|
Post by gary on Aug 26, 2015 0:59:10 GMT -5
Wow. This board has been great. I'm waiting for my email allowing me to self-schedule my SI and LBMT. I'm an outsider, no vet credit, did the phase one in 2013 and then decided not to phase 2. I was surprised when I got the email the ALJ Applicant survey in May asking if I wanted to complete Phase 2. Of course, this time I did and now this ride just got a little bit more real. What I am confused about is this whole geographical location issue. I'm ready and willing to relocate to a rather wide geographic area to get the position but I can't remember if I picked my preferred areas back in 2013 or if that's something that happens if I score high enough after the SI & LBMT? Also, and I apologize if this is on another thread (feel free to direct me there but I couldn't find it) is it possible to get an offer from more than one office or once an office decides to give you an offer are you only considered for that location? I have a healthy size family and while I will go wide, there are some places that would be challenging and might require me to move ahead of my family (for up to a year) and then deciding to relocate everyone or transferring to one of our more preferred locations. Any input would be appreciated. 1. Your GAL was selected by you when you applied in 2013. You can see which locations you selected on Application Manager accessible through your usajobs.com account. 2. You will not be able to modify your GAL until: a) OPM refreshes the register (i.e., opens it up to new applicants), or b) creates a whole new register, or c) exercises its discretion and allows those on the register to modify their GALs outside of a refresh or creation of a new register. 3. If you make one or more certs, SSA will give you the option of removing the locations from your GAL. This is done before any hiring decisions are made on those certs. Also, if you remove a location, you will not be considered for that location unless and until you put it back on your GAL under the circumstances previously noted. 4. It is possible to get offers from different agencies at the same time (e.g., SSA and OMHA). 5. People do not receive offers for more than one office of the same agency at the same time. E.g., SSA will not give you a choice of location if they offer you a job. 6. SSA does allow transfers. However, you cannot count on being able to transfer to a preferred location in a specific time frame. While some transfers have come relatively quickly others have had to wait awhile. Once this current big hire is over, it is expected transfers will take longer to happen.
|
|
|
Post by HappyDaze on Aug 26, 2015 2:04:12 GMT -5
Wow. This board has been great. I'm waiting for my email allowing me to self-schedule my SI and LBMT. I'm an outsider, no vet credit, did the phase one in 2013 and then decided not to phase 2. I was surprised when I got the email the ALJ Applicant survey in May asking if I wanted to complete Phase 2. Of course, this time I did and now this ride just got a little bit more real. What I am confused about is this whole geographical location issue. I'm ready and willing to relocate to a rather wide geographic area to get the position but I can't remember if I picked my preferred areas back in 2013 or if that's something that happens if I score high enough after the SI & LBMT? Also, and I apologize if this is on another thread (feel free to direct me there but I couldn't find it) is it possible to get an offer from more than one office or once an office decides to give you an offer are you only considered for that location? I have a healthy size family and while I will go wide, there are some places that would be challenging and might require me to move ahead of my family (for up to a year) and then deciding to relocate everyone or transferring to one of our more preferred locations. Any input would be appreciated. 1. Your GAL was selected by you when you applied in 2013. You can see which locations you selected on Application Manager accessible through your usajobs.com account. 2. You will not be able to modify your GAL until: a) OPM refreshes the register (i.e., opens it up to new applicants), or b) creates a whole new register, or c) exercises its discretion and allows those on the register to modify their GALs outside of a refresh or creation of a new register. 3. If you make one or more certs, SSA will give you the option of removing the locations from your GAL. This is done before any hiring decisions are made on those certs. Also, if you remove a location, you will not be considered for that location unless and until you put it back on your GAL under the circumstances previously noted. 4. It is possible to get offers from different agencies at the same time (e.g., SSA and OMHA). 5. People do not receive offers for more than one office of the same agency at the same time. E.g., SSA will not give you a choice of location if they offer you a job. 6. SSA does allow transfers. However, you cannot count on being able to transfer to a preferred location in a specific time frame. While some transfers have come relatively quickly others have had to wait awhile. Once this current big hire is over, it is expected transfers will take longer to happen. Thanks so much. I just accessed that portion of the account and low and behold, there it was. I guess in 2013 I had a much more conservative idea about relocation so my GAL is pretty narrow, but it is what it is. Keeping my fingers crossed!
