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Post by futuressaalj on Sept 3, 2014 2:27:29 GMT -5
This board is mainly for wannabes, once they get hired their participation does not return to what it was so I do not see their "return to full participation" and who could blame them, most have a huge learning curve to flatten and when they do, they have to meet productivity goals and meet family obligations. Sure they will stop by and say hello from time to time but I do not expect to see Funky writing his long and informative posts as often as he used to because of work and family demands.
There is also a large group of wannabes that go through the process and do not get hired and they too stop posting. Just go back and look at the prior pages and you will be amazed on how many members the board has who became inactive and have moved on.
The board's game is what the current crop of wannabes make it to be.
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Post by Missundaztood on Sept 3, 2014 8:51:13 GMT -5
I agree, future. So maybe it isn't that the new ALJs return to full participation but other folks need to step up and fill the gaps? Maybe even if some more lurkers started posting?
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Post by yellowrose on Sept 3, 2014 9:11:29 GMT -5
Thanks. Long-time lurker. Feel like I know everyone. I am a "displaced" former federal prosecutor (office closed after 20+years) with a decent score, but a small GAL (for family reasons), currently working as a defense attorney. I applied for an IJ position. It would be a good place to land--at least until I make an ODAR cert.
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Post by sealaw90 on Sept 3, 2014 9:18:51 GMT -5
Yellow, glad to see you join us on the board. There are many of us with small GALs due to family. Maybe that's why there is so much obsession with the opportunity to expand the GAL - things change after a few years, including family situations that can permit an expansion.
Before you apply, did you read the article linked in an earlier post on this thread? Made me want to cringe - I like fast pace, spinning plates, high volume work, but AJs getting PTSD from the horror stories they hear day after day? "I have enough PTSD from active duty - don't need that in my second career!
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
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Post by yellowrose on Sept 3, 2014 10:02:08 GMT -5
Yes, I did read all the articles. Definitely a system in need of serious change. That I am still willing to apply speaks volumes about how much I am enjoying representing drug dealers, after being a prosecutor for so many years!
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Post by Missundaztood on Sept 3, 2014 10:32:40 GMT -5
I am so jealous of folks who have small GALs for family reasons. That generally means you like your family right? Interesting. A wide-open GAL gives me hope I will escape some of mine. I have learned that it is easier to love them from the other side of the country.
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Post by anotherfed on Sept 3, 2014 10:40:56 GMT -5
Mizz, raised by wolves?
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Post by gary on Sept 3, 2014 10:43:05 GMT -5
I am so jealous of folks who have small GALs for family reasons. That generally means you like your family right? Interesting. A wide-open GAL gives me hope I will escape some of mine. I have learned that it is easier to love them from the other side of the country. On the other hand, with a wide open GAL you are taking the chance you'll be hired in your repulsive uncle's home town. With a small GAL you can insure that if hired you'll be far from where that uncle lives and from anywhere he would want to live.
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Post by Missundaztood on Sept 3, 2014 10:45:23 GMT -5
I wish. Maybe I would've turned out better...
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Post by Missundaztood on Sept 3, 2014 10:53:06 GMT -5
I am so jealous of folks who have small GALs for family reasons. That generally means you like your family right? Interesting. A wide-open GAL gives me hope I will escape some of mine. I have learned that it is easier to love them from the other side of the country. On the other hand, with a wide open GAL you are taking the chance you'll be hired in your repulsive uncle's home town. With a small GAL you can insure that if hired you'll be far from where that uncle lives and from anywhere he would want to live. I wish it were just one repulsive uncle like "normal families." I promise details if I make it to FC. Over drinks, of course. Lol.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2014 10:57:02 GMT -5
I am so jealous of folks who have small GALs for family reasons. That generally means you like your family right? Interesting. A wide-open GAL gives me hope I will escape some of mine. I have learned that it is easier to love them from the other side of the country. On the other hand, with a wide open GAL you are taking the chance you'll be hired in your repulsive uncle's home town. With a small GAL you can insure that if hired you'll be far from where that uncle lives and from anywhere he would want to live. Probably just a coincidence, but when I asked family members for suggestions as to where I might move, none of the places they suggested were within 100 miles of where they live.
