USAjobs shenanigans

[Tacit Blue]

I applied twice for the position of Computer Technician annoucement. The first being cancelled, then re-openend ( within days of each other) I was given a email to reapply. So I did then I was finally marked as " incomplete" status. I'm sure "Bob" was given priority for this position it was a job on base with a computer library.

Has anyone ever obtained actual employment from this site? I re-rechecked all my supporting doucments and I re-read the announcement and can't understand why I was given a " incomplete status". Ha.

[Barbell909]

Applied over 100 jobs and no luck from that website. I have applied few jobs from local city and county official website and got myself a job afterwards.

[DougJ]

Preselection is not legal.

It's also the norm. Easy to tweak the job announcement to fit the guy you want, and when a better candidate gets through the initial selection you close the announcement before the end date, discard the packets you have then re-announce.

[ir0nclash86]

Yup I applied through there and work at the VA now. Everything has to be perfect or else they'll disqualify you or mark as in incomplete I believe. I know when I applied it gave explicit instructions and if it wasn't followed to the T they wouldn't even bother. It functions like any other job too I believe. They could have someone In mind already but they gotta post the job as a formality to say it's open even though it's essentially already guaranteed to someone else.

[kevman0154]

There is a real trick to getting jobs from there. Most of the time the postings have dates, if they are short, that mostly means they already have someone in mind internally. Aside from that, the main thing is to get your resume seen by a human. So what you need to do is answer all the questions as you are an expert in every field. this will get you past the electronic screening process and send your resume to a human. After that you need to play to your strengths.

I currently am enlisted in the Army, but i have sat on a number of Hiring boards and interviews for job positions in my shop. USAjobs is a pain but it can be very lucrative if you get in.

[tnlrat37]

All said above is true. What I tell people trying to get gov jobs is basically write your resume to where every qualification they have you have done in one way or another. Pretty much copy their posting and insert your experiences doing exactly those things. That way when some HR person who barely knows anything about the actual job sees it you look like the perfect candidate. They see 100’s-1000’s of apps and if it doesn’t look like your near perfect for the job it gets tossed. My HR told me there was over 1000 apps for my 1 job and they only interviewed 10 based on experience and qualifications.

With many of these job search websites It also helps to find the job then go directly to the city, county, federal website and find the posting there to apply so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.

Also check Indeed.com and setup email alerts for specific job titles and locations. Good luck.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

I have attended seminars, studied and prepped for a promotional interview, nailed it, and discovered later that the candidate was pre-selected and the whole “selection process” was just theater for civil service compliance rules. An infuriating waste of my time and I am glad they have changed the process in my organization to stop that shammery.

[code_blue]

Originally Posted by Bobby Ricigliano

I have attended seminars, studied and prepped for a promotional interview, nailed it, and discovered later that the candidate was pre-selected and the whole “selection process” was just theater for civil service compliance rules. An infuriating waste of my time and I am glad they have changed the process in my organization to stop that shammery.

This is correct. I can attest that agencies are mandated to post a job publicly before filling the positions. Many times a candidate has already been decided.

You have to get your foot in the door via other means first. Agencies will almost always hire from internal pools before external.

[GlockN'Roll]

Originally Posted by Bobby Ricigliano

I have attended seminars, studied and prepped for a promotional interview, nailed it,

and discovered later that the candidate was pre-selected and the whole “selection process” was just theater for civil service compliance rules.

An infuriating waste of my time and I am glad they have changed the process in my organization to stop that shammery.

This is the norm in the CA state hiring process.

Sat on many hiring committees that had already selected a candidate before any of the interviews had even been held.

Recommendations of the committees were often completely ignored at the next level.

Where an option, they would often conduct phone interviews to make the sham less inconvenient for everyone involved...

[kevman0154]

Originally Posted by anbu_yoshi

This is correct. I can attest that agencies are mandated to post a job publicly before filling the positions. Many times a candidate has already been decided.

You have to get your foot in the door via other means first. Agencies will almost always hire from internal pools before external.

That's why you have to look at how long the job posting is open for. If it is a short window that means, most likly the job is going to be given to an internal hire. You really need to just blank apply to hundreds of jobs on USAjobs. Also it might help to have 3-4 different resumes on there that very in verbiage. I can tell you now, theres alot of jobs open for OCONUS as well as DC. given the state of Affairs, everyone will get hired if they apply to a job in Korea atm. There is a mass exodus of Civilian jobs lol

[dummykid]

most technician jobs are hired internally. When I was working in the China Lake,new announcements were posted on USAJobs, but we gave high priorities to family members/friends, coworkers already in pay-grade system, then veterans etcs.

[sbo80]

when I was job hunting I saw some hilarious postings. Job requirements that were written with ridiculous, very specific qualifications and requisites that could only possibly describe a single person. Like they plagiarized a resume they already got. It couldn't have been more obvious if they had included his address. "must live at 123 main street"...

