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Post by Who Me? on Nov 4, 2014 18:18:49 GMT -5
OK, 1st certers, can you provide guidance to us 2nd certers who will be traveling to FC in a few weeks?
Does SSA purchase the airline ticket or do we need to make our own arrangements and get reimbursed later?
Do we have a choice of hotels or does SSA select the hotel? Do we pay and get reimbursed or does SSA pick up the tab?
Transportation to/from the airport and to/from the interview site. How does that work?
Thanks!
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Post by 71stretch on Nov 4, 2014 18:40:13 GMT -5
They buy your ticket, book the flight. You make your own hotel arrangements, when you check in for the interview they give you a packet with info on how to get reimbursed. Stay within federal per diem limits, which is not a big problem.
Taxi to and from interview site is the way to go. Get receipts to get reimbursed for that too. Metro and taxi to and from airport. Receipts again.
I'm assuming you are NOT currently a fed employee.
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Post by Who Me? on Nov 4, 2014 18:47:26 GMT -5
Not a fed employee.
Amount of the fed per diem in this area?
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Post by nikster on Nov 4, 2014 19:47:13 GMT -5
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Post by Who Me? on Nov 4, 2014 19:54:22 GMT -5
Thanks, folks.
Been checking on hotels in the area, even though I don't have an interview date yet. I suspect I might be near the end of the interview schedule.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2014 20:39:52 GMT -5
There are two hotels across the street from Skyline towers, both around $200.00, the agency will pay if they can't fly you in and out in one day. I stayed at Hampton Inn at 4800 Leesburg Pike, (on my own dime) literally a football field or two away from HQ. Hilltopper stayed at a Hilton property a little closer, next door to the Hampton Inn (shared the same parking lot).
If you drive in to Skyline, there is a huge open parking lot directly in front of Skyline tower that is wide open EVERY day. Plenty of parking in front of HQ, $20.00 and it is paid as part of travel.
I didn't file for travel pay, but I should of as it would of been $150.00 or so, but I didn't care after 17 months of this process (insert any other word that works for you)!
Good luck!
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Post by Who Me? on Nov 4, 2014 20:45:20 GMT -5
Per the GSA site, meals and incidental expenses for FC is $71/day. $177 (hotel) + $71 (M/IE) = $248/day. Doable. www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100120Oops! Don't know what the taxi rate is in the area, so maybe my "doable" might not be realistic.
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Post by orchid on Nov 4, 2014 20:56:52 GMT -5
Thanks Tiger. Do we need to bring any paperwork (resume, copies of forms sent in) to the interview?
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Post by jd on Nov 4, 2014 21:26:15 GMT -5
No. Just yourself
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Post by Missundaztood on Nov 5, 2014 2:13:17 GMT -5
Per the GSA site, meals and incidental expenses for FC is $71/day. $177 (hotel) + $71 (M/IE) = $248/day. Doable. www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100120Oops! Don't know what the taxi rate is in the area, so maybe my "doable" might not be realistic. Taxi is reimburable, with receipts for actual expenses, not part of per diem.
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Post by agilitymom on Nov 5, 2014 7:07:04 GMT -5
Stay as close to the HQ as possible. Make sure you do a "dry run" the night before so you can find your way into the building if you haven't been there before. You can definitely "see" the building from the road, but a couple of folks had a hard time getting to the entrance because you can't just walk around the building until you find the entrance.
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Post by Missundaztood on Nov 5, 2014 8:17:04 GMT -5
Per the GSA site, meals and incidental expenses for FC is $71/day. $177 (hotel) + $71 (M/IE) = $248/day. Doable. www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100120Oops! Don't know what the taxi rate is in the area, so maybe my "doable" might not be realistic. You get per diem on your travel day too. So let's say you travel on Sunday for Monday interview then back home later Monday. You get per diem for two days. It is to cover food without the need to submit receipts (so they don't know about the drinks in the airport with the burger on the way home). It is fixed whether you spend it or not.
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Post by Missundaztood on Nov 5, 2014 8:23:44 GMT -5
And id. Expect security to check you in, which takes a while (it is a federal government building, after all). Add time for that. And if you are early in the process, they might not be prepared and very confused...
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Post by Missundaztood on Nov 5, 2014 8:39:21 GMT -5
Oh yeah. I gave security a copy of the email scheduling the interview. That seemed to help. A ton. They stopped trying to include me with the newly hired investigators.
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Post by jd on Nov 5, 2014 8:41:10 GMT -5
Don't worry about security. They know you are coming and will joke with you that you are going to be one of the new judges. They said that to me and the others who checked in at the same time. The process takes about 3-5 minutes and then someone will come to security and escort you. You will then all sit around a large area waiting for the interviews to start.
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Post by chessparent on Nov 5, 2014 9:10:43 GMT -5
This is great stuff, thank you.
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Post by helplesslyhoping on Nov 5, 2014 10:13:55 GMT -5
Just received my email from etravelservices to make my travel arrangments. Where can I find my E2 User ID?
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Post by Missundaztood on Nov 5, 2014 10:21:19 GMT -5
Don't worry about security. They know you are coming and will joke with you that you are going to be one of the new judges. They said that to me and the others who checked in at the same time. The process takes about 3-5 minutes and then someone will come to security and escort you. You will then all sit around a large area waiting for the interviews to start. You must have come in after security was straightened out...be prepared to wait. If you don't have to, great.
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Post by helplesslyhoping on Nov 5, 2014 11:00:56 GMT -5
Nevermind. The travel office got back to me with this information
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Post by orchid on Nov 5, 2014 14:11:54 GMT -5
Nevermind. The travel office got back to me with this information Did you call them or did you get an email? I received the link this am but still haven't received the E2 number.
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