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Post by sealaw90 on Sept 3, 2014 11:38:36 GMT -5
I am so jealous of folks who have small GALs for family reasons. That generally means you like your family right? Interesting. A wide-open GAL gives me hope I will escape some of mine. I have learned that it is easier to love them from the other side of the country. Sorry to hear about your familial ties, or lack thereof Mizz - while I love most of my family, and they are flexible, I am, what we affectionately refer to as, 'contractually obligated' to remain in my east crapland city for 3 more years. This was according to my divorce lawyer. So a refresh in late 2016/2017 would be perfect for that quick get away from certain ex-family members. While the rest of the family doesn't want me to leave, they understand that if you want an ALJ position, you gotta go where the job is, and I want to 'divorce' myself from my place of abode for awhile... You know Mizz - there are several IJ positions open in some far away places - have you thought about applying? I mean, we could be sitting here for awhile on the register? Why not try to leave sooner?
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Post by Missundaztood on Sept 3, 2014 11:43:26 GMT -5
Sealaw, I am even applying for attorney positions overseas. So far. So many time zones... Fingers crossed!
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Post by Gaidin on Sept 3, 2014 13:20:39 GMT -5
Just some friendly advice (for this or any OPM announcement) based on my observations and experience (I did employment law for another agency back in the day) (maybe this seems really logical after you read it, but I find that applying for federal jobs is different than applying for other jobs): 1) Read the announcement fully. Multiple times. The agency and OPM work long and hard to get those announcements done before the position is ever announced. The words matter. They matter for ranking candidates. They matter for salary determinations. If you miss any one little thing, OPM can and will mark you ineligible (or not among the most qualified, depending on the process...it's complicated). You, as the candidate, have the burden of demonstrating that you meet the qualifications for the position. Make it easy for OPM to find you eligible and the people who make the hiring decision. Remember, for each vacancy, there are a ton of applicants. 2) The IJ posting requires separate "QRFs" (quality ranking factors) (used to be called KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities)). You need to demonstrate #1 plus at least three others (listed in the announcement). You can't skip this step (sometimes this requirement is less obvious in an announcement). Try to write up all of them, if you can with a straight-face. Write them like you are explaining your qualifications to a jury. Remember, OPM specialists are not lawyers, they are personnel specialists (not in anyway a negative statement, just a statement of fact). Also, they work on postings for everything from truck drivers to doctors, etc, etc, etc. If the government employs the position, OPM likely deals with some of the hiring. They do not specialize in hiring lawyers/judges, so do not presume that they know what you do or what it means precisely (unless it is part of the announcement, e.g., for a labor lawyer, appears before MSPB, FLRA, etc.). So make sure you use the words that the posting uses and explain fully (again, like you were explaining to a jury). This way you will make sure that the non-lawyer who is evaluating your application is clear that you meet the minimum requirements (and then some). 3) Make sure you include all the dox they want (some ask for weird dox; I recently had one app ask for law school transcript plus statement of relative class standing!). When in doubt, include (as a former federal employee, sometimes I am not clear about whether to include SF-50s, performance evals, etc. I include. They check the box...). If you routinely apply for federal jobs, you might want to keep a certificate of good standing on hand (usually dated within 3 months). If you are getting close to the deadline and are admitted to more than one state, you can always see which one takes electronic requests (payment over phone/internet by card rather than the written request with a check). They might even send you a scan of the cert. That is all you upload anyway. 4) Try to get everything uploaded well before the deadline in case you have any problems so you can get a receipt that your application is complete before the deadline. If you upload right before the deadline, you will get an "incomplete" because it takes a bit for OPM to "process" all your documents and only then will your application be marked "received." And this also makes sure you have time in case you actually have an announcement that requires you to mail, yes, mail your application. 5) If an application hits the OPM black hole, keep trying. It happens. Good luck! -Miss P.S. If anyone has specific questions that they don't want to post to the full board, feel free to send me a PM. I'll do my best to help. I think this should be put on the Newbie FAQ.
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Post by anotherfed on Sept 3, 2014 13:24:56 GMT -5
Excellent idea, Gaidin. Mizz, thank you for this valuable resource.
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Post by chessparent on Sept 3, 2014 13:49:12 GMT -5
Thanks. Long-time lurker. Feel like I know everyone. I am a "displaced" former federal prosecutor (office closed after 20+years) with a decent score, but a small GAL (for family reasons), currently working as a defense attorney. I applied for an IJ position. It would be a good place to land--at least until I make an ODAR cert. Yellow, welcome. l've been taking my own advice and enjoying these last few fleeting days of summer.
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Post by anotherfed on Sept 3, 2014 13:56:21 GMT -5
Good luck, Yellowrose! And welcome to the Board -- it's an obsession. Someone challenged me to stay off the Board for a week. I unfriended him. Not on Facebook.
