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Qualified disabled veteran applied, wasn't even interviewed
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Department of Interior
The U.S. Department of the Interior protects America’s natural resources and heritage, honors our cultures and tribal communities and supplies the energy to power our future.
The agency employs about 70,000 people in approximately 2,400 locations with offices across the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States.
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I've been trying to get a job back where I grew up, and I saw this position that would be a promotion with my current bureau and located just 25 minutes from my parent's house. I'm a disabled Iraq war vet, I guess I'm used to getting interviewed for any job I'm qualified for.
I thought I would at least get interviewed for this. I actually applied for two positions with that same region, two different office locations but the same region. I don't understand, why wouldn't they even want to interview me? I feel like maybe my boss told them not to hire me, or maybe I have a reputation and they don't want to work with me. I really love my bureau and that is the one place where I could work close to home, and they didn't really consider me.
Do people sue for stuff like this? I really like my bureau but now I'm not so sure. I do have some disabilities, and some regions are less friendly toward vets than others, and my thinking is that my boss told them about those things, and so they didn't even interview me.
Thanks in advance, I didn't think this would happen and now I'm kinda overcome with emotion.
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Originally Posted by: swgeezer  I've been trying to get a job back where I grew up, and I saw this position that would be a promotion with my current bureau and located just 25 minutes from my parent's house. I'm a disabled Iraq war vet, I guess I'm used to getting interviewed for any job I'm qualified for.
I thought I would at least get interviewed for this. I actually applied for two positions with that same region, two different office locations but the same region. I don't understand, why wouldn't they even want to interview me? I feel like maybe my boss told them not to hire me, or maybe I have a reputation and they don't want to work with me. I really love my bureau and that is the one place where I could work close to home, and they didn't really consider me.
Do people sue for stuff like this? I really like my bureau but now I'm not so sure. I do have some disabilities, and some regions are less friendly toward vets than others, and my thinking is that my boss told them about those things, and so they didn't even interview me.
Thanks in advance, I didn't think this would happen and now I'm kinda overcome with emotion. You could sue...but what basis? Because you weren't interviewed? Because you are a disabled vet? If the announcement was internal (ie for federal employees only or agency employees only), then being a disabled vet or vet means nothing. Vet preference does not apply to internal announcements (note: I am an over 30% rated disabled vet myself). If external (open to everyone), then you could be one of many disabled vets who applied, and just didn't make the cut for interviews. That location could be very popular for some reason and so gets many more applicants than other locations do. As a result, your resume becomes even more important. Being referred could mean you are 1 of 100+ resumes that qualified and get forwarded. Then that is cut down to a reasonable number for interviews. As a result, your resume needs to stand out. Don't just say what you have done, but also give the impact of what you have done (was it a local impact, regional or agency level impact? Did you save money, manpower, or other resources? And so on). So..as an old military retiree who happens to have served in every combat zone Uncle Sam was in from Desert Storm to Afghanistan and as a result is now also a disabled vet...Work on your damn resume! If you need/want a review, ask for one (PM me and I'll do one for you and give you feedback) or ask the selecting official how you could improve your chances next time. |
You should have voted Cthulu...the greatest of all Evils
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 1 user thanked frankgonzalez for this useful post.
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I worked for a small Office under the State Department, and they went out of their way NOT to hire a Vet. While I never understood why, you can be assured this happens
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And as always, OPM regs stipulate that GS9 and above, Scientific and Professional positions are not subject to automatic elevation of veterans to a preferential level. 'Scientific' and 'Professional' are two of the precise classes within OPM - that is Administrative, Technical, Clerical, Scientific, Professional.
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FedsHireVets.gov has good information on the application of Veterans Preference. Here is some general information: https://www.fedshirevets...ans/veterans-preference/ In the competitive service, when agencies use a numerical rating and ranking system to determine the best qualified applicants for a position, an additional 5 or 10 points are added to the numerical score of qualified preference eligible veterans.
