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Post by jibtrimmer on May 30, 2010 7:59:05 GMT -5
Genuine wisdom there. Thanks for reminding us of what's most important in life and how to maintian some perspective throughout this quest.
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Post by 71stretch on May 30, 2010 8:24:19 GMT -5
I agree with jibtrimmer, ladywordsmith is absolutely right. I'm already pretty philosophical about the whole thing. I'm not unhappy where I am now, for which I am always thankful.
It's good not to be overly anxious about this whole scenario.
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Post by privateatty on May 30, 2010 11:05:56 GMT -5
Hello Fellow Forum Members, This is Ladywordsmith  . But for the purposes of this posting, you can just call me, "The Voice of Experience" or "VOE" for short. Before you go running out to get measured for your robes or searching your state statutes to see if you can start planning your calendars for all those June weddings, I want you to STOP and consider the following comments. As my dear Mother use to say (God rest her soul), "You need to think about this": OPM sends SSA three names for every one position. Let me repeat that: OPM sends THREE names for every ONE position, which means that one-third of applicants on the cert will get offers and two-thirds will not. As the VOE, I'm telling you that it's important to hope and pray for the best, but it's just as important to plan for the worse -- the worse being NOT getting an offer. (I know because I've "been there, done that, got the t-shirt, key chain and mug!") So, just like "Simon says" here is the "VOE says" in the worse case scenario: 1. Do not confuse your professional desire with who you are -- not as a lawyer and most definitely not as a person. In fact, don't even equate your professional ability with whether or not you get an offer. As many have said on this Board, this process is random and it is in many ways the luck of the draw as to whether you're selected. (As an aside, even if you are selected, remember that you are "appointed" and not "anointed.") 2. If you do not get an offer, it will hurt. Despite what I just said above, no matter the odds, no matter what else happens, if you don't get an offer, it will hurt. You will get over it BECAUSE as one of my all-time favorite TV detectives Adrian Monk use to say, "Here's what really happened": When you strip this situation down to its bare essentials, you applied for a job and you didn't get it. 3. The good news is there is more than one opportunity for a selection. There is more than one opportunity at SSA and there are other agencies that also hire ALJs. So, if you're blessed, lucky or whatever, you might still get your chance. In closing, I want you all to know that I do pray for your success in this process -- right after mine (hey, I'm not that selfless  )! But, again, as the VOE here, I KNOW we all need to pause a moment and reflect on the fact that our true success is more than getting selected for a job -- any job. If you don't believe me, just go to Smolen's thread entitled "Prayers" and read about her eight year old daughter's accident and recovery. Peace and Blessings, Ladywordsmith A timely post from one who got a non-competitive score, briefly nursed the wound to her ego, picked herself up and took the OPM test again and whallah--like Chinook--greatly increased her score. This is a tough business and can be demoralizing in any and all aspects. arlene25 who just posted here about the SSA fax machine has told us a small vignette on point. She, and many, many others of you out there have taken it on the chin repeatedly and kept on tickin'.... |
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Post by iapplied on May 30, 2010 11:32:26 GMT -5
Woo hooo! Ladywordsmith, that was like medicine! observer I'm happy with my current job too so I like you have been philosophical about it. I have even been nonchalant about it until I got to this point and started having problems. Still, I'm thankful to make it to this point and have fax machine whoa's to even think about. |
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Post by iapplied on May 30, 2010 12:06:20 GMT -5
[/quote]
A timely post from one who got a non-competitive score, briefly nursed the wound to her ego, picked herself up and took the OPM test again and whallah--like Chinook--greatly increased her score.
This is a tough business and can be demoralizing in any and all aspects. arlene25 who just posted here about the SSA fax machine has told us a small vignette on point. She, and many, many others of you out there have taken it on the chin repeatedly and kept on tickin'....
[/quote]
You know I believed that being an ALJ is a tough job and could be challenging on a lot of different levels and for a lot of different reasons. I believed that the challenges would also be ALJ specific in that some ALJs would be given the benefit of the doubt as to their credibility and competency as an ALJ and others challenged more. As the old saying goes, c'est la vie!
But if you don't mind, can you be more specific when you say that the job can be demoralizing?
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Post by issuegirl on May 30, 2010 12:26:52 GMT -5
Privateatty:
How long did you have to wait before you were contacted by another agency for an ALJ position? Do you know if we are being considered simultaneously with the SSA hiring process for openings in other agencies? Thanks for your advice.
