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Post by yodapug on Dec 9, 2015 13:34:19 GMT -5
I never thought about the 61 cities as being all cities where all agencies have ALJ's, not just ODAR offices. Can anyone confirm that? Is there a list of just ODAR cities anywhere you can think of?
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Post by berk727 on Dec 9, 2015 13:34:35 GMT -5
I'm a little nervous about filling this out, because it says if you don't want to change anything, don't and your current list will continue (I already listed everything originally). But I don't feel comfortable skipping the pages and leaving them blank, even though they say that's okay. Just feeling superstitious about that, I guess. The part that makes me more nervous, since I'm considering leaving my GAL as is, is not responding to the survey's last question, "Are you still interested in being an ALJ?" that made me nervous too. So I skipped the location questions because I don't want to change my GAL, but I answered "yes" to the last one, because I don't want to be dropped entirely (even though it said it was okay to skip it).
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Post by Gaidin on Dec 9, 2015 13:36:18 GMT -5
I never thought about the 61 cities as being all cities where all agencies have ALJ's, not just ODAR offices. Can anyone confirm that? Is there a list of just ODAR cities anywhere you can think of? You can go to the ODAR hearing office locator website and it will show you the offices in each region. Its way more than 61 by the way. You should be looking at closer to 161.
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Post by hapi2balj on Dec 9, 2015 13:36:49 GMT -5
I never thought about the 61 cities as being all cities where all agencies have ALJ's, not just ODAR offices. Can anyone confirm that? Is there a list of just ODAR cities anywhere you can think of? There's an ODAR Hearing Office locator on www.ssa.gov.
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Post by saaao on Dec 9, 2015 13:37:36 GMT -5
If more people expand than contract, which I expect they will, that means more candidates per city. Combine that with the fact that hundreds of new people will be joining the register soon. A bit further down the road: a refresh. I agree it's a good time to be on the register, but the competition is getter fiercer. You'll be happy to hear that some of us are indeed contracting our GAL, though I don't know that I am particularly competitive at this point no matter what my GAL is. At least I will only be passed over for cities that I actually wanted to go to in the first place.
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Post by hapi2balj on Dec 9, 2015 13:39:38 GMT -5
Does someone have a copy of the complete list of cities that can easily be copied? I'd like to send it to my husband for his consideration, but it didn't copy well from the survey side. So much comes up when I search for GAL expansion or GAL list that it is hard to sort through. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks! On opm.gov, there's at least a link to "Senior ALJ Geographic Preference" or something like that on the Administrative Law Judges page. That gives a complete list of cities where ALJs are located; it may also be elsewhere on opm.gov, but it's at that "Senior ALJ" link for sure. If you're interested in limiting it to SSA ODAR cities, on ssa.gov there's an ODAR Hearing Office Locator.
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Post by uclabruin on Dec 9, 2015 13:43:16 GMT -5
What happens to the recent cert of 11/30/2015? The new email seems to suggest that the cert is suspended, or at least suspended until 1/6/2016. And if we expand our GAL, are the cities added to our GAL part of the 11/30/2015 cert? This is so interesting.
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Post by Gaidin on Dec 9, 2015 13:49:35 GMT -5
What happens to the recent cert of 11/30/2015? The new email seems to suggest that the cert is suspended, or at least suspended until 1/6/2016. And if we expand our GAL, are the cities added to our GAL part of the 11/30/2015 cert? This is so interesting. I do not believe this will affect much less suspend the current cert.
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Post by youpaiyou on Dec 9, 2015 13:49:50 GMT -5
Like one or two others have stated, I do not want to make any changes to my geographic preferences, but I feel uncomfortable leaving things blank and I also feel uncomfortable not completing the survey....
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Post by hapi2balj on Dec 9, 2015 13:51:13 GMT -5
Like one or two others have stated, I do not want to make any changes to my geographic preferences, but I feel uncomfortable leaving things blank and I also feel uncomfortable not completing the survey.... The survey instructions, on the page regarding continued interest in an ALJ job, does state that if no answer is submitted to the question it will not affect one's standing on the ALJ register.
