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Post by gary on Jun 9, 2015 15:11:32 GMT -5
My WAG would be they'd hire both 8/10 and 9/7 off the current certs. Then there'd be a longish intermission while they find out what their FY 2016 appropriation will be, adjust their hiring plans, and get new certs. It might be like last year with no new class until 1/2016. Think a new class in January would give them enough time to incorporate the folks who are currently being lined up for the writing/logic/interview testing in DC? If my thinking that they will have a class 1/2016 is correct, I would expect certs in 10/2015. If the timing on testing is similar to when they created the register, they might not finish testing until the end of 9/2015 or the beginning of 10/2015. I don't see OPM having them all scored in time for 10/2015 certs.
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Post by gary on Jun 9, 2015 15:12:58 GMT -5
My WAG would be they'd hire both 8/10 and 9/7 off the current certs. Then there'd be a longish intermission while they find out what their FY 2016 appropriation will be, adjust their hiring plans, and get new certs. It might be like last year with no new class until 1/2016. I agree with you Gary concerning the 8/10 and 9/7 groups being filled by the April certs. However, I think ODAR will still pull a cert this FY and use it for an October starting date and possibly use it to fill some spots in January. They can use this year's money to pay for a cert used in the beginning of the next FY. I believe we call that the lead time production rule in federal appropriation law! I hope I will be able to say you were right and I was wrong about this.
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Post by luckylady2 on Jun 9, 2015 18:22:19 GMT -5
My uneducated outsider guess is that there will not be nearly as many people taking the new round of testing as there were in the first round, so the NORs for them may come out faster. So there may be some new blood coming onto the Register in fall. September would be too early, but mid-October to November would be possible. Again, just a WAG.
I also think that they will not skip from September to January with no classes, unless there's a huge budget hold-up and government shut-down. Otherwise, 3 months is too long to have things on hold regardless of holidays if they are going to make their targets.
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Post by gary on Jun 9, 2015 18:27:34 GMT -5
My uneducated outsider guess is that there will not be nearly as many people taking the new round of testing as there were in the first round, so the NORs for them may come out faster. So there may be some new blood coming onto the Register in fall. September would be too early, but mid-October to November would be possible. Again, just a WAG. I also think that they will not skip from September to January with no classes, unless there's a huge budget hold-up and government shut-down. Otherwise, 3 months is too long to have things on hold regardless of holidays if they are going to make their targets. That's what they did last year--a September class followed by a January class. As to when there will be scores, it's just guesswork. So far they haven't administered the online component to those qualifying, what to say of the DC proctored testing. We'll be able to refine our guesses as we get info on when the DC testing runs and on how many are being tested.
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Post by Patience on Jun 9, 2015 20:21:17 GMT -5
Can they ask for new certs during any time period where there are still open and unfilled certs? Or do they have to "close" old certs first? Other than candidates for certs receiving a "Dear John" letter, is there any way to know you are finished and not being hired for the most recent group of certs?
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Post by sealaw90 on Jun 9, 2015 20:28:40 GMT -5
My uneducated outsider guess is that there will not be nearly as many people taking the new round of testing as there were in the first round, so the NORs for them may come out faster. So there may be some new blood coming onto the Register in fall. September would be too early, but mid-October to November would be possible. Again, just a WAG. I also think that they will not skip from September to January with no classes, unless there's a huge budget hold-up and government shut-down. Otherwise, 3 months is too long to have things on hold regardless of holidays if they are going to make their targets. That's what they did last year--a September class followed by a January class. As to when there will be scores, it's just guesswork. So far they haven't administered the online component to those qualifying, what to say of the DC proctored testing. We'll be able to refine our guesses as we get info on when the DC testing runs and on how many are being tested. As my sometimes feeble brain cells will fail me, I do seem to recall there was a group that was hired in August who went to a September class and a group that started in September who went to Falls Church in October. I think they will try to duplicate that process this year. Or maybe not, JMHO.
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Post by gary on Jun 9, 2015 20:31:27 GMT -5
That's what they did last year--a September class followed by a January class. As to when there will be scores, it's just guesswork. So far they haven't administered the online component to those qualifying, what to say of the DC proctored testing. We'll be able to refine our guesses as we get info on when the DC testing runs and on how many are being tested. As my sometimes feeble brain cells will fail me, I do seem to recall there was a group that was hired in August who went to a September class and a group that started in September who went to Falls Church in October. I think they will try to duplicate that process this year. Or maybe not, JMHO. Your feeble brain cells are correct. I am in agreement they will do that. Then I think next class will be hired to start in their duty locations 1/2016.
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Post by sealaw90 on Jun 9, 2015 21:21:37 GMT -5
Agreed.
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Post by gary on Jun 9, 2015 21:23:43 GMT -5
And your brain cells aren't nearly so feeble as you claim.
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Post by JudgeRatty on Jun 9, 2015 22:17:55 GMT -5
Can they ask for new certs during any time period where there are still open and unfilled certs? Or do they have to "close" old certs first? Other than candidates for certs receiving a "Dear John" letter, is there any way to know you are finished and not being hired for the most recent group of certs? Remember each city is a cert unto itself. They don't close out the whole ball of wax all at once. Things are happening in tandem here. Some cities are on a cert, some are getting transfers, some just closed a cert pending transfers, and more. You can have a combo with one opening going to a transfer and one to a newbie. There are many overlapping parts working at the same time so stop thinking of things in 2 dimensions. Just because we see parts of one process does not mean the end of another. This new register is vastly different. Bottom line: more hires to come. Many more. If you keep getting on certs you are not out! If you stop seeing the cert emails when you have those cities that are reported and you were on those cities in the past.. Well that is probably not a good sign. Until that happens you are still in the game! Good luck all!
