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Post by sealaw90 on Jul 20, 2015 18:02:23 GMT -5
Typically you get the cert email with your cities before the call to schedule the interview so you know what cities are in play before you go. They probably figure you can wait for the email. I know people on this board like to speculate. But I decided to just pick up the phone and get real answers. And I got some. Feel free to PM me for details. I've had a few friends turn down the interview once, for a particular city with no harm to the rest of your GAL. However, if you have a very small cert and you don't know which city you are 'rejecting', you could be losing out for the entire register. Extenuating circumstances are allowed, but unless I was recalled to active duty and stuck somewhere in Afghanistan, I would try to make the interview. It all depends on what you want and what is good for your family.
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Post by february on Jul 20, 2015 18:10:52 GMT -5
I'll be in Japan, so it's not just 24 hours away from the vacation to do the interview. If I was going to be anywhere in North America, then yeah, no brainer, I'd take a brief diversion from the vacation. But I can't just take a quick trip back for this. It would be at least 3 days, I would be so jet lagged I would probably tank the interview, and I'm assuming ODAR wouldn't cover the international ticket price.
I talked to Alicia about my situation. She said they are only scheduling interviews for next week. She did say I could check back with her to see if they opened up additional interview slots later in August, but she didn't sound optimistic. She also said there was no way to put my name on a list to be called if there were more slots; it was all on me to check back with her. I asked what effect this would have on my overall candidacy. She said that it's ultimately OPM's call, but she didn't think that this would be interpreted as me rejecting an offer for the city on my GAL (anyone have better knowledge on this?), which means that I could be on a later cert. That just seems very unlikely to me since I never thought this city would show up on a cert at all, although I guess it has once, so why not twice?
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Post by ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) on Jul 20, 2015 18:23:57 GMT -5
I've had a few friends turn down the interview once, for a particular city with no harm to the rest of your GAL. However, if you have a very small cert and you don't know which city you are 'rejecting', you could be losing out for the entire register. The information I have suggests that you should interview now if given the opportunity, even if they don't have your first choice city on the list right now.
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Post by mamaru on Jul 20, 2015 19:10:40 GMT -5
I've had a few friends turn down the interview once, for a particular city with no harm to the rest of your GAL. However, if you have a very small cert and you don't know which city you are 'rejecting', you could be losing out for the entire register. The information I have suggests that you should interview now if given the opportunity, even if they don't have your first choice city on the list right now. I think she realizes that and her distress is over not being able to do it without canceling the vacation. As for first choice, just to play catch up for a lot of the newer posters, "first choice" is generally meaningless unless you have a GAL of one. A few people have gotten a first choice, not many. If you get an offer, it will be wherever they decide they need you (presumably based on getting the overall best class) and your priorities are secondary to agency needs. Gaiden, it might be interesting to do a poll of people who have been hired and see if they got one of their first choices (up to three or five or something), got another higher numerical choice, or were assigned to a location they did not rank. It might help people who are on the next set of certs decide how much energy to put into the rankings. This is just a suggestion.
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Post by minny on Jul 20, 2015 22:05:43 GMT -5
I got the call today and will be interviewing next week, too. I also have a TINY GAL and am somewhat surprised to get the call.
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Post by moopigsdad on Jul 21, 2015 6:29:19 GMT -5
I am not surprised by those with tiny GALs getting the calls at all. SSA wants a chance to look at more candidates as sealaw90 stated in an earlier post. Good luck to all having their interviews next week. At least it takes you one step closer to possibly getting hired as an ALJ, but as many know on this Board the interview doesn't guarantee you a position.
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Post by hopefalj on Jul 21, 2015 7:55:35 GMT -5
I am not surprised by those with tiny GALs getting the calls at all. SSA wants a chance to look at more candidates as sealaw90 stated in an earlier post. Good luck to all having their interviews next week. At least it takes you one step closer to possibly getting hired as an ALJ, but as many know on this Board the interview doesn't guarantee you a position. In addition to wanting to see more folks, there are actually quite a few places with lengthy transfer lists that have unfilled openings. SSA is making a push to fill as many vacant and non-conforming offices as possible. Many folks on the transfer lists are simply placeholders and don't have any interest of transferring to, say, the Florida offices or other popular retirement locales at this time. That's pretty evident when folks that are in the late teens and even the twenties on the list are getting transfers. You're going to see some interesting places pop up on the September certs, and there will be multiple hires made in some of those popular offices. Best of luck to those with limited GALs! This could be just the right time to be on the register with tiny GALs.
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Post by zepplin on Jul 21, 2015 8:02:19 GMT -5
If it were me, I think I would contact opm directly - probably Bob or Melinda. I'll be in Japan, so it's not just 24 hours away from the vacation to do the interview. If I was going to be anywhere in North America, then yeah, no brainer, I'd take a brief diversion from the vacation. But I can't just take a quick trip back for this. It would be at least 3 days, I would be so jet lagged I would probably tank the interview, and I'm assuming ODAR wouldn't cover the international ticket price. I talked to Alicia about my situation. She said they are only scheduling interviews for next week. She did say I could check back with her to see if they opened up additional interview slots later in August, but she didn't sound optimistic. She also said there was no way to put my name on a list to be called if there were more slots; it was all on me to check back with her. I asked what effect this would have on my overall candidacy. She said that it's ultimately OPM's call, but she didn't think that this would be interpreted as me rejecting an offer for the city on my GAL (anyone have better knowledge on this?), which means that I could be on a later cert. That just seems very unlikely to me since I never thought this city would show up on a cert at all, although I guess it has once, so why not twice?
