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Post by scpros1 on Mar 23, 2010 9:51:38 GMT -5
I am new to this process and was wondering if anyone could answer some questions. 1. I have read where SSA is going to hire 230 new ALJ's this year is that true and has any been hired? Is there a list of locations that will be filled?
2. If you just finished your WD and SI how long can you expect to wait to receive your NOR?
3. If you have finished your WD and SI and want to change your geographical location preference when can you do this? Would it be correct to state that if you claim a veterans preference you can change your geographical location preference at anytime? Thanks for any input.
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Post by Well on Mar 23, 2010 10:03:02 GMT -5
Most recent estimate I saw was 133 hired this year.
Scores arrive when they arrive. Sometime after Memorial Day most likely.
Believe you are stuck with your locations until the next time the application process is opened.
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Post by odarite on Mar 24, 2010 20:23:19 GMT -5
My information is 226 this year (FY 2010), total, but that includes however many were hired October 2009. You will have to do the math.
And you can always reduce the number of geographic locations you are willing to accept. it's the adding that causes problems.
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Post by monalisa on Apr 29, 2010 21:16:36 GMT -5
In reviewing my USAJOBS resume and my application/AR, I see that I have a few "target locations" on my resume that differ from the GALs I listed in the actual application/AR. Does any know if these "target locations" will be added to my GALs or simply ignored? Thanks and good luck to all.
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Post by unlisted on Apr 29, 2010 21:22:29 GMT -5
How do you go about reducing the number of geographic locations on your list?
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Post by tigerfan on Apr 29, 2010 21:42:03 GMT -5
COSS testified before Congress this week. He said 226 new ALJ hires this year. There have been 56 so far, they are reporting in May, 2010. Don't know if he meant 226 more or total. if total then there would be 170 in August and September. After this year probably only 50 to 70 attrition hires per year. The new OPM NORs will probably be out about May 15. Shortly after that, SSA will request a cert and interviews will take place in Falls Church the mid two weeks in June. Where the opening will be is anyones guess until after all the transfers take place. Those transfer offers are taking place now.
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Post by odarite on Apr 29, 2010 21:42:59 GMT -5
To the best of my recollection, when they are getting ready to interview you for SSA (not OPM) they send you a list on which you can mark those cities to which you are still willing to go of the ones you previously selected.
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Post by gjf323 on Apr 30, 2010 8:34:00 GMT -5
In reviewing my USAJOBS resume and my application/AR, I see that I have a few "target locations" on my resume that differ from the GALs I listed in the actual application/AR. Does any know if these "target locations" will be added to my GALs or simply ignored? Thanks and good luck to all. Well, given how OPM are procedural sticklers, and have no better angels in their natures, I vote for simply ignored.
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gaga
Full Member
Posts: 35
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Post by gaga on Apr 30, 2010 11:53:44 GMT -5
Monalisa - your "target locations" on your resume will be ignored by OPM. Your GAL list is all that matters. Your GAL list can be updated whenever the ALJ application is reopened. Doesn't happen often and typically has remained open for only a very short period of time.
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gaga
Full Member
Posts: 35
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Post by gaga on Apr 30, 2010 12:01:14 GMT -5
Unlisted - Odarite is correct. You can eliminate cities from your list if and when SSA offers you an interview for an ALJ position with ODAR. You typically receive a packet of forms to complete and fax back to ODAR Headquarters. The packet includes a list of cities that you previously selected and where vacancies exist. You cannot add cities that were not on your OPM/GAL/ALJ application list. You can only delete cities at that point in the process. Also, there is no guarantee that all of SSA's listed cities will get a new ALJ.
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Post by odarite on Apr 30, 2010 20:29:01 GMT -5
COSS testified before Congress this week. He said 226 new ALJ hires this year. There have been 56 so far, they are reporting in May, 2010. Don't know if he meant 226 more or total. if total then there would be 170 in August and September. Yes, the 226 is before the 56, so 226 total, leaving about 170 for the "June" hire. I also think the number for attrition will be slightly higher because, except for the last few years' classes, the average age of ALJs is rather high, so more retirements can be expected than usual, and Tigerfan's number is the historical one based on something like 1200 ALJs. With a total of more than 1400, the same percentage of turnover will result in a slightly higher number of openings.