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Post by tigerfan on May 30, 2010 13:50:11 GMT -5
The job can be demoralizing because you see so many sick people. Some are literally on deaths door. Some have such awful medical conditions that will make you want to cry. The saving grace of it all it that you will have the power and authority to help them. And then there are the fakers, sometimes you will get fooled by them but don't let that stop you from helping those that truly need it.
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Post by Orly on May 30, 2010 14:36:53 GMT -5
The job can be demoralizing because you see so many sick people. Some are literally on deaths door. Some have such awful medical conditions that will make you want to cry. The saving grace of it all it that you will have the power and authority to help them. And then there are the fakers, sometimes you will get fooled by them but don't let that stop you from helping those that truly need it. Amen. You get a heavy dose of human suffering in this job every day. Some claimant may not meet the Act's standard of disability, but most of them sincerely believe they can no longer work. And it's up to you to decide whether they are disabled or not. So it's a very important responsibility. At the end of the day, we deal mostly with the unfortunates in society who are suffering for one reason or another. While not all of them are disabled under the Social Security Act, they all deserve to be treated fairly, promptly, and with respect. If you can't handle the emotional burden of dealing with human suffering everyday, this is really not the job for you. It's not often that you get a job where you can have a very immediate impact on individual lives. If you're fortunately enough to get hired, don't get tied up in the robe and the title and become a Prima Donna. Be competent, don't ever retire on the job, and treat everyone around you fairly. Because at the end, while this job can be hard and monotonous, it is an important job, so please do your best and not embarrass those of us who work hard every day to justify the public trust placed on our position.  |
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Post by iapplied on May 30, 2010 15:04:37 GMT -5
The job can be demoralizing because you see so many sick people. Some are literally on deaths door. Some have such awful medical conditions that will make you want to cry. The saving grace of it all it that you will have the power and authority to help them. And then there are the fakers, sometimes you will get fooled by them but don't let that stop you from helping those that truly need it. Amen. You get a heavy dose of human suffering in this job every day. Some claimant may not meet the Act's standard of disability, but most of them sincerely believe they can no longer work. And it's up to you to decide whether they are disabled or not. So it's a very important responsibility. At the end of the day, we deal mostly with the unfortunates in society who are suffering for one reason or another. While not all of them are disabled under the Social Security Act, they all deserve to be treated fairly, promptly, and with respect. If you can't handle the emotional burden of dealing with human suffering everyday, this is really not the job for you. It's not often that you get a job where you can have a very immediate impact on individual lives. If you're fortunately enough to get hired, don't get tied up in the robe and the title and become a Prima Donna. Be competent, don't ever retire on the job, and treat everyone around you fairly. Because at the end, while this job can be hard and monotonous, it is an important job, so please do your best and not embarrass those of us who work hard every day to justify the public trust placed on our position. Thank you and tigerfan for your responses. My experience in this field leads me to believe I can handle it and will do the job well. Your charge to be good in the job is well taken. By the way, I know people on this board don't know me as I'm new to this board but just fyi: I always try to be thankful and respectful so don't take my gratitude to an ALJ poster as anything other than that.  It's just my Southern upbringing and I'm thankful for it! |
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Post by privateatty on May 31, 2010 16:28:00 GMT -5
I meant that the process can be demoralizing. Wow, I thought I was clear.
BTW, I'm not in SSA and maybe that's why (I sure as heck don't know) I don't find the job demoralizing. Au contraire! I absolutely love this job--light years better than any I've had and truth told, probably the best law job there is.
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Post by anotheroldtimer on Jun 1, 2010 9:53:47 GMT -5
Pretty good advice for the most part. However, OPM sends more than 3 names for a site. Otherwise, how can you get five or six new judges going to one site.
If you have a high scoring applicant who lists "Everywhere", then he/she will be on the list for all cities on the cert. Once this person is picked, that takes one name off all lists.
And there is no magical cut off number. For a popular site like DC, you might only have to go down to the low 80's to get enough applicants. For Tupelo, you might go down to the low 50's.