|
|
|
Post by mamaru on Aug 26, 2015 11:38:02 GMT -5
To elaborate just a bit cal, if you are hired for SSA you are hired for the Agency and assigned to an office. One interview and then they tell you where you go if you get an offer. You do not go to that office and interview. You probably will report for duty never having met your new boss or visited your new office. Exciting times.
|
|
|
Post by HappyDaze on Aug 26, 2015 12:48:35 GMT -5
Thanks for that mamaru. I imagined you would interview at the actual location you would be hired to work in. So is the SSA interview also in DC??? And then if they want to offer you a job they will look at your GAL and say something along the line of, "we want to offer you a job in XYZ office if you want it."
|
|
|
Post by gary on Aug 26, 2015 13:35:25 GMT -5
Thanks for that mamaru. I imagined you would interview at the actual location you would be hired to work in. So is the SSA interview also in DC??? And then if they want to offer you a job they will look at your GAL and say something along the line of, "we want to offer you a job in XYZ office if you want it." No. Somewhat oversimplified what happens is: 1. SSA fills out forms requesting certs for the cities and positions it may hire. Each city is a separate cert. 2. OPM returns the certs with a list of eligibles for each cert. 3. SSA emails telling you which cert(s) you are on and asking if you are still interested in those locations. 4. If you don't reject all of the locations you certed for, SSA interviews you. 5. If SSA wants to hire you for a position, they call, tell you which city they are offering to hire you in, and ask whether you accept.
|
|
|
Post by mamaru on Aug 26, 2015 13:56:37 GMT -5
Thanks for that mamaru. I imagined you would interview at the actual location you would be hired to work in. So is the SSA interview also in DC??? And then if they want to offer you a job they will look at your GAL and say something along the line of, "we want to offer you a job in XYZ office if you want it." Precisely. Gary's answer is more techinical, but I think you have grasped the concept. Technically the SSA interview is in FC not DC. As he points out, you don't automatically get an interview if you "pass" the OPM test with an NOR. It depends on whether they're hiring for a city on your GAL and if your score is high enough to make you "reachable" on that cert. (Or certs, you may be considered for more than one place at the same time.)
|
|
|
Post by mlebeau on Aug 26, 2015 14:55:44 GMT -5
I am a long-time lurker who also received the August 14th email. I know it was the case in the past, but do current federal employees receive administrative leave for the days the ALJ examination is administered?
|
|
|
Post by sealaw90 on Aug 26, 2015 15:29:41 GMT -5
I am a long-time lurker who also received the August 14th email. I know it was the case in the past, but do current federal employees receive administrative leave for the days the ALJ examination is administered? I think that would depend on the agency. Even if my agency would authorize admin leave, I would not have told my current supervisor that I was looking for a better job. Heck, I didn't even list him as a reference, just a recent eval. His the big impetus for me jumping when the register opened up in 2013. If I had a good relationship with my boss, and the agency allowed it, then maybe I would ask about it.
|
|
|
Post by funkyodar on Aug 26, 2015 15:31:55 GMT -5
I cant recall completely, but I think I got Admin Time for the DC testing and for the SSA interview.
|
|
|
Post by owl on Aug 26, 2015 15:50:52 GMT -5
SSA allowed me admin leave for the later agency interview but not for the earlier WD/LBMT/SI trip, on the grounds that that shindig was run by OPM, not SSA. I do believe there is a section in SSA's Personnel Policy Manual that does indeed specify that admin leave is allowable only when interviewing for other jobs within the agency. YMMV.
|
|
|
Post by keepsake on Aug 26, 2015 17:02:45 GMT -5
Agree that it would be agency specific. In my non-SSA agency, will not fly, but certainly doesn't hurt to look into it or ask (barring the supervisor issue highlighted above if that's relevant).
|
|
|
Post by JudgeRatty on Aug 26, 2015 18:18:49 GMT -5
SSA allowed me admin leave for the later agency interview but not for the earlier WD/LBMT/SI trip, on the grounds that that shindig was run by OPM, not SSA. I do believe there is a section in SSA's Personnel Policy Manual that does indeed specify that admin leave is allowable only when interviewing for other jobs within the agency. YMMV. Ditto. Admin for SSA related interview but not for the OPM trip.
|
|
|
Post by hopefalj on Aug 26, 2015 18:19:09 GMT -5
I believe I had the same experience as owl. No for the testing, yes for the SSA interview.
|
|
|
Post by minny on Aug 26, 2015 18:25:06 GMT -5
I am a long-time lurker who also received the August 14th email. I know it was the case in the past, but do current federal employees receive administrative leave for the days the ALJ examination is administered?[/quotte] I have a great relationship with my federal agency and manager but I was on leave for the testing trip.