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Post by 71stretch on Dec 9, 2015 13:56:26 GMT -5
What happens to the recent cert of 11/30/2015? The new email seems to suggest that the cert is suspended, or at least suspended until 1/6/2016. And if we expand our GAL, are the cities added to our GAL part of the 11/30/2015 cert? This is so interesting. This email has no effect whatsoever on the 11/30 certs which have already been issued. It will affect the next set.
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Post by youpaiyou on Dec 9, 2015 13:56:28 GMT -5
Like one or two others have stated, I do not want to make any changes to my geographic preferences, but I feel uncomfortable leaving things blank and I also feel uncomfortable not completing the survey.... The survey instructions, on the page regarding continued interest in an ALJ job, does state that if no answer is submitted to the question it will not affect one's standing on the ALJ register. Awesome. Thank you. I did not get past the 1st page of the survey.
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Post by 71stretch on Dec 9, 2015 13:57:46 GMT -5
Like one or two others have stated, I do not want to make any changes to my geographic preferences, but I feel uncomfortable leaving things blank and I also feel uncomfortable not completing the survey.... Well then send it in listing the same cities you have now, and confirming your continued interest.
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Post by Pixie on Dec 9, 2015 14:11:58 GMT -5
Just remember the new rule requiring a new hire to remain in the location hired for a minimum of 15 months. Good Luck! Yes, it is now only 15 months. For the longest it was a minimum of two years, and everyone was able to get back where they wanted to be. Wasn't seen as a deal breaker then, and 15 months shouldn't be so viewed either. The 90 day rule was doomed from the beginning. A noble experiment, but one that had little chance of longevity. Figure out those locations that are within driving distance for weekend trips home--maybe 3 to 5 hours--and have a go. Pix.
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Post by tripper on Dec 9, 2015 14:13:43 GMT -5
Just remember the new rule requiring a new hire to remain in the location hired for a minimum of 15 months. Good Luck! Yes, it is now only 15 months. For the longest it was a minimum of two years, and everyone was able to get back where they wanted to be. Wasn't seen as a deal breaker then, and 15 months shouldn't be so viewed either. The 90 day rule was doomed from the beginning. A noble experiment, but one that had little chance of longevity. Figure out those locations that are within driving distance for weekend trips home--maybe 3 to 5 hours--and have a go. Pix. I think there's a world of difference between three months and 15 months. I will be narrowing my GAL a bit.
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Post by pumpkin on Dec 9, 2015 14:23:14 GMT -5
Yes, it is now only 15 months. For the longest it was a minimum of two years, and everyone was able to get back where they wanted to be. Wasn't seen as a deal breaker then, and 15 months shouldn't be so viewed either. The 90 day rule was doomed from the beginning. A noble experiment, but one that had little chance of longevity. Figure out those locations that are within driving distance for weekend trips home--maybe 3 to 5 hours--and have a go. Pix. I find today's developments to be exciting and terrifying at the same time. I think I need to bury my head in the sand until next weekend and get through the interview first and foremost. Who knows, I may leave the interview thinking, "if I have a shot at all of ever being an ALJ, I better start talking up the merits of East Westphalia to my family now..."
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Post by robespierre on Dec 9, 2015 14:27:51 GMT -5
The ODAR office in East Westphalia is located at 100 North Street, South Building.
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Post by Pixie on Dec 9, 2015 14:28:25 GMT -5
It all comes down to how badly one wants the job and what one is willing to endure to get it.
That is the question all of you have to ask yourselves. Pix.
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Post by pugetsoundgirl on Dec 9, 2015 15:02:59 GMT -5
Also note the email says: "All applicants on the ALJ register will be allowed to make additional geographic location changes whenever the next ALJ JOA is posted." As the speculations appears such a JOA is to be posted in April 2016 or so, I read this as saying another opportunity will be available fairly soon as well for a GAL modification. It seems OPM/SSA are not messing around with trying to get this hiring train going and maybe another cert(s) will be forthcoming 1) once the current testing crop are graded and 2) before the anticipated register refresh in the Spring. Pure speculation perhaps, but to borrow a TM'd phrase - an good/excellent time to be on the register.
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Post by pugetsoundgirl on Dec 9, 2015 15:05:10 GMT -5
Tested in DC in November. No NOR as yet, but received the GAL update and continuing interest email.
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