks and such) or for specific jobs that require certain degrees or certifications that they can't fill internally for whatever reason. But those jobs generally pay better in the private sector so they have a difficult time filling them. (or at least they used to. I don't know anymore with the economy as bad as it is). I think it's important to mention that at least for the IRS, the time between applying for a job and actually starting the job can be MONTHS. I think it was something like 4 months before I even heard anything, and 5 months before I actually started. I had actually given up and was working a another gig when they called me. This is the second time i've worked for the IRS and I was sort of expecting it, but even so I had just assumed my application had gotten lost somewhere. (I think the first time around, they called me back within a couple months) If you want a clerk gig at the GS-3, GS-4 level, then you can get one. It will pay in the 10-13 dollar an hour range, and you may or may not qualify for benefits depending on the job. These are EASY to get, and you just have to monitor usajobs for openings. Generally around November to February is when they start kicking it into high gear and posting openings, but some places have postings year-round. You don't need any special education or experience, and as long as you aren't a felon you don't need to worry about your background check (hell, I think you might be able to get a clerk gig even if you were a felon). You DO have to worry about being audited on your taxes, because you will be. In fact, the chance of you getting audited every single year you work for the IRS is very high. If you failed to pay your taxes one year or didn't report something that they catch, you will be required to pay it before you can start. If you purposely cheated on your taxes, you will not only be refused a job but they will probably kick it up to CI and then your life becomes audit hell. If you happen to live in or near Andover, good news! This ridiculous new building will probably be needing people soon. Digital Prophet fucked around with this message at 15:01 on Jul 18, 2010 |
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Jul 18, 2010 14:58
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Also interested to know about this. Does it basically boil down to: knowing someone on the inside of whatever organization who would go to bat for you, who also has some pull with management/HR? I can't speak for other agencies, but as far as I know, knowing somebody in HR at the IRS doesn't help you in any way, other than maybe you get a heads up when something is about to post, so you can get a jump on applying for it, or maybe they double check to make sure all your forms are in order for your application. The actual decision process as to who gets the job is all very systematic and point-based on specific criteria, and being friends with somebody never enters into it. Edit: Jobs above the GS level have an extensive interview process and usually (again as far as I know) the decision process comes down to a panel of people, usually supervisors and your potential immediate boss. I suppose at that point knowing somebody might give you an edge. Having Non-Competitive eligibility means that you can apply for internal jobs that people WITHOUT NCE can't even apply for, and I think it gets you ahead of anyone off the street for jobs that they can apply for. (Though i'm not 100% sure on that last one) Digital Prophet fucked around with this message at 18:19 on Jul 18, 2010 |
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Jul 18, 2010 18:17
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prussian advisor posted:Are these entry level paths for people with law or accountancy degrees? Do you know folks in these roles who got into them from out of law school? I'll be graduating law school relatively soon, but the IRS hires few attorneys from straight out of school and I'm looking for alternative ways to get hired so I can (hopefully) move internally into an attorney position later. I imagine that's a much more reasonable path, since everyone I've talked to (including you) has emphasized the IRS's preference for doing internal hiring. I wish I could tell you but I don't know, really. I know one guy who is now in CI, and he had previous law enforcement administrative experience. He worked with me a while as a TE because there weren't any CI openings, and then as soon as one popped up he applied and got in (note that it was actually several months before he "got in.") From what I understand, most of the really good jobs go up on the internal board for a while before they hit USAJOBS and they usually fill up before they get that far. So yes, applying from within is better. On the other hand, applying from within means that you're up against people who have been working there for a bunch of years and the IRS is really, really big on promoting people who have the years in. On a completely unrelated note, the IRS is apparently doing away with their internal hiring database and everything will be going to USAJOBS sometime (supposedly) in September. The only difference between internal postings and external postings at that point I guess will be the single check mark for "non competitive." None of us believe it will really happen when they say it will. Generally it takes them a LOONG time to actually implement a big change like that. They still have some stuff posted on Career Connector, and that was supposed to be phased out like two years ago.
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Jul 18, 2010 22:45
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Sirotan posted:From what I've heard for some jobs you won't even be considered unless you have a score of 95 or above. You want to put the highest (best) response for every question you can if possible. Just remember you can take experiences from school, clubs, social activities, hobbies, etc to answer the questions. Years ago when I applied for the first time for an IRS gig, I answered these questions as honestly as possible, thinking there might be some kind of aptitude test or something later on. Nope. What actually happens is that the hiring list is made from the top X applicants, where X is how many positions they need to fill. Then your self-evaluation proficiency scores are used to create your initial ranking score. Then they never ever look at those ever again. Most of the people I initially trained with and started working with just answered the maximum (5) for each answer. Most of them didn't bother reading the questions. Since then i've learned this is standard operating procedure. You would think that 40 people all applying for a job with 100% self evals would raise some kind of flag, but you would be wrong.