|
|
|
Post by anotherfed on Aug 27, 2015 9:23:20 GMT -5
It never even occurred to me to request admin leave when I tested and interviewed. I just took annual leave.
|
|
|
Post by quesera on Aug 27, 2015 9:46:00 GMT -5
It is also my understanding that SSA will require us to use Annual, credit or comp for the OPM part. I also enjoyed reading Pumpkin's humorous plan of action, but have one concern. I worry she will eat PB&J before the interview and encounter a severely peanut-allergic interviewer, who will experience increasingly serious reaction due to the peanut-laden airspace, thereby ruining Pumpkin's interview. Go peanut-free, folks!!
|
|
|
Post by pumpkin on Aug 27, 2015 10:16:24 GMT -5
It is also my understanding that SSA will require us to use Annual, credit or comp for the OPM part. I also enjoyed reading Pumpkin's humorous plan of action, but have one concern. I worry she will eat PB&J before the interview and encounter a severely peanut-allergic interviewer, who will experience increasingly serious reaction due to the peanut-laden airspace, thereby ruining Pumpkin's interview. Go peanut-free, folks!! Fear not - I'm only bringing the PB&J to put on the floor at the WD/LBMT. I will probably brush my teeth at some point between the LBMT and the SI, it being a real special occasion and all. As insurance, I will step down the street to the CVS and pick up some high falutin' Jean Nate and apply that real good just before I go in to meet the interview folks.
|
|
afm
New Member
Posts: 12
|
Post by afm on Aug 27, 2015 12:05:38 GMT -5
It is also my understanding that SSA will require us to use Annual, credit or comp for the OPM part. I also enjoyed reading Pumpkin's humorous plan of action, but have one concern. I worry she will eat PB&J before the interview and encounter a severely peanut-allergic interviewer, who will experience increasingly serious reaction due to the peanut-laden airspace, thereby ruining Pumpkin's interview. Go peanut-free, folks!! Fear not - I'm only bringing the PB&J to put on the floor at the WD/LBMT. I will probably brush my teeth at some point between the LBMT and the SI, it being a real special occasion and all. As insurance, I will step down the street to the CVS and pick up some high falutin' Jean Nate and apply that real good just before I go in to meet the interview folks. OMG Pumpkin. Do they still make Jane Nate perfume? This is better than "the Last Comic Standing." You have a future is the ALJ thing doesn't pan out.
|
|
|
Post by anotherfed on Aug 27, 2015 15:26:13 GMT -5
Fear not - I'm only bringing the PB&J to put on the floor at the WD/LBMT. I will probably brush my teeth at some point between the LBMT and the SI, it being a real special occasion and all. As insurance, I will step down the street to the CVS and pick up some high falutin' Jean Nate and apply that real good just before I go in to meet the interview folks. OMG Pumpkin. Do they still make Jane Nate perfume? This is better than "the Last Comic Standing." You have a future is the ALJ thing doesn't pan out. Keynote speaker at the next AALJ conference.
|
|
|
Post by pumpkin on Aug 29, 2015 8:43:46 GMT -5
I am readying myself for the trip to DC next week. I have printed my Wonka-like "Golden Ticket" e-mails which grant admission into the WD/LBMT and SI. I'm confident in my ability to find the Theodore Roosevelt Building and get myself and my PB&J sandwich through the magnetometer. From that point, I will let my herd instinct guide me to a frigid room with lots of laptops.
My question for those who have been through this process is: were you notified about the specific location for the SI? I know the general location is the Embassy Suites in Georgetown. I know the time of my interview, and to arrive 30 minutes early, and to bring my admission ticket. Was there a sign posted in the hotel lobby, "OPM Interviews Room 123"? Did you inquire at the concierge desk ("hello, I'm looking for a job interview") thereby assuming the risk that you'd be given a housekeeping cart to see how quickly you could ready that room in which the fraternity brothers partied the night before? Affix a nametag with "Future ALJ" to your suit lapel and wait in the lobby for the OPM fairy to guide you to the magical land of structured interviews? I suppose I could just put on my Nancy Drew, Girl Detective hat, grab my spyglass, and look behind the 99 steps of the Hidden Staircase. While I will never completely eliminate my obvious dork factor, I'd like to try to minimize it that day and locate the specific interview site without having to use the geocaching app on my phone.
|
|