Newsflash: Federal government incompetent! Job opportunity shot to hell!

The BBQ Pit
1

Yeah, I know. Does a bear wear a funny hat? Does the Pope shit in the woods? Does a frog bump its ass a-hoppin’?

I applied for a federal job several weeks ago. It seemed right up my alley, and the geographic location was perfect. See, my girlfriend and I live 200 miles apart, and I’m looking for jobs closer to my area of expertise closer to where she lives.

Well, I found one.

I’m a GIS/remote sensing guy, with expertise in field biology and geographic analysis. The National Park Service advertised a GIS manager job at Russell Cave National Monument, about 40 miles from Huntsville, Alabama, where my girlfriend lives and works. I’m so qualified for this job, it’s not even funny.

I carefully filled out a federal application and sent a resume online, using the links from the job announcement on the Office of Personnel Management website. Then, because they required other materials, I mailed my references, my writing samples, my school records, and all the various other flotsam they required directly, using overnight mail, to the OPM.

I double-checked, nay, triple checked that I’d done everything precisely as described in the job announcement.

I got the response letter yesterday. I quote, "We have carefully reviewed your application and determined that you are not eligible for this position for the following reason: You failed to submit an application/resume."

I am absolutely fucking infuriated. They gave NO recourse to address a mistake. I received NO confirmation that I’d submitted the application and/or resume. There is NO telephone number or e-mail addy for complaints. I could write a letter, I suppose, but they’d take one jaundiced look at it and put it in the “permanent” file.

I’ll contact the office of the National Park Service tomorrow, but I’m certain I’ll get an earful of, “We’re sorry, but you didn’t submit a complete application,” at which point I’ll have an aneurysm and tell them that perhaps they’d better hire me to run the OPM, bcause it’s fairly plain to the casual observer that the ignorant boobs that staff the Office are incapable of using their own fucking system.

So, because of their incompetence, I’m out of the running for the perfect job.

Sorry, Katherine. Hope you can wait a little longer. :frowning:

2

Hey it’s the feds for ya. I applied for over two years to work at NOAA and not once did I even get anything saying they even got my stuff. Took me two years and at least 10 different jobs before I got one. I knew a lot of the people they were hiring too and most of them didn’t have the time or experience I did.

Maybe you’ll get lucky and they didn’t get one of the things you sent but the other stuff will bet the right shit. Don’t be suprised though it can take anywhere from two weeks to eight months for them to make up their minds. When I applied they called me eight months later, hell I’d forgotten that I had even applied!

I’ve been to Russel cave, what the hell do they need a GIS person for anyway? Not that it wouldn’t be a cool job and all it’s just kind of a strange thing for them to need. Hope you get lucky and get it.

3

It’s not just “the feds.” Shoddy HR departments are everywhere. Unfortunately, you were just butt-rammed by one of the many. Do call and explain that you are very interested in the job and did submit the resumee online, etc. Be nice and make sure that they realize just how much you want to work there (with out sounding desparate.) You never what may happen! They might “admit” that they’ve been having computer trouble, yadda yadda yadda. Just don’t go in loaded for bear. Best of luck!

4

http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/index.htm

try here?

5

Edward: To be honest, I’m not entirely sure why they need a GIS person. I suspect it’s because they also do ecological studies of the National Monument land outside the Cave itself. Perhaps they want to create geological maps. I dunno, but I’ll do it…or I would have, at any rate.

Spritle: The OPM website basically says “don’t call us! Call the employing agency!” So I called the National Park Service. I was the very soul of civility. Their response? “Oh, we don’t use any of the online services (despite the fact that the job announcement said “you can apply for this job online!”), and besides, you’ll have to call OPM. We can’t help you.”

Me: “OK. Can you give me a number? There wasn’t one published on the web page.”

Them: “Yes, but you can’t talk to anyone over there. You’ll have to leave a message on voicemail, and hopefully they’ll get back with you.”

The estimated time of response, as estimated by the NPS employee, and I directly quote: “Forever and a day.”

Me: head explodes

I think I’ll end up quitting my job, moving to the Huntsville area, and tending bar until I find a job. It’s been over two years now.

Thanks for the good wishes.

Bosda: Yup, that’s the website alright. Note that on the “Contact Us” page, they have a FAQ and a series of e-mail addresses for technical complaints, beginning with the statement, “If you would like to inquire about the status of your application to a vacancy posted on USAJOBS, you should go to the agency contact provided in the vacancy announcement for assistance.” In other words, “Don’t call us. Call them.”

6

Oh yeah. Good ol’ gummint jobs. I applied to the FBI, jumped through all their friggin’ hoops, including the one where the agent comes to interview fellow employees and my supervisor at my current job (can you say grounds for firing on the spot, thank god my supe was cool about it) then get offered the job for about 10K less than I was making. Called in by the new hiring supervisor, he wants to know why I was willing to take the job even though it was apparent I was overqualified (waaay overq’d). After a long discussion, I turned down the job. Two months later I get a letter saying that they offered the job to somebody else and was no longer in the running! I guess no one turns down the FBI!! sheesh…

7

That’s a bummer, Ogre. There has to be a way to get the deal straightened out, but I don’t know what it might be.
Has the closing date for accepting applications passed? If not, maybe you could mail and e-file another application package?
Sometimes weeks pass before the actual reviewing and selection process is completed.
There’s somebody somewhere that can solve this so that you get full consideration. I just don’t know who, or where to begin. :mad:

8

Unfortunately, yes, the closing date has long since passed. I got my materials in on time, but no more can be submitted.

I spoke to a very nice machine at the OPM earlier. It promised that a representative would contact me soon about my concerns.

not holding breath

One would certainly think that at the very least, the software that accepts the submissions of applications and resumes could be configured to automatically e-mail a confirmation of receipt back to the sender, so that these little glitches could be resolved easily. But noooooooo…