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Post by privateatty on Sept 3, 2014 16:18:49 GMT -5
Just some friendly advice (for this or any OPM announcement) based on my observations and experience (I did employment law for another agency back in the day) (maybe this seems really logical after you read it, but I find that applying for federal jobs is different than applying for other jobs): 1) Read the announcement fully. Multiple times. The agency and OPM work long and hard to get those announcements done before the position is ever announced. The words matter. They matter for ranking candidates. They matter for salary determinations. If you miss any one little thing, OPM can and will mark you ineligible (or not among the most qualified, depending on the process...it's complicated). You, as the candidate, have the burden of demonstrating that you meet the qualifications for the position. Make it easy for OPM to find you eligible and the people who make the hiring decision. Remember, for each vacancy, there are a ton of applicants. 2) The IJ posting requires separate "QRFs" (quality ranking factors) (used to be called KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities)). You need to demonstrate #1 plus at least three others (listed in the announcement). You can't skip this step (sometimes this requirement is less obvious in an announcement). Try to write up all of them, if you can with a straight-face. Write them like you are explaining your qualifications to a jury. Remember, OPM specialists are not lawyers, they are personnel specialists (not in anyway a negative statement, just a statement of fact). Also, they work on postings for everything from truck drivers to doctors, etc, etc, etc. If the government employs the position, OPM likely deals with some of the hiring. They do not specialize in hiring lawyers/judges, so do not presume that they know what you do or what it means precisely (unless it is part of the announcement, e.g., for a labor lawyer, appears before MSPB, FLRA, etc.). So make sure you use the words that the posting uses and explain fully (again, like you were explaining to a jury). This way you will make sure that the non-lawyer who is evaluating your application is clear that you meet the minimum requirements (and then some). 3) Make sure you include all the dox they want (some ask for weird dox; I recently had one app ask for law school transcript plus statement of relative class standing!). When in doubt, include (as a former federal employee, sometimes I am not clear about whether to include SF-50s, performance evals, etc. I include. They check the box...). If you routinely apply for federal jobs, you might want to keep a certificate of good standing on hand (usually dated within 3 months). If you are getting close to the deadline and are admitted to more than one state, you can always see which one takes electronic requests (payment over phone/internet by card rather than the written request with a check). They might even send you a scan of the cert. That is all you upload anyway. 4) Try to get everything uploaded well before the deadline in case you have any problems so you can get a receipt that your application is complete before the deadline. If you upload right before the deadline, you will get an "incomplete" because it takes a bit for OPM to "process" all your documents and only then will your application be marked "received." And this also makes sure you have time in case you actually have an announcement that requires you to mail, yes, mail your application. 5) If an application hits the OPM black hole, keep trying. It happens. Good luck! -Miss P.S. If anyone has specific questions that they don't want to post to the full board, feel free to send me a PM. I'll do my best to help. I think this should be put on the Newbie FAQ. I second that emotion. Wanna bang on ALJD's door, gaidin?
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Post by quesera on Sept 3, 2014 16:48:48 GMT -5
Good luck to all who apply for the IJ jobs! I didn't mean to start the downward spiral of conversation discouraging board members from applying (or did I?... ) Seriously, I saw the 2009 law review article after considering whether IJ could possible be compatible with having children at home- I decided it was indeed NOT. In any event, if you want more skinny on the job, maybe try communicating with the IJ union president mentioned in the article and see if she will let you know if things have improved. For someone with a prosecutorial background, ICE litigation experience, or immigration law nerds, it might be perfect. It will be interesting for sure. Immigration law is perhaps my true love, much like a high school boyfriend I dumped in favor of going back to the old boring boyfriend and then marrying the bore... Bad move
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Post by gary on Sept 3, 2014 16:58:40 GMT -5
Good luck to all who apply for the IJ jobs! I didn't mean to start the downward spiral of conversation discouraging board members from applying (or did I?... ) Seriously, I saw the 2009 law review article after considering whether IJ could possible be compatible with having children at home- I decided it was indeed NOT. In any event, if you want more skinny on the job, maybe try communicating with the IJ union president mentioned in the article and see if she will let you know if things have improved. For someone with a prosecutorial background, ICE litigation experience, or immigration law nerds, it might be perfect. It will be interesting for sure. Immigration law is perhaps my true love, much like a high school boyfriend I dumped in favor of going back to the old boring boyfriend and then marrying the bore... Bad move Sooooo, doesn't that make SSA the boring boyfriend you are leaving your true love, immigration law, for, and you will marry SSA if you can? Do you really want to repeat the mistakes of your love life in your career? I say, run back, back to the bad boy, immigration law, and live fast, die young, and leave a good looking corpse! Wait, I think I just got my old movies crossed.
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