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Post by JudgeRatty on Jun 9, 2015 22:21:03 GMT -5
And I have to add that once all of your city certs close you will get the Dear John email ... Thanks for playing this round. And even that is NOT the end. I got one of those emails last round. Some have had more. No big deal. It isn't over until you stop showing up on cert lists!
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Post by gary on Jun 9, 2015 22:26:45 GMT -5
And I have to add that once all of your city certs close you will get the Dear John email ... Thanks for playing this round. And even that is NOT the end. I got one of those emails last round. Some have had more. No big deal. It isn't over until you stop showing up on cert lists! And then depending on the cities on your GAL you might make one or more certs for a different agency.
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Post by JudgeRatty on Jun 9, 2015 22:32:52 GMT -5
And I have to add that once all of your city certs close you will get the Dear John email ... Thanks for playing this round. And even that is NOT the end. I got one of those emails last round. Some have had more. No big deal. It isn't over until you stop showing up on cert lists! And then depending on the cities on your GAL you might make one or more certs for a different agency. AMEN! Believe! It may not happen when you want but it can still happen! Think about it... They still want another 250 next year. Will they reach the goal? Who knows but you can bet they will try. Somebody on the register will be in that 250. Why not you?
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Post by Missundaztood on Jun 10, 2015 6:27:19 GMT -5
And then depending on the cities on your GAL you might make one or more certs for a different agency. AMEN! Believe! It may not happen when you want but it can still happen! Think about it... They still want another 250 next year. Will they reach the goal? Who knows but you can bet they will try. Somebody on the register will be in that 250. Why not you? Well, there is that whole thing about Congress appropriating the money for those 250 positions first. Especially if SSA doesn't use the money for the positions this year. That would be two years in a row that SSA left money on the table for ALJ positions. That's a big no-no. One year may be an anomaly. But two? Congress can say, nah, SSA is being piggish and hasn't really evaluated the money it needs so let's give it much less, because money is tight and other agencies are actually using every penny. It's Appropriations 101.
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Post by moopigsdad on Jun 10, 2015 7:17:07 GMT -5
AMEN! Believe! It may not happen when you want but it can still happen! Think about it... They still want another 250 next year. Will they reach the goal? Who knows but you can bet they will try. Somebody on the register will be in that 250. Why not you? Well, there is that whole thing about Congress appropriating the money for those 250 positions first. Especially if SSA doesn't use the money for the positions this year. That would be two years in a row that SSA left money on the table for ALJ positions. That's a big no-no. One year may be an anomaly. But two? Congress can say, nah, SSA is being piggish and hasn't really evaluated the money it needs so let's give it much less, because money is tight and other agencies are actually using every penny. It's Appropriations 101. I agree Miss that an agency's failure to use budgeted money during the fiscal year is a big no-no. So, there should be no excuse not to use all the budgeted money given for ALJ hiring.
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Post by hapi2balj on Jun 10, 2015 14:56:14 GMT -5
I'm loving all this intel. I know nothing's set in stone but it sure is good to have access to the storehouse of knowledge that this forum provides. You can't imagine how much I appreciate all of you. I only wish I had found this forum earlier than mid-May 2013 - I might've avoided having to wait this long to get my online component invitation - but all things in their time. Thanks to all of you.
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Post by privateatty on Jun 10, 2015 15:26:05 GMT -5
Well, there is that whole thing about Congress appropriating the money for those 250 positions first. Especially if SSA doesn't use the money for the positions this year. That would be two years in a row that SSA left money on the table for ALJ positions. That's a big no-no. One year may be an anomaly. But two? Congress can say, nah, SSA is being piggish and hasn't really evaluated the money it needs so let's give it much less, because money is tight and other agencies are actually using every penny. It's Appropriations 101. I agree Miss that an agency's failure to use budgeted money during the fiscal year is a big no-no. So, there should be no excuse not to use all the budgeted money given for ALJ hiring. If I were a big-wig at Puzzle Palace I would be concerned about appearing before Congress on this issue. We all know what they would say--OPM threw us a curve ball with the new "Cert City" requirements. Whether or not that would fly is anybody's guess. I suspect that the Congressional staffers are smarter than Puzzle Palace may think. Puzzle Palace will then fall back to their second line of defense: we get to hire whom we want and we didn't like all those other qualified folks. That may be a better argument.
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Post by Missundaztood on Jun 10, 2015 16:02:04 GMT -5
I agree Miss that an agency's failure to use budgeted money during the fiscal year is a big no-no. So, there should be no excuse not to use all the budgeted money given for ALJ hiring. If I were a big-wig at Puzzle Palace I would be concerned about appearing before Congress on this issue. We all know what they would say--OPM threw us a curve ball with the new "Cert City" requirements. Whether or not that would fly is anybody's guess. I suspect that the Congressional staffers are smarter than Puzzle Palace may think. Puzzle Palace will then fall back to their second line of defense: we get to hire whom we want and we didn't like all those other qualified folks. That may be a better argument. Why be put in that position? It's like advising a client on various litigation positions when the client can totally avoid litigation. Just make the hires! I know other agencies (for non-ALJ positions) are ramping up now to make their hires, as is the case every year when there is no hiring freeze.
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Post by Gaidin on Jun 10, 2015 20:27:14 GMT -5
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Post by gary on Jun 10, 2015 20:44:19 GMT -5
Offers should start Bastille Day.
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