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Aug 4, 2010 01:34
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Gravel Gravy posted:And here I was being honest on those things. Silly me. You and me both. Admittedly, this was for a GS3 clerk gig. Maybe they didn't care. But other employees i've talked to told me that's what everyone does. A lot of them laughed when I told them I filled it out honestly, and I got the  "sigh, noobs" look.
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Aug 4, 2010 01:45
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Siegfried posted:Can you give some advice on how to get on board with the IRS? I've done tax preparation for 5 years (individual & entity). Am eligible for the CPA (failed first try on a section) I've tried applying a couple of times but no luck so far. What are you applying for? Anyone can get a GS 4 or lower gig with the IRS at any time (assuming they are hiring) unless you have bad tax history (even then you probably still can). Your credentials actually wouldn't even help you get a GS 4 or lower job because they won't look at them, they don't care at that level. If you are applying for a GS 5 or higher GS job, and you don't already work for them or another federal agency, and you aren't a veteran or a disabled person, then you will need to push your experience like crazy, though it probably won't help. It seems like education is weighted a little higher than experience, but neither one of them makes a difference if you are applying against people who already work for the IRS. If you are applying for a Non GS position, (IR senior executive or whatever) then your experience will be more important (assuming you are applying for a position that will utilize it) but again, if you are applying against people who already work there, you likely won't get the job, even if you are imminently more qualified. Also for the IR band, they will require a lot more education and or experience. Honestly you should quit thinking of it like you're applying for a normal job because you aren't. Chances are your application is going through a process where no one is even looking at your resume, they're only looking at your self-eval scores and your previous federal experience, if any. Then they throw out everyone who has a self-eval score of less than 95%. Then they're putting your application on the "Pile of people who do not work for the IRS currently" and then they're filling the quota with the other pile. If any openings are left, they pull from your pile, and it's probably alphabetical by last name rather than anything that makes sense (like previous experience). You basically just have to keep applying for everything that falls within a pay scale you can make your rent or mortgage with, and hope that there are enough openings that you slide in.* After that you start working your way up internally until you arrive at the job you originally should have gotten. *I don't actually know if this is the process, but it sure seems like it. Edit: Once you get to the interview process (if the job you are applying for requires an interview) THEN your experience WILL be important. Digital Prophet fucked around with this message at 13:03 on Aug 15, 2010 |
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Aug 15, 2010 12:59
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gmilo posted:Do you know if it is like this at the SEC and other finance/accounting heavy organizations? I plan on having my CPA shortly and reading this thread is kind of depressing. It seems like if you aren't already a federal employee its the biggest crapshoot in the world even if you fit the bill for the job. I can only speak for the IRS, and even then not in any official capacity. I have never been involved in the hiring process, anything I say is just based on talking to the people I work with, and going through the same application process a bunch of times. (because like a retard I keep leaving when something "better" somewhere in the private sector opens up, only to be laid off a year later) So please don't be discouraged! Like I said, just keep applying. Apply for EVERYTHING you are even SORT OF qualified for. Most of the time, you will be surprised at how much the actual job and the job description on USAJOBS differ, because they put the broadest possible terms on USAJOBS. "They might have to use the phone a couple times for this job.. better put Office Automation Specialist on there." Also, you will get training if you are coming in from the outside, so apply for jobs you think you might like to do, even if you don't have the experience. Edit: It used to be a lot easier to get a gig at the IRS, but recent forays by the private sector into government work (thanks Clinton and Bush!) have made it very insular, and it's taught the suits at the top that it's better to have hundreds of seasonal and temp employees and only a few full time perm employees since that is how Haliburton keeps beating their bids and taking their work. This is a complete reversal of what it used to be. Incidentally, Haliburton ended up pulling out of the contract after a year because it wasn't profitable enough, but the lesson has already been learned. Digital Prophet fucked around with this message at 06:04 on Aug 16, 2010 |
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Aug 16, 2010 05:58
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MissFortune posted:I'm seeing a few jobs in USDA up my alley that are GS-5 (require a minimum of six months of graduate school). Is it a completely moot point for me to apply for that level of job given my experience, or do they give you any wiggle room there and possibly give me the time of day? Yes. Apply anyway. Once you get a resume up on USA jobs applying is just a matter of hitting the apply button. There is no reason not to spam that poo poo.
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Aug 17, 2010 00:21
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TLG James posted:So if I'm a Veteran ...I should be fine applying? Yes.
