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Scott,
Thank you for your response! I will ask you this... how does a referral work if I am applying through USAJobs? I totally believe in networking and will ask my Chief to 'put in a word' for me with the Chief over there. Is there something more here or am I reaching too deep? Again, I appreciate your time.
I see FCSTRAIGHT has covered about everything for you.
A referral is like a letter/or voice Recommendation from you current work supervisor, for a position, to a work, Department Manager, that has new work position openings. I was working at the Ship yard while i was in the Navy, and about to retire. I was a Voice Recommendation to a Manager from a friend of mine in the Navy, for a position in the Ship Yard. I made contact with the manager for a Job interview, and carried my Resume for the interview. They wanted Ex-Navy people to work for them in one of his departments. I still had to apply for the position on the Pre-USAJOBS Website,(Can't seem to remember the old jobs site name) and submitted my Resume to HR. I was informed the job would open in a month, October, on the HR Web site and to apply for the position and send in my resume. Reported to work two months later. This was 10 1/2 years ago.
Social Work. I read your other post about how to navigate through USA jobs and it was awesome. My internship is 24 hours a week (3 days/8 hours) and we are only getting paid for 650 hours or something like that. I am not familiar with the VEOA but will delve deeper into it. You are providing a wealth of knowledge on here, I cant believe my luck. I have dozens of friends/colleagues who are SW'rs at the VA and even more who are not, but you have been the most direct person to answer my questions. I am very interested in working for the DoD, but I will be a new graduate when we PCS and not licensed. I believe that the VA is one of the few gov agencies that hire post grad social workers, thus my desire to gain employment with them.
Thank you. Now I know what to watch out for. VA is not the only agency that hires SW. I have recruited a few hundred of them in my time with the Dept of Defense. Occasionally, you'll find an interdisciplinary Psychology/Social Work...which means the duties are so alike that either a SW or Psych can fill the position. Each DOD service has it's own medical & family support services staffed by professionals in various specialties. The occupational code for SW is in the 0101, Generic Social Science group (folks who take care of Family Service centers, Career Advisors, Transition Assistance work, Financial Assistance/Counselor/Advisor, even employment assistance/akin to career advising, and such); Social Services is 187. There is one for SW but let me double check that for sure. When you search in USAJOBS....it's faster if you have the proper occupational codes. I sometimes have to look up codes as they may have changed since I was in the system (I am retired now...but seriously looking into getting back in the workforce). Let me take a quick look in USAJOBS, let you know in a couple of minutes.
Thank you. Now I know what to watch out for. VA is not the only agency that hires SW. I have recruited a few hundred of them in my time with the Dept of Defense. Occasionally, you'll find an interdisciplinary Psychology/Social Work...which means the duties are so alike that either a SW or Psych can fill the position. Each DOD service has it's own medical & family support services staffed by professionals in various specialties. The occupational code for SW is in the 0101, Generic Social Science group (folks who take care of Family Service centers, Career Advisors, Transition Assistance work, Financial Assistance/Counselor/Advisor, even employment assistance/akin to career advising, and such); Social Services is 187. There is one for SW but let me double check that for sure. When you search in USAJOBS....it's faster if you have the proper occupational codes. I sometimes have to look up codes as they may have changed since I was in the system (I am retired now...but seriously looking into getting back in the workforce). Let me take a quick look in USAJOBS, let you know in a couple of minutes.
Follow up to my previous post above. USAJOBS is not responding at this time (6:35 am EST)...could be they're doing systems maintenance. I'll check later.
Gentlemen, I am blown away by the information that you are sharing with me. As a neophyte to the USAJobs website, I thought I had a pretty good handle on it. Who knew that occupational codes would make my searches that more productive? ScootStielow, I had NO idea about referrals and I hope it still rings true today. FCS, I have only been obsessing over the VA (because I will only be licensed at the lowest level) but I will look up the codes you mentioned. Usually I type in Social Work and I get the VA listings and then the Army/Air Force AD listings. I would love to go back in as an Officer but the whole dual military thing is not conducive for us (my guy is on a submarine).
Social Work. I read your other post about how to navigate through USA jobs and it was awesome. My internship is 24 hours a week (3 days/8 hours) and we are only getting paid for 650 hours or something like that. I am not familiar with the VEOA but will delve deeper into it. You are providing a wealth of knowledge on here, I cant believe my luck. I have dozens of friends/colleagues who are SW'rs at the VA and even more who are not, but you have been the most direct person to answer my questions. I am very interested in working for the DoD, but I will be a new graduate when we PCS and not licensed. I believe that the VA is one of the few gov agencies that hire post grad social workers, thus my desire to gain employment with them.
So what would it take to get your SW license? You got your MSW, completed your internship...and I thought completion of internship would be a prelude or prerequisite to getting licensed (?). I'll check the OPM Qual Standards...to be sure.
