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Post by clementine on Jun 2, 2016 13:30:54 GMT -5
I hope this is the right thread for this! I'm at a conference in Miami. I believe it was Therese Gruber speaking about the backlog. She said there were 5,000 applicants in April for the exam, but that new hires from this group are not expected until spring 2017. Not that it will happen that soon, but it seems to be their goal.
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Post by jagvet on Jun 2, 2016 13:45:21 GMT -5
Hey, friends. Don't be discouraged when an old-timer sets you straight. It is so easy to misunderstand this arcane OPM/SSA procedure. You could spend innumerable hours obsessing on something unimportant and miss some obscure critical requirement. Some of the old timers, especially those waiting for years to get a call, have a right to be frustrated if you post, "Should I wear pink or white nail polish to the interview?" On the other hand, who else can you ask? It's anonymous, collegial, fun and friendly. Mrs. Jagvet is a great sounding board, but she doesn't know what to tell me. I know one curent and one retired ODAR ALJ, but it has been 20 years since I spoke to either, so I can't bring myself to call them and ask advice. Maybe one of them is actually here, guiding me and I don't even know it. Hang in there, laugh, and keep asking "dumb" questions. I do! Good luck, everyone! That avatar is from Judgment at Nuremberg? Bill Shatner also played an Army lawyer in The Andersonville Trial, I think. Random and off topic, but the thread could use some of that. neufenland, You are correct, Sir! Captain Kirk as an Army JAG captain/Nazi prosecutor. I didn't see Andersonville. Thanks for the tension-breaker, pal.
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Post by monday on Jun 3, 2016 9:28:31 GMT -5
You'll be a role model to the staff in your office, for better or worse, whether you want to or not. Your office must be very different from mine, because the idea of ALJ's being role models is extremely far from my experience. Mostly, the staff is happy if the judge is not an obnoxious jerk and can do the job s/he was hired for.
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Post by onepingonly on Jun 3, 2016 10:10:14 GMT -5
You'll be a role model to the staff in your office, for better or worse, whether you want to or not. Your office must be very different from mine, because the idea of ALJ's being role models is extremely far from my experience. Mostly, the staff is happy if the judge is not an obnoxious jerk and can do the job s/he was hired for. That's the "worse" part of the formula above. I'm terribly disappointed to hear of the dismal bar the ALJs in your office have set. They are models of rotten behavior. Shame on them. ALJs have so much more than the other staff in the office, in terms of pay, perqs, leave, office space, status, freedom from supervision, power, and autonomy, that they are going to be objects of intense interest. That's often going to translate into either strong admiration or deep loathing. Their behavior either reinforces cynicism and disillusion about government, or inspires or restores faith in it. Each ALJ is also a role model for every other ALJ in the office. If I witnessed behavior unbecoming an ALJ (the jerky behavior you mentioned) I would not hesitate to have a chat with the offending judge. But my office is great. No jerky ALJs. You'll see me saying so in many of my posts. I'm extremely grateful for my good fortune. Your post serves as a useful reminder that not all are so lucky. All it takes for jerkiness to prevail is for good ALJs to do nothing. I don't know you (or at least I don't think I know you), but I'm hoping you get appointed. The ALJ corps needs competent and decent people, who will be role models for good. People who will treat the staff, each other, the claimants, and the reps with such dignity and wisdom as to reflect credit on the corps and the government of which each ALJ is the most visible public face. Join us. Do good. When you wield the gavel, ping me if I can help you, or just to commiserate.
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Post by onepingonly on Jun 3, 2016 10:15:50 GMT -5
That avatar is from Judgment at Nuremberg? Bill Shatner also played an Army lawyer in The Andersonville Trial, I think. Random and off topic, but the thread could use some of that. neufenland, You are correct, Sir! Captain Kirk as an Army JAG captain/Nazi prosecutor. I didn't see Andersonville. Thanks for the tension-breaker, pal. Of course, Kirk convened a sort of court-martial (Spock on trial!) in The Menagerie, and was himself on trial once, with Elijah Cook Jr., of Maltese Falcon fame, as his lawyer, reveling in paper books and invoking the Code of Hammurabi in an age of electronic files and computer evidence. Prescient!
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noone
New Member
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Post by noone on Jun 3, 2016 17:46:57 GMT -5
Today has been exciting and depressing. Obviously, it has been a grand occasion watching folks accept jobs. Howeeevvvver,.......I am a little envious. I may never see the light of day as an alj, but seeing all the great responses today made me want to be a part of it even more.
It has been a long time ago, but it reminded me of how people were waiting for bar results.
