Hello I have a question not sure if you can answer but I am applying for the position you are in. The position is in Dallas TX and I really want my chances to be atleast considered. Is there any advice on my resume or are you allowed to view my resume? I know I have to fill out the questions I just do not want something in my resume to hold my chances of getting tossed because of qualifications!

Natalia

I have called around at the base but no one can provide me with any information about the job or who is actually making the hiring decision. I have two other job offers right now that I am considering but would really prefer this position due to job security and benefits.

My questions: Is there any chance I am still under consideration for this position? Why is it so difficult to find out the status of this position after the job announcement has closed?

Needless to say, I am very frustrated with the whole process. Any information anyone can provide would be appreciated.

[...] Money:How to Get a Job with the Federal Government 23 ways for teens to make money and maybe adults [...]

A LOT OF APPLICANTS apply that shouldn’t be applying because usually the area of consideration is limited to only current federal employees or only certain status candidates such as veterans, for instance. We don’t toss the apps, we have to keep them for 3 years, but we do not consider them or forward them to management because they are outside of the area of consideration. It all goes back to fairness. Someone may have seen that announcement and not applied because they realized they were outside the area of consideration. To now forward someone that read the same announcement but applied anyway would not be fair to that person that followed the rules. It really depends on the announcement but I would say at least 25-50% of applicants who apply do not usually fall within the area of considerations on jobs I post. However the jobs that I work with typically do not have a wide area of consideration (they do not need a wide area, most of the time a current federal employee or a former military will have the experience they are looking for, so narrowing the field speeds up recruitment for them, which is already a long and arduous process). There are jobs out there that consider all US citizens. If you otherwise do not fall into a status category, you should be applying under those announcements.

The federal government gets sued all the time in relation to jobs and HR issues. Yes it is VERY strict and stringent as the consequences of HR not following the rules can be extreme (retroactive hiring and backpay, even if the job is no longer funded or existent even).

Bottom line is that a lot of effort is put into a federal job announcement. Every word is chosen carefully for a reason. If we ask you to include something or mention something in your application, it is for a very specific reason. To not follow our direction on the announcement could lead to your losing consideration for a position.

In re: to point 1, how many of the applicants do you find do not belong applying? Do you just toss those apps?

And for point 2, very good information. I didn’t realize it was THAT stringent. But I guess it makes some sense? They probably don’t want to get into judgment calls and put themselves at risk of lawsuit.

Thanks for the insight!

MLR

1) look at the area of consideration for the job and make sure you are in the area of consideration. This means “the pool of candidates we are looking at for the job”. If you are not in the area of consideration, don’t even bother applying.

2) Your application must must must must must be complete. Include ALL of the information we ask of you. Yes we will read ALL of it and your WHOLE resume, much to our dismay. (we are legally required to). However, we will not forward your resume on to a manager unless we can verify that you are eligible and qualified for employment. This means that if you are in the area of consideration, such as you are applying as a candidate under the VEOA (Veterans Employment Act) you must make sure you at least give us the dates of your military service or the medals earned to show us you are entitled to veterans preference. If a DD214 is requested to prove your eligibility, you have to include it. Same with things like, including the # of hours per week that you worked at each job. We do not assume every gig is full time. If you don’t include hours, we cannot consider that experience. Also we need to know at least roughly what dates you worked at each job to see how many years of experience you have at each job. Bottom line, be COMPLETE and include ALL information. If you don’t we easily can toss out your application as incomplete for something as little as leaving out some dates. It happens all the time, don’t let it happen to you.

Roger’s last blog post..Charity Spotlight: Operation Smile

What departments, just out of curiosity? Obviously different sectors have different demand.

As far as filling out the info each time, does’t USA jobs allow you to create an online profile w/ resume to make submitting applications easier?