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This makes no sense at all. You didn't customize your resumes and YOU didn't provide the requested information. Yet, it's their fault you got rejected?
Sorry, but this is all on YOU. Stop blaming others for something you did.
It's easy to respond with judgment, nastiness and snark when you don't know what the heck someone is talking about. But the federal application system is EXTREMELY confusing and different from regular applications, and unless you know what you're doing or someone can walk you through it, you're probably going to make mistakes. On a civilian online resume, leaving certain things blank or putting N/A wouldn't disqualify you. A recent civilian application required some little essay questions; I wrote a 3-5 sentence paragraph, and that was sufficient. But if you do that for KSAs, you will be left empty-handed
Quote:
Originally Posted by MSchemist80
Don't get me started with their KSA questions.
Do you have experience running and Agilent 1290 with Chemstion LCGC B.02 software to test for polyphenolic pytochemicals on a c18 column with DAD detection on a Thursday Yes/NO
No = you do not meet the qualifications for this position thanks for playing
Please rate your experience running and Agilent 1290 with Chemstion LCGC B.02 software to test for polyphenolic pytochemicals on a c18 column with DAD detection on a Thursday...
Some training
Performed under supervision
Performed independently
Am considered an expert and have trained others
I was told that when KSA questions were written like this, with things that would be nearly impossible for the average person to meet, they already have someone internal in mind for the job, and are just posting because they have to. I even tried applying for a federal janitor position once - the questions were something like, "Please describe your experience working with cleaning chemicals, floor buffers, and your experience cleaning."
I was also told to answer "expert" on EVERYTHING, even if you've only done it once, or you did it for free for your church or whatever.
It's easy to respond with judgment, nastiness and snark when you don't know what the heck someone is talking about. But the federal application system is EXTREMELY confusing and different from regular applications, and unless you know what you're doing or someone can walk you through it, you're probably going to make mistakes. On a civilian online resume, leaving certain things blank or putting N/A wouldn't disqualify you. A recent civilian application required some little essay questions; I wrote a 3-5 sentence paragraph, and that was sufficient. But if you do that for KSAs, you will be left empty-handed
I was told that when KSA questions were written like this, with things that would be nearly impossible for the average person to meet, they already have someone internal in mind for the job, and are just posting because they have to. I even tried applying for a federal janitor position once - the questions were something like, "Please describe your experience working with cleaning chemicals, floor buffers, and your experience cleaning."
I was also told to answer "expert" on EVERYTHING, even if you've only done it once, or you did it for free for your church or whatever.
Once human eyes are looking at the applications, if there are no concrete examples to back up that "expert" response, the application is tossed.
I have interviewed people who claimed they were "experts" at certain parts of our system; when I found out that this meant they assisted people with filling out forms, I immediately put them on the "do not hire" list.
It's all in the selling. To talk about the other side I've seen resumes passed in blank! Others tried shadows with fonts, fonts too small to make an impact, jobs with hardly any description what so ever. Some that put on that they were affiliated with groups indicating race and/or religion or a hot button issue.
Sometimes it can also be said that not all experience is equal. Let's say some job requires a given amount. Well if someone only worked for one employer for that time that might be risking quite a bit.
Yep, I've applied to government jobs, too, and the questions are absurd. I honestly doubt there's anyone alive who can meet all of the requirements once you get into the detailed questions for most of the jobs.
I suspect the applicants that do get the jobs meld the truth around. I have met so many fed workers that have no idea what they are doing. I work as a contractor with a with Federal examiner. His job was basically to fly around the country and sit in meetings to listen. He did not review any of the work. He asked questions and worked on his phone texting. Two of his co-workers did cursory reviews and prepared a 20 or so item list which normally were extremely minor. Of course, I do fairly perfect work!
So, the only way these folks got these jobs was either affirmative action, military preference or fibbed on their applications. I don't see any other way they could achieve such well-paying positions. Definitely better paid than my job!
I learned this the hard way early-on in applying for government jobs. The process is TOTALLY different from applying for civilian jobs. I recommend Kathryn Troutman's books - Google her. She can walk you through the process. I TOTALLY redid my resume to make it inline with federal standards after reading her books and reading a government job website she moderates. Rather than the standard one-page resume I send for civilian jobs, this one was about 5 or more pages. Each one had catch phrases from each job listing cut and pasted in it in an attempt for the scanners to pick it up (it's not read by humans initially).
However, even though I wrote and rewrote my resume until it was stellar, and applied for hundreds of jobs over a five-year period, I never got anywhere. I gave up on getting a government job and went back to grad school. It's pretty impossible unless you are a veteran or a status candidate - at least around here.
I've been to several workshops on applying for federal positions. All I can recall was you need to run the text application through "worddle" or something that can graph or otherwise visually represent words that stand out the most, and make sure your application/resume reflects those words more.
I have seen federal employees, or those with that mindset walk into "standard" career fairs with 5 to 9 page resumes, and a whole bunch of other supporting documentation. The workshops there remind them that for civilian or contracting jobs, they just want to see a 1 to 2 page resume. Maybe 3. Federal material and documentation will hurt you there like applying to a fed. job and treating it like it's a civilian job.
Last but not least, Fed. jobs are more frustrating to apply to since given all things equal, if a normal job takes 1 hour to apply to, I'm told fed. jobs take 2 to 3 hours each. On top of that, they're "moving at the speed of government", which takes even longer.
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