When an agency uses a category rating system, preference eligibiles who have a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more (CPS, CP) are placed at the top of the highest category on the referral list (except for scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). XP and TP preference eligibles are placed above non-preference eligibles within their assigned category. The exception for scientific and professional positions at GS-9 or above is noted in the category rating system. Also, OPM provides a listing of the occupational series for the various group designations: Clerical and Administrative Support Positions; Technical and Medical Support Positions; Administrative and Management Positions; and Professional and Scientific Positions. Here they are for Professional and Scientific Positions: https://www.opm.gov/poli...n-standards/#url=GS-PROF GS-020 Community Planning
GS-101 Social Science
GS-110 Economist
GS-130 Foreign Affairs
GS-131 International Relations
GS-140 Workforce Research and Analysis
GS-150 Geography
GS-170 History
GS-180 Psychology
GS-184 Sociology
GS-185 Social Work
GS-190 General Anthropology
GS-193 Archeology
GS-401 General Biological Science
GS-403 Microbiology
GS-405 Pharmacology
GS-408 Ecology
GS-410 Zoology
GS-413 Physiology
GS-414 Entomology
GS-415 Toxicology
GS-430 Botany
GS-434 Plant Pathology
GS-435 Plant Physiology
GS-436 Plant Protection and Quarantine
GS-437 Horticulture
GS-440 Genetics
GS-454 Rangeland Management
GS-457 Soil Conservation
GS-460 Forestry
GS-470 Soil Science
GS-471 Agronomy
GS-480 General Fish and Wildlife Administration
GS-482 Fishery Biology
GS-485 Wildlife Refuge Management
GS-486 Wildlife Biology
GS-487 Animal Science
GS-510 Accounting
GS-511 Auditing
GS-512 Internal Revenue Agent
GS-601 General Health Science
GS-630 Dietitian and Nutritionist
GS-631 Occupational Therapist
GS-633 Physical Therapist
GS-635 Corrective Therapist
GS-637 Manual Arts Therapist
GS-638 Recreation/Creative Arts Therapist
GS-639 Educational Therapist
GS-644 Medical Technologist
GS-665 Speech Pathology and Audiology
GS-690 Industrial Hygiene
GS-696 Consumer Safety
GS-801 General Engineering
GS-803 Safety Engineering
GS-804 Fire Protection Engineering
GS-806 Materials Engineering
GS-807 Landscape Architecture
GS-808 Architecture
GS-810 Civil Engineering
GS-819 Environmental Engineering
GS-830 Mechanical Engineering
GS-840 Nuclear Engineering
GS-850 Electrical Engineering
GS-854 Computer Engineering
GS-855 Electronics Engineering
GS-858 Biomedical Engineering
GS-861 Aerospace Engineering
GS-871 Naval Architecture
GS-880 Mining Engineering
GS-881 Petroleum Engineering
GS-890 Agricultural Engineering
GS-892 Ceramic Engineering
GS-893 Chemical Engineering
GS-894 Welding Engineering
GS-896 Industrial Engineering
GS-1015 Museum Curator
GS-1221 Patent Adviser
GS-1223 Patent Classifying
GS-1224 Patent Examining
GS-1226 Design Patent Examining
GS-1301 General Physical Science
GS-1306 Health Physics
GS-1310 Physics
GS-1313 Geophysics
GS-1315 Hydrology
GS-1320 Chemistry
GS-1321 Metallurgy
GS-1330 Astronomy and Space Science
GS-1340 Meteorology
GS-1350 Geology
GS-1360 Oceanography
GS-1370 Cartography
GS-1372 Geodesy
GS-1373 Land Surveying
GS-1380 Forest Products Technology
GS-1382 Food Technology
GS-1384 Textile Technology
GS-1386 Photographic Technology
GS-1420 Archivist
GS-1510 Actuary
GS-1515 Operations Research
GS-1520 Mathematics
GS-1529 Mathematical Statistician
GS-1530 Statistician
GS-1550 Computer Science
GS-1701 General Education and Training
GS-1710 Education and Vocational Training
GS-1720 Education Program
GS-1725 Public Health Educator
GS-1730 Education Research
GS-1740 Education Services
GS-1750 Instructional Systems
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Let me clear this up a little. Federal agencies were directed to stop using the Rule of Three and to start using Category rating, this happened about 2012. Under category rating, vets DO NOT get any points; the additional points were used under the old Rule of Three rating system. Rather, under category rating vet preference is absolute. For CP & CPS veterans (disabled 10% or more), they float to the top of the highest category REGARDLESS OF THEIR SCORE; other preference eligibles (TP - non disabled) go to the top of whatever category their score places them in. For professional & Scientific positions it is done a little different, but veterans preference still applies. Instead of CP & CPS vets floating to the top of the highest category regardless of their score, they are treated like other preference eligibles and they are placed into whatever category their score places them in. So, it's not that preference doesn't apply to Pro & Sci recruitments it is just administered differently.
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I am over 30%, have a masters degree, and professional certifications for my grade and the one above it.
If I get an interview 40% of the time I am excited.
Even things that I think would be a gimmee, aren't guaranteed.
Civil Service transfers are a numbers game.
In 8 years I have applied for 2000 jobs, to be offered 200 interviews, to be offered 40 jobs.
Started as a GS-7, and I am currently a gS-13.
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I will also say part of the numbers game is what types of jobs y9ou qualify for. I'm a 0260, but also qualify for 0360, 1860 and 0241 positions. I have not applied for 100s of positions, but have been very tactical in my application process (I've also not attempted to move up every year simply because I have TIG). I interview for 90%+ of the positions I apply to mostly because I have a decent resume and have the required certifications for my field. There is no education requirement in my chosen field, so at my grade it doesn't even replace experience as a qualifier. Only actual experience qualifies you.
Write a good resume. Be specific about the positions you apply to (make certain you'd actually take the job if offered...understanding that there may be other jobs you'd take if offered too!). Allow the interview to help you decide if you actually want the job (interviews work both ways).
I started as a GG11/12 and currently a GS-14. Most of those I have helped with their resumes have ended up getting positions, some higher than they originally were looking at.
Basically...work that resume! |
You should have voted Cthulu...the greatest of all Evils
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