Social Work. I read your other post about how to navigate through USA jobs and it was awesome. My internship is 24 hours a week (3 days/8 hours) and we are only getting paid for 650 hours or something like that. I am not familiar with the VEOA but will delve deeper into it. You are providing a wealth of knowledge on here, I cant believe my luck. I have dozens of friends/colleagues who are SW'rs at the VA and even more who are not, but you have been the most direct person to answer my questions. I am very interested in working for the DoD, but I will be a new graduate when we PCS and not licensed. I believe that the VA is one of the few gov agencies that hire post grad social workers, thus my desire to gain employment with them.
tlc86: OPM Qualification Standards (all Federal agencies have to abide by)- says this about qualification for SW GS-185-9 position: Social Work Series, 0185
Individual Occupational Requirements
Basic Requirements
Degree: social work. Must fulfill all of the requirements for the master's degree in social work in a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Master's degree with practicum: Applicants who complete all of the requirements for a master's degree in social work that included a practicum are eligible for GS-9.
No licensing mentioned here! I assume you've done your practicum?
On your resume....describe whatever assignments you were assigned during your internship as WORK EXPERIENCE...which in fact, is. I once wrote a guide for college students on how to describe their college coursework as work experience. Many commented that they didn't know that the work they did in their courses in college counted as work experience (doing book research, field research, analyzing and describing, evaluating the merits of the material they're studying, using a computer to research and prepare term papers, doing an oral presentation in front of the class, etc)....that's ALL WORK that require skills! ...and can be described and counted as work experience. If volunteer work is credited as experience....any kind of activity where you applied certain skills to accomplish...would be the very same kind of skills/abilities/knowledge that you would apply in real-world situations, n'est-ce pas? One year of college work is equivalent to one year of work experience, etc. That's how we rated applicants (where the Qual Standards allows)...who didn't have sufficient real-world job experience to meet the requirements. In some jobs...college academic work and/or volunteer experience counts in lieu of real job exp...as long as the skills & abilities required for the job...are clearly and sufficiently described in the resume.
Last edited by FCStraight; 08-31-2014 at 07:38 AM..
Reason: Added sentence; minor corrections.
My practicum is at the VA and I will be providing individual and group psychotherapy to veterans in the general mental health/mood and anxiety disorder clinic. Once we graduate we get take a test and get a provisional license. Our clinical/independent license requirements vary from state to state but generally take two years and about 3000 hours. I will be done with school/practicum next April
Social Work. I read your other post about how to navigate through USA jobs and it was awesome. My internship is 24 hours a week (3 days/8 hours) and we are only getting paid for 650 hours or something like that. I am not familiar with the VEOA but will delve deeper into it. You are providing a wealth of knowledge on here, I cant believe my luck. I have dozens of friends/colleagues who are SW'rs at the VA and even more who are not, but you have been the most direct person to answer my questions. I am very interested in working for the DoD, but I will be a new graduate when we PCS and not licensed. I believe that the VA is one of the few gov agencies that hire post grad social workers, thus my desire to gain employment with them.
I posted about three commentaries this morning (replies and quotes)...but I don't see them! Maybe I need guidance maneuvering around this forum. Did they get sent somewhere else?
Gentlemen, I am blown away by the information that you are sharing with me. As a neophyte to the USAJobs website, I thought I had a pretty good handle on it. Who knew that occupational codes would make my searches that more productive? ScootStielow, I had NO idea about referrals and I hope it still rings true today. FCS, I have only been obsessing over the VA (because I will only be licensed at the lowest level) but I will look up the codes you mentioned. Usually I type in Social Work and I get the VA listings and then the Army/Air Force AD listings. I would love to go back in as an Officer but the whole dual military thing is not conducive for us (my guy is on a submarine).
Referral, in the HR parlance, is nothing more than the list of candidates who have been rated fully qualified and put on a CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBLES...also known as Referral..sent to the selecting supervisor to select from. At that point, the selecting supervisor may decide to interview the candidates chosen to be interviewed...or not interview at all. The selecting supervisor is NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE A SELECTION on any particular referral list. He/She can return the list with no selection, cancel the recruit action, or ask the HR to issue another list..or re-announce the vacancy. The referral list...may include a mix (or placed on different referral lists...or identified according to their appointing eligibilities) of appointable candidates. If you apply within the Federal system and get referred...a veteran can block a nonvet, and even one who is listed as noncompetitive (doesn't compete with anyone..but among their own categories of candidates). ..and other displaced employees who are qualified and merits consideration and placement back on the rolls. In DOD, there is another stumbling block that can get in other candidates' way...even noncompetitive candidates... a PPP registrant or someone in the RPL (Repromotion List)...or on another kind of placement priority status. The PPP registrant who shows up on the "PPP stopper list" only need to be fully qualified...and he/she gets the job.
tlc86: Your series is 0185...SW. You may also qualify for any of the 0101 occupational group (Social Science)...or 187...just depends on how your experience meets the specific competencies of the position in those series. Did you see the info I copied/pasted from OPM Qualification Standards on the GS-0185 series?
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