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Post by Well on May 2, 2010 20:18:36 GMT -5
The switch to electronic business process may hasten some retirements though many may be shortly after this hire.
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Post by tricia on May 3, 2010 10:46:09 GMT -5
I have another question which might fit into General Info. For Patriots' Fan and a few other people whose information has been posted here (OPM gave them high scores), being three-striked by SSA was kind of a blessing in disguise because they were then picked up by other fiederal agencies. Why is that? Do the other agencies kind of keep current with who is on the list?
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Post by valkyrie on May 3, 2010 11:09:28 GMT -5
I have another question which might fit into General Info. For Patriots' Fan and a few other people whose information has been posted here (OPM gave them high scores), being three-striked by SSA was kind of a blessing in disguise because they were then picked up by other fiederal agencies. Why is that? Do the other agencies kind of keep current with who is on the list? All of the other agencies get the same selection of candidates from the register, they just have far fewer openings, and frequently take transfers from SSA ALJs who have already been "vetted" by SSA. Patriotsfan's "luck" was his high OPM score and an agency that decided to hire off the register, rather than looking for SSA ALJ transfers. Of course Patriotsfan's luck will only last until his current agency hurts his feelings by censoring him, in which case his integrity will force him to quit.
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Post by tricia on May 3, 2010 12:48:26 GMT -5
Val, you said: "All of the other agencies get the same selection of candidates from the register, they just have far fewer openings, and frequently take transfers from SSA ALJs who have already been "vetted" by SSA. " Yeah, I got that. But do the other agencies hire these high-scoring people who SSA three-striked kind of because they feel that SSA has made a mistake in passing them up?
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Post by chinook on May 3, 2010 13:01:54 GMT -5
I think those agencies see it as an opportunity to get a high scoring applicant. I think few agencies know if somebody was 3-striked or not.
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Post by nonamouse on May 3, 2010 13:13:02 GMT -5
Val, you said: "All of the other agencies get the same selection of candidates from the register, they just have far fewer openings, and frequently take transfers from SSA ALJs who have already been "vetted" by SSA. " Yeah, I got that. But do the other agencies hire these high-scoring people who SSA three-striked kind of because they feel that SSA has made a mistake in passing them up? Every hiring agency has their own criteria for what they want in an ALJ, so none is in a position to judge why someone is not chosen elsewhere. I don't believe any candidate is tainted by not being chosen by another agency. An agency that does adversarial hearings with fewer done per month or year will be looking for something different than an agency where the hearings are nonadversarial or high volume or both. The OPM score has nothing specifically to do with what the hiring agencies may be looking for in a particular candidate since OPM made up that process, not the hiring agencies. Everyone who gets a score and onto the OPM register is basically "qualified" to be an ALJ per the OPM process, but it is up to each hiring agency to do their own interview and look at the individual candidates who get sent on the certificate for a particular round of hiring. Since to my knowledge the many agencies with ALJs don't share their hiring criteria, they could not know why a particular candidate didn't get hired from a certificate for ODAR. It would be a waste of time to speculate about what ODAR did when the other hiring agencies can simply do an interview and analyze the candidates using their own criteria.
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Post by valkyrie on May 3, 2010 13:51:33 GMT -5
Val, you said: "All of the other agencies get the same selection of candidates from the register, they just have far fewer openings, and frequently take transfers from SSA ALJs who have already been "vetted" by SSA. " Yeah, I got that. But do the other agencies hire these high-scoring people who SSA three-striked kind of because they feel that SSA has made a mistake in passing them up? I think Chinook and Nonamouse summed things up pretty well. If it makes any difference to you, back in 2007 when the first new register came out, Medicare and at least one other agency requested certs and made hires before SSA did. Much like Nonamouse said, any reasonable agency, be it SSA, or Animal Control, is going to hire the candidates that they WANT on a cert, and avoid hiring the candidates that they DO NOT WANT on a cert. Remember to jump through the various hoops of the ridiculous hiring process as required, but please don't forget that the ultimate test is to appear attractive to the hiring agency no matter what score OPM gave you.
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Post by imiram1372 on May 3, 2010 19:58:13 GMT -5
Can someone be on two certs at one time e.g. SSA and Animal Control? I apologize if this is a stupid question.
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Post by tigerfan on May 3, 2010 20:24:56 GMT -5
imiram1372, I am pretty sure that they cannot but confess I have not researched it.
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