[Ubermcoupe]

I've been referred several times as "of the most qualified," but never selected.

[code_blue]

Originally Posted by sbo80

when I was job hunting I saw some hilarious postings. Job requirements that were written with ridiculous, very specific qualifications and requisites that could only possibly describe a single person. Like they plagiarized a resume they already got. It couldn't have been more obvious if they had included his address. "must live at 123 main street"...

This is also exactly how government contracts are written at the GSA level. PWS's mimic existing SOP's guarantying (basically) that only the previous contract winner will obtain it. Unless the other bidders got a hold of the SOP and mimicked or improved upon it while costing the government considerably less, they have no chance.

[DevilDawgJJ]

VRA is the way to go. Ask me how I know?

Sometimes I just submit to see if I get referred. Had to turn down a couple over the years. Overseas would be nice, but I'm not talking a GS13 supervisorial position.

[Barbell909]

I once got best qualified with veteran preference plus CPS (disabled veteran point status) and never got any call.

[StuckInTheP.R.O.Ca]

Originally Posted by Barbell909

I once got best qualified with veteran preference plus CPS (disabled veteran point status) and never got any call.

I once BQ'ed for a LEO position at Channel Islands NP. One of the experience requirements was open water SAR and boat operations. I had no experience in those specific areas but still some how BQ'ed . I did however meet all their other requirements. I never got an interview but I'm still wondering about that one.

[Barbell909]

Only job offer I ever got from USAjobs was from Border Patrol, but their hiring process takes like 2 to 3 years. So I applied to local Sheriff’s Office and got hired in few months and been working for them ever since.

[Minsky moment]

Gave up on that websites several years ago.

Had excellent results applying/testing directly with Federal agencies flying vacancies on their own websites, received multiple offers over the course of a year.

YMMV

[Barbell909]

Noticed most federal job official website sends user to USAjob website thou.
I gave up anyways, went with local city and county job.

[gilbert619]

1. If anyone that has applied on USAjob, tells you they didn't stretch the truth on there is a lair.

2. Veteran/Disability 10 point vets get preference, which most guys applying are, regardless of the qualifications.

3. The algorithm on USAjobs kicks the majority of people out ( key words needed), then the HR rep see it and just looks for the key words too. After that it goes the actual department you applied for, they will select from the small percentage that made it on there desk.

4. Chances are they already had candid selected WAY before the job opening. Almost all jobs here, just shift to the right. One leaves and person underneath moves up, reason people retire from federal with 900 years.

[dummykid]

Originally Posted by gilbert619

1. If anyone that has applied on USAjob, tells you they didn't stretch the truth on there is a lair.

2. Veteran/Disability 10 point vets get preference, which most guys applying are, regardless of the qualifications.

3. The algorithm on USAjobs kicks the majority of people out ( key words needed), then the HR rep see it and just looks for the key words too. After that it goes the actual department you applied for, they will select from the small percentage that made it on there desk.

4. Chances are they already had candid selected WAY before the job opening. Almost all jobs here, just shift to the right. One leaves and person underneath moves up, reason people retire from federal with 900 years.

so true. there was one time I asked my supervisor how he selected the people. He told me HR searched keyword, then forwarded selected resumes to him. most high GS paybands, the candidate had already been selected, such as GS-12 and GS-13 positions. each department only had 2-3 GS-12 and GS-13 position, so every Gs-11 was fighting for it.

once you are in the system, you can go anywhere you want. lol..

[PyroFox79]

I think most people know USAjobs is a joke. Somehow Navfac would rather hire two young kids who never served and have no technical experience for an HVAC job instead of a Vet who has experience in the field. It's been proven that most of those jobs are filled ling before they get posted. It's government anyway why would you want to work for them?

[d.f.anonymous]

It’s because they fill the positions usually internally. That’s how lost GS jobs work. It’s always about who you know.
To the OP, go on pog j—-I mean MOS jobs...google it. A lot of DOD/DOS contract work. Best way to network while getting $money.
Hell you might even just want to stay doing contracting for awhile. Make sure your resume and all your mil certs are squared away as well as the ol dd214 are on stand by.

[Beagle]

Originally Posted by Tacit Blue

Has anyone ever obtained actual employment from this site? I re-rechecked all my supporting doucments and I re-read the announcement and can't understand why I was given a " incomplete status". Ha.

Yeah usajobs is where the vast majority of agencies hire from. The key is to use a rifle/shotgun approach.

First you narrow down realistically to the type of jobs you qualify for. Set up an email alert.

Second you apply to all those jobs and move on.

With a minimum of a 4yr college degree or military service you qualify for a GS/GL 5 position.

Also personally when I was applying I only apply to jobs that have many vacancies. Cause if you are applying jobs with 1 vacancy then it's possible someone else is more qualified.

Homeland Security is hiring a lot of Border Patrol agents and those pay 6 figures after 5 years on the job.