USAJobs in San Antonio? (contractor, closing, pool) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

Jenschiefs · 02-17-2009, 09:52 AM

Anyone have any luck with getting hired from this website. I have been applying for jobs on there since August and haven't heard a word on anything. If you have been hired, how long did it take? What was the process? Thanks in advance.

TXtrkgrl · 02-17-2009, 10:37 AM

You ARE talking about jobs in San Antonio right?

Jenschiefs · 02-17-2009, 11:03 AM

I know, huh? Blows my mind that there are 100's of jobs listed, but noone is hiring....but that is the gov't for ya!

franklin9150 · 02-17-2009, 11:13 AM

I have noticed that many people get the gov jobs by word of mouth. Most of the people that I know that work for the govt were hired that way. One of those "it's not what you know, but who you know" situations.

Chaka · 02-17-2009, 11:16 AM

A few years ago when I was looking for jobs I applied for a few of these. Though my experience fit the description precisely in the initial job description/qualifications, once I went through the actual application, it was really really specific. So specific that these were clearly tailored for one person. That is, they already had a person for the job, and wrote the JD to reflect that person's unique skills (these were all higher level jobs, requiring PhD). So, there were two layers of application - the initial one, then the more specific one.

majormadmax · 02-17-2009, 11:40 AM

franklin9150 and chaka have nailed it, in my opinion. Many (dare I say most or even all) of these job adverts are written specifically with someone (an individual) in mind. At least the more specific ones, not the generic ones for nurses or administrative specialists which appear in bulk. And not surprisingly, those positions end up being filled by that individual. But no one in civilian personnel will ever admit to it, despite the fact that I've seen it done numerous times.

So, how do you crack the code? Well, I would recommend trying to get a contractor position at the organization you are trying to join. That gets your foot in the door and allows you to make those "connections" that can lead to a GS position. Or, you may end up like some of us and be relatively happy with being a mercenary and stay as a contractor. There are plusses and minuses to that decision, but overall I am contempt with my current situation.

Otherwise, you will have to continue throwing stones at the castle in hopes that one day one of them will breech the fortress. It is exasperating but not impossible, but also understand that civil service is highly competitive and there are “inside” tracks…

Cheers! M2

doss1 · 02-17-2009, 11:57 AM

Hi, what agency are you trying to get into? I have experience with National Park Service, US Forrest Service. I didn't have much of any of the pre-requisites that they demanded so I just went to the head honchos and talked to them and they offered me some jobs on the spot as a way to work up to where I wanted to be. USAJObS is a barrier. Just go and ask for what you want, you never know what they will offer. Good luck.

hadleyzoo · 02-17-2009, 08:08 PM

Sometimes it can take years...have a friend who was on priority placement (moved back to the states from overseas so that gave her priority over A LOT of applicants, and she also had 7 years of civil service time)...her 1 year time limit on that program ran out (there were no jobs they could put her in) and then it took her nearly 1 more of year of her continuous applying for her to get back in the system. A lot of the jobs listed on USAJobs are also what they call continuous open announcements. So you never know when they will pull the list to fill a position...they are basically just keeping a pool of applicants handy in case someone needs to fill position x, y, or z. So even though you see a job advertised, take a look at the closing date--if it's 6 months away, expect to wait a long time.

And a tip in case you didn't know...make sure your resume addresses as much of the duties as listed in the announcement; otherwise, even though you've done the work or the duties, you may not be certified as highly qualified if it's not specifically listed in your resume.

Chaka · 02-17-2009, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hadleyzoo

Sometimes it can take years...have a friend who was on priority placement (moved back to the states from overseas so that gave her priority over A LOT of applicants, and she also had 7 years of civil service time)...her 1 year time limit on that program ran out (there were no jobs they could put her in) and then it took her nearly 1 more of year of her continuous applying for her to get back in the system. A lot of the jobs listed on USAJobs are also what they call continuous open announcements. So you never know when they will pull the list to fill a position...they are basically just keeping a pool of applicants handy in case someone needs to fill position x, y, or z. So even though you see a job advertised, take a look at the closing date--if it's 6 months away, expect to wait a long time.
.

Interesting. I saw the opposite when I was looking - postings with a closing date only 5 working days from the posting date. Not much time for someone not already aware to see it....

hadleyzoo · 02-17-2009, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaka

Interesting. I saw the opposite when I was looking - postings with a closing date only 5 working days from the posting date. Not much time for someone not already aware to see it....

Oh there are a few of those here and there too...and when I see that, that tells me they have someone in mind for the job or they need to fill the job quickly...one just never knows sometimes.

And if you subscribe to USAJobs and get daily emails listing what jobs are open based on the criteria you set, don't rely on just that either. I've seen several times where I've gone in and done my own search and found jobs that were never sent to me on the automatic notification. Things that make you go "hmmmm".