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Post by ssaer on Jun 2, 2010 7:44:42 GMT -5
I meant that the process can be demoralizing. Wow, I thought I was clear. BTW, I'm not in SSA and maybe that's why (I sure as heck don't know) I don't find the job demoralizing. Au contraire! I absolutely love this job--light years better than any I've had and truth told, probably the best law job there is. For what it's worth, there are many of us serving as ALJs with SSA who similarly do not find the job demoralizing, who love going to work every day, and who see our work as being significant and an opportunity to help needy and deserving claimants and to serve the American people. To those of you aspiring to this position, I urge you to reject the naysayers and the pessimists, on this board and elsewhere -- a magnificent opportunity may be just around the corner. |
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Post by Ready-Now! on Jun 2, 2010 14:10:34 GMT -5
NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, from the newbie of newbies: I have not submitted an application nor am I awaiting certification or contact. I do know that after over 19 years of practicing law I am ready to seek my ultimate goal of a Judgeship. If someone would tell me which thread to watch for the "rumors" of SSA opening the position for the acceptance of new application packages, I know that will not happen anytime soon. I was at a hearing the other day and the ALJ told me of this forum and to watch this site as it was fairly close in predicting the date of the last opening. Thanks and I apologize for the intrusion.
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Post by 71stretch on Jun 2, 2010 14:40:29 GMT -5
readynow- You can also go to the USAJOBS website and set it up to get an email from them re: the applications opening.
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Post by Ready-Now! on Jun 2, 2010 14:48:11 GMT -5
I think I have done that. I found the ALJ job on USAJOBS and saved that and I think I am to receive emails. I will recheck. Thanks for your response.
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Post by Well on Jun 2, 2010 15:18:25 GMT -5
NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, from the newbie of newbies: I have not submitted an application nor am I awaiting certification or contact. I do know that after over 19 years of practicing law I am ready to seek my ultimate goal of a Judgeship. If someone would tell me which thread to watch for the "rumors" of SSA opening the position for the acceptance of new application packages, I know that will not happen anytime soon. I was at a hearing the other day and the ALJ told me of this forum and to watch this site as it was fairly close in predicting the date of the last opening. Thanks and I apologize for the intrusion. My WAG is next spring. There is expected to be significant attrition this year so if this register does expire as scheduled they will need time to make sure they've adopted appropriate procedures for the changes to be made, although I wouldn't rule out another late fall early winter like this last cycle if there are a lot retirement notices handed in at the end of the year. |
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Post by tricia on Jun 2, 2010 16:16:05 GMT -5
Observer said: "readynow- You can also go to the USAJOBS website and set it up to get an email from them re: the applications opening. "
You can't count on that. I signed up for those emails, and in July of 2008, no email was sent to me. In November of 2009, one came, but it was (I think) a whole day after the opening was first posted. Luckliy I had been obsessively checking, so I found that the applications had opened long before I got the email.
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Post by 71stretch on Jun 2, 2010 16:47:26 GMT -5
I think I got my email on time, but a local practitioner of SSA law called me with a heads up that it was opening "imminently", so I kept checking, too.
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Post by privateatty on Jun 2, 2010 19:21:18 GMT -5
I think I have done that. I found the ALJ job on USAJOBS and saved that and I think I am to receive emails. I will recheck. Thanks for your response. This Board is the best and remains, really all there is--for accuracy. Do not rely on USAJobs to inform you when the site opens to new applications. Be obsessive and check. Those of us who are Judges (since 2007) did that or had friends who were unimpeachable and called. This is a bit of dead Horse on this site as it addresses the old "who knew and who didn't" concern which was fodder for the AALJ lawsuit--another dead horse. I have been perhaps appropriately spanked in the past for being short with those who just ask, rather than research. Now that pf has been vaporized, much has been lost. But heck, this is a big Board with beau coup pages.... |
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pinky
New Member
Very Negative and Disgruntled Employee; Believe at your own risk.
Posts: 8 
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Post by pinky on Jun 4, 2010 7:53:24 GMT -5
First, there are the massive delays before cases get to you. Be prepared for the suicides. Second, in many offices, the clerical staff and writing staff are substandard. Often, you must do heavy editing. CHECK THIS ON YOUR INTERVIEW! Then there are the numbers. Can you really prepare and hear and issue decisions in 70 cases a month? The daily "reminders" that this or that list of cases needs to be moved to meet the agency "benchmark" or you won't make your quota. And it is hard to absorb so much grief and tragedy. Be prepared for the children who have been tortured, beaten, raped, or the children who are dying.
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. But for the purposes of this posting, you can just call me, "The Voice of Experience" or "VOE" for short. Before you go running out to get measured for your robes or searching your state statutes to see if you can start planning your calendars for all those June weddings, I want you to STOP and consider the following comments. As my dear Mother use to say (God rest her soul), "You need to think about this":
)! 
It's just my Southern upbringing and I'm thankful for it! 