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Sep 10, 2010 03:13
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Corbet posted:I'm sure a lot of you are aware that the IRS is hiring a lot of revenue officers all over the U.S.. I happen to graduate with a bachelors in business at the beginning of December. I have a friend who is a revenue officer but I don't have a clue. I'll ask him what you should expect if I see him. Not to be a downer, but my advice is not to go all crazy town until you have received a definite starting date. Also: Your avatar is goddamn nightmare fuel. Edit: Do you know if you're applying for a field or office position? If you're going to be a field officer, I hope you like the show "Operation Repo." Digital Prophet fucked around with this message at 08:58 on Sep 17, 2010 |
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Sep 17, 2010 08:55
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gmilo posted:I know government agencies are slow but does anybody have a time of reference for the IRS? Notification: After you have taken the self-assessment test, you will LIKELY be notified if you didn't qualify based on your self assessment test. Since the success/failure email seems to be somewhat automated the chances of you getting an email either way are pretty high. If you qualify based on your self assessment test, but you are not selected for the job, you MIGHT be notified. In my experience it's been about 50/50. And the rejection letter they send you might show up in your mail a month or so after the job has already started, depending on how on the ball they are. Time of reference: Possibly months. In the past, it has taken them three or more months to call people to tell them they start. Typically you can be notified anywhere from two weeks to one day before the day you are supposed to report for your first shift. I personally have been called on friday with my first day being the following monday after hearing nothing from them for months.
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Sep 18, 2010 18:44
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Corbet posted:Any update on information from your revenue officer friend? No, sorry, We don't hang out that often outside of work, and I haven't really talked to him much since he got the new job (we're on opposite shifts now). I sent him an email about it. From what i've heard you do indeed want to answer that thing with "ruthless-but-friendly." If you have ever worked collections it's the same test, almost.
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Sep 21, 2010 12:45
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chuchumeister posted:Speaking of, I know veterans get preference but I wonder if they've been out of the service for a while, does the hiring agency assume their technical skills have degraded, maybe even to the point of being ineligible for the position? I found a job that I reasonably think my boyfriend could apply for but he hasn't been on active duty since 2002. He went to college after, and has been managing a bar since so it's not like he's been working in related fields. 8 years is a long time... I work with a retired gunnery sergeant who hasn't served in 40 years or something, so I don't think there is a cut off date. Like Pompous Rhombus said, I don't think it has anything to do with their assumed technical skills. They still have to qualify for the basic job they're applying for, its just that the veterans preference gives them additional points that might put them ahead of other people who also qualified. If your boyfriend was honorably discharged, he still should qualify for those extra points, regardless of when it was.
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Oct 16, 2010 22:19
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amethystbliss posted:Just registered on USAJOBS this morning and am a bit overwhelmed. I'm living overseas to get my masters degree and will graduate/move back to the States in June/July. Should I apply for jobs with closing dates around June or July of 2011? Or since the process can take longer, should I apply for jobs with earlier closing dates? I'm surprised to see closing dates that are a year from now- are these rolling applications or will they seriously not even look at them for a whole year? Apply for everything. At worst if you aren't back in time to start a job you end up getting, you tell them you made a mistake and won't be back until X time. They may just let you show up then if its not crazy. At best you'll get back at exactly the right time after its taken them months to finally call you. Your husband and family shouldn't be an issue, but I don't know for sure. It also probably depends on what level of security clearance your profession requires. At higher levels I am willing to bet it does matter, even if they don't tell you that.
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Oct 17, 2010 14:24
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amethystbliss posted:Great, thanks for this. Should I write down that I can't start until July 2011 or should I pretend I can start immediately so they don't just ignore my application? Honestly, I'm willing to drop my masters for a well paying job right now but I don't know how well that would go over. Also, I'm assuming I should answer all of the questions on the assessment questionnaire honestly? I've had loads of academic experience in the jobs I'm applying for, plus a few internships but no independent experience. For example, the questions all ask me to choose from these options: Yeah we bitched about this earlier in the thread. Basically my position is that I answered honestly the first time I had to do one of those, and then later found out that almost all of the people I worked with didn't even bother reading the questions, they just slammed in the highest score possible. Most of them ended up with 100% scores. They told me that's SOP. Your mileage my very. If it was me I would answer E if you think you could even sort of justify it somehow, either from previous experience or knowledge, however tenuous. I can only speak for an unnamed government institution for which I work that may or may not deal with taxes**, but they don't think they even look at your application if its less than 90%. **we were told recently that we're not allowed to tell anyone who we work for.
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Oct 18, 2010 14:54
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Corbet posted:What kind of answers is the IRS is looking for with these types of questions? They want you to be as self sufficient as possible, because once management gets involved the paperwork starts piling up and nobody wants that. However, they also want management to have final say on anything important. The answer is 4, but I bet 1 also earns you a few (less) points.
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Dec 7, 2010 11:10
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