Congrats to all....I know there is a lot of celebrating today!!!!!!
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Post by luckylady2 on Jun 3, 2016 17:54:57 GMT -5
I know how you feel, noone. I applied in 2013, made the Register, but had a small GAL for good reasons. I sat through many certs & hiring flurries before I made my first cert. This is my 4th round in the running, and I'm hoping it's The One. But the slight feeling of being left out goes at all the stages when you hear someone else is moving forward while you're being told to wait. You get more used to it, but it IS always there. Best of luck to you as you move through the process!
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Post by monday on Jun 4, 2016 7:20:55 GMT -5
Your office must be very different from mine, because the idea of ALJ's being role models is extremely far from my experience. Mostly, the staff is happy if the judge is not an obnoxious jerk and can do the job s/he was hired for. That's the "worse" part of the formula above. I'm terribly disappointed to hear of the dismal bar the ALJs in your office have set. They are models of rotten behavior. Shame on them. Luckily, polite and competent ALJs are in the majority in my office, and we've only had a handful of bad apples over the years. The newest judges all seem nice and generous with their compliments to the writers, so maybe this sort of behavior has been encouraged in judge school. I think being polite to those who can help you is a smart move, rather than acting like a know-it-all, like some of my least favorite judges.
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noone
New Member
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Post by noone on Jun 4, 2016 7:58:28 GMT -5
Today has been exciting and depressing. Obviously, it has been a grand occasion watching folks accept jobs. Howeeevvvver,.......I am a little envious. I may never see the light of day as an alj, but seeing all the great responses today made me want to be a part of it even more. It has been a long time ago, but it reminded me of how people were waiting for bar results. Congrats to all....I know there is a lot of celebrating today!!!!!! Heed the words of RAM, don't lose hope. It seems early yet. I am merely a "newbie" as you guys say. If I get the chance to take exam, I hope it's not too hard.
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Post by gary on Jun 4, 2016 8:06:51 GMT -5
Heed the words of RAM, don't lose hope. It seems early yet. I am merely a "newbie" as you guys say. If I get the chance to take exam, I hope it's not too hard. There's only one way to find out and that is to take it. Good luck in getting that opportunity. I see from a past post that your name is a reference to Odysseus. For the process inclusive of both the OPM and SSA parts, I think an apt metaphor is Sisyphus.
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Post by onepingonly on Jun 4, 2016 8:18:30 GMT -5
I am merely a "newbie" as you guys say. If I get the chance to take exam, I hope it's not too hard. There's only one way to find out and that is to take it. Good luck in getting that opportunity. I see from a past post that your name is a reference to Odysseus. For the process inclusive of both the OPM and SSA parts, I think an apt metaphor is Sisyphus. Tantalus has also been invoked.
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Post by onepingonly on Jun 4, 2016 8:23:55 GMT -5
That's the "worse" part of the formula above. I'm terribly disappointed to hear of the dismal bar the ALJs in your office have set. They are models of rotten behavior. Shame on them. Luckily, polite and competent ALJs are in the majority in my office, and we've only had a handful of bad apples over the years. The newest judges all seem nice and generous with their compliments to the writers, so maybe this sort of behavior has been encouraged in judge school. I think being polite to those who can help you is a smart move, rather than acting like a know-it-all, like some of my least favorite judges. Glad to hear good apples have outweighed bad in you bushel, and I so agree with you on niceness. Elwood P. Dowd summed it up: "Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" - she always called me Elwood - "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."
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Post by ba on Jun 4, 2016 8:34:32 GMT -5
That's the "worse" part of the formula above. I'm terribly disappointed to hear of the dismal bar the ALJs in your office have set. They are models of rotten behavior. Shame on them. Luckily, polite and competent ALJs are in the majority in my office, and we've only had a handful of bad apples over the years. The newest judges all seem nice and generous with their compliments to the writers, so maybe this sort of behavior has been encouraged in judge school. I think being polite to those who can help you is a smart move, rather than acting like a know-it-all, like some of my least favorite judges. Treating the people you work with with dignity and respect, particularly those that work hard to make you look good, and treating a life appointment with humility isn't the kind of thing that needs to be taught in Judge school (although reemphasizing it doesn't hurt). It is the kind of thing that is taught from a career of being a professional and having respect for the position to which have been appointed. Those that act otherwise wouldn't change their behavior because someone said something in training.