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Post by mamaru on Jul 21, 2015 8:12:38 GMT -5
Zep, Bob and Mellinda are with SSA, not OPM.
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Post by zepplin on Jul 21, 2015 8:15:25 GMT -5
Zep, Bob and Mellinda are with SSA, not OPM. Oh yeah. Well....there must be some contact at opm?
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Post by 71stretch on Jul 21, 2015 8:34:46 GMT -5
February,
I think it would be worth talking to Bob. What SSA reports back to OPM about you and this round of certs will be important. If Bob thinks you should contact OPM too, he will tell you.
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Post by sealaw90 on Jul 21, 2015 9:00:58 GMT -5
I got the call today and will be interviewing next week, too. I also have a TINY GAL and am somewhat surprised to get the call. Minny, I am so glad for you! Please vote in the poll since it seems like a few folks are not going to interview, but for those of us going to Falls Church, it would be nice to get a better count.
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Post by luckylady2 on Jul 21, 2015 9:43:50 GMT -5
Wait a minute - Feb's been called for a INTERVIEW (SSA) - not for the 2nd round of testing (OPM), call Bob or Mellinda - ASAP!! Konichi wa!
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Post by february on Jul 21, 2015 9:50:52 GMT -5
I talked to Alicia at SSA, who seemed pretty knowledgeable about the process. Is there a reason to also talk to Bob or Mellinda as well? And if so, how do I find their phone numbers?
Edit: I've searched the board and am not coming up with telephone numbers. If anyone has them, please PM me. Thanks so much.
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Post by mamaru on Jul 21, 2015 10:07:08 GMT -5
Zep, Bob and Mellinda are with SSA, not OPM. Oh yeah. Well....there must be some contact at opm? lizdarcy posted that she has a name over there - she said to pm her
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Post by gary on Jul 21, 2015 10:07:59 GMT -5
I'll be in Japan, so it's not just 24 hours away from the vacation to do the interview. If I was going to be anywhere in North America, then yeah, no brainer, I'd take a brief diversion from the vacation. But I can't just take a quick trip back for this. It would be at least 3 days, I would be so jet lagged I would probably tank the interview, and I'm assuming ODAR wouldn't cover the international ticket price. I talked to Alicia about my situation. She said they are only scheduling interviews for next week. She did say I could check back with her to see if they opened up additional interview slots later in August, but she didn't sound optimistic. She also said there was no way to put my name on a list to be called if there were more slots; it was all on me to check back with her. I asked what effect this would have on my overall candidacy. She said that it's ultimately OPM's call, but she didn't think that this would be interpreted as me rejecting an offer for the city on my GAL (anyone have better knowledge on this?), which means that I could be on a later cert. That just seems very unlikely to me since I never thought this city would show up on a cert at all, although I guess it has once, so why not twice? It's possible OPM would treat this as a case where you are unavailable for consideration and suspend you from the register for the duration you can't interview. See the following from the Job Announcement: "If you become unavailable for consideration for a period of time, you should request to have your name suspended due to unavailability from the register. Such requests for suspension, as well as requests to have your name restored to the register, must be submitted to aljapplication@opm.gov. Requests to end the suspension due to unavailability and have your name restored to the register will be accepted as long as the register on which you were placed has not been terminated, and you continue to satisfy the licensure requirement. The ALJ register is scheduled to expire in October 2015, although OPM may extend that date. Prior to the expiration date, applicants on the register will be notified regarding their status and any action impacting their eligibility. If your name is referred for consideration from the register, and you fail to respond to an inquiry from the prospective employing agency, you will be considered unavailable for appointment, and your name will be suspended due to unavailability from the ALJ register until you request to have your name restored to the register as described in the preceding paragraph." This would not result in you losing the city from your GAL. However, whether the city will ever come up again for possible hireling is up to SSA and even they may not know at this time.
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Post by zepplin on Jul 21, 2015 10:12:05 GMT -5
I talked to Alicia at SSA, who seemed pretty knowledgeable about the process. Is there a reason to also talk to Bob or Mellinda as well? And if so, how do I find their phone numbers? Edit: I've searched the board and am not coming up with telephone numbers. If anyone has them, please PM me. Thanks so much. I would guess that Alicia is just a schedule without the power vested in Bob and Melinda. I would not rely on Alicia without contacting Bob or Melinda. Then enjoy your vacation.
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Post by february on Jul 21, 2015 10:48:16 GMT -5
Bob confirms that being unable to come to the interview only means that they are not able to consider me as a candidate during this round of certs, but that it will have no negative effect on the possibility of my name appearing on a future cert. So, it sucks, but there's still some hope down the road.
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Post by zepplin on Jul 21, 2015 10:56:23 GMT -5
Bob confirms that being unable to come to the interview only means that they are not able to consider me as a candidate during this round of certs, but that it will have no negative effect on the possibility of my name appearing on a future cert. So, it sucks, but there's still some hope down the road. I am glad you were able to reach him and get some information. But does this raise the question for non-FOADs and/or FOADs: "This round of certs? What certs?"
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Post by moopigsdad on Jul 21, 2015 12:21:49 GMT -5
Bob confirms that being unable to come to the interview only means that they are not able to consider me as a candidate during this round of certs, but that it will have no negative effect on the possibility of my name appearing on a future cert. So, it sucks, but there's still some hope down the road. I am glad you were able to reach him and get some information. But does this raise the question for non-FOADs and/or FOADs: "This round of certs? What certs?" If no FOAD email, then you are legally still available for appointment to any city on the previous set of certs pulled by SSA. Until you receive a FOAD letter telling you otherwise, you are still a candidate for any open positions that become available (which you had on your acceptable GAL list) from the previously pulled SSA certs.
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