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Post by funkyodar on Jun 4, 2016 8:59:39 GMT -5
Luckily, polite and competent ALJs are in the majority in my office, and we've only had a handful of bad apples over the years. The newest judges all seem nice and generous with their compliments to the writers, so maybe this sort of behavior has been encouraged in judge school. I think being polite to those who can help you is a smart move, rather than acting like a know-it-all, like some of my least favorite judges. Treating the people you work with with dignity and respect, particularly those that work hard to make you look good, and treating a life appointment with humility isn't the kind of thing that needs to be taught in Judge school (although reemphasizing it doesn't hurt). It is the kind of thing that is taught from a career of being a professional and having respect for the position to which have been appointed. Those that act otherwise wouldn't change their behavior because someone said something in training. It's all about your upbringing, the office culture and expectations. If you have been taught all your life to treat others with respect and dignity, adding a robe won't make a difference. If you know the culture of odar, where a judge is considered a team member and everyone's job is important, you won't crap on your teammates. But, if you come into this job with grandiose ideas acting like that arsehole article 3 judge you know, getting that kind of deference, having underlings bow and scrape and do all your tedium...gonna be bad for you and your office. It's amazing how quick one jerk alj can upset an entire odar office that had previously been cordial, productive and professional. As an insider, I've seen that first hand. That's why I am quite pleased odar doesn't just hire the top OPM ranked candidate for each slot, but considers agency fit. Funk
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Post by Gaidin on Jun 4, 2016 9:14:04 GMT -5
I might suggest you newbies open a new thread to talk about other things. Pixie only really created this thread to hold your angst about AM not the entirety of your posts.
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noone
New Member
Posts: 15
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Post by noone on Jun 4, 2016 10:17:08 GMT -5
There's only one way to find out and that is to take it. Good luck in getting that opportunity. I see from a past post that your name is a reference to Odysseus. For the process inclusive of both the OPM and SSA parts, I think an apt metaphor is Sisyphus. Tantalus has also been invoked. These metaphors are depressing....haha....When you reference these mythological analogies, they calm my angst. I am against a goliath. I hope I have the favor of David....
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Post by Gaidin on Jun 4, 2016 10:23:35 GMT -5
Tantalus has also been invoked. These metaphors are depressing....haha....When you reference these mythological analogies, they calm my angst. I am against a goliath. I hope I have the favor of David.... Battle metaphors aren't quite right because they imply a kind of conflict that is absent from this process. You can't beat the other applicants. You can't beat OPM or the hiring agencies. All you can do is outlast them. This is a journey. An ultramarathon around the rim of an active volcano with no shoes.
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noone
New Member
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Post by noone on Jun 4, 2016 10:31:46 GMT -5
These metaphors are depressing....haha....When you reference these mythological analogies, they calm my angst. I am against a goliath. I hope I have the favor of David.... Battle metaphors aren't quite right because they imply a kind of conflict that is absent from this process. You can't beat the other applicants. You can't beat OPM or the hiring agencies. All you can do is outlast them. This is a journey. An ultramarathon around the rim of an active volcano with no shoes. I was just trying to cheer myself. Well, I will go and cry instead now.....haha
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Post by onepingonly on Jun 4, 2016 19:38:02 GMT -5
Treating the people you work with with dignity and respect, particularly those that work hard to make you look good, and treating a life appointment with humility isn't the kind of thing that needs to be taught in Judge school (although reemphasizing it doesn't hurt). It is the kind of thing that is taught from a career of being a professional and having respect for the position to which have been appointed. Those that act otherwise wouldn't change their behavior because someone said something in training. About twenty years ago I had to have a surgical biopsy at a large prestigious teaching hospital. My surgeon was wonderful and explained everything to me and took the time to answer my questions. He always had a bunch of residents with him as is common in teaching hospitals. I was nervous about the whole thing--I'd never had surgery before (or after) and was a new mom. The day of the surgery, many students tried to take my history etc and if they were nice and respectful, I would comply so they could check it off their assignment list. If they were aggressive or insensitive, I refused. There was one guy who was particularly obnoxious. All went well and I did not have cancer. When I went back for my follow up, my surgeon was alone. I told him that I wished he had his tag team with him so I could tell him in front of them how much it meant that he had been respectful and patient. I guess that hit a nerve, because he spent 5 minutes telling me how he had tried everything. He had tried persuasion, even humiliation with certain "a-holes," reward, punishment and concluded that it was really about how people were raised. All he could do was set an example and hope that if they liked what they saw they would copy it. I saw that he later when on to work with terminal patients and I was happy that they had such a terrific human being as their final doctor. Well said. Glad you're okay. Good lesson.
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Post by Burt Macklin on Jun 8, 2016 8:38:02 GMT -5
Two months since the application deadline and still absolutely nothing.
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