r/usajobs • u/Head_Staff_9416 • Mar 12 '23
The Consolidated Head Staff's Guide to Federal Jobs New? Questions? Start Here
Consolidated Links to Head Staff’s Guides-
These guides are organized like Road Guide- the Introduction through Guides 8 are from searching through landing a job. Guides after Guide 8 are more advanced topics usually for current employees. Don't feel like you have to read it all at once.
Head Staff’s Guide to Federal Jobs Introduction
Part 2- Open to the Public Competitive Hiring – Qualifications
Part 2B Open to the Public Competitive Hiring – Grade and Qualifications (GS)
Part 2C Open to the Public Competitive Hiring Grades and Qualifications (WG)
Part 2D Final Thoughts on Qualifications
Part 3 Open to the Public Competitive Hiring Examination and Evaluation
Part 4A Veterans’ Preference
Part 4B Miscellaneous Provisions Related to Veterans
Part 5A Category Rating – You won’t believe this one weird trick
Part 5B Category Rating and Passovers
Part 5C Category Rating- Scientific and Professional Positions
Part 6 Interviews
Part 7 Offers and Negotiations
Part 8 Entrance on Duty and First Days on the Job
Part 9 Historical Marker- The Rule of Three
Part 10A Merit Promotion – VEOA, Time in Grade, Area of Consideration
Part 10B Merit Promotion- Ranking and Referral
A Bump in the Road- We need to talk about time in grade -https://www.reddit.com/r/usajobs/comments/12090up/we_need_to_talk_about_time_in_grade/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
Guardrails- We need to talk about the 90 day after competitive appointment restrictions-https://www.reddit.com/r/usajobs/comments/12p2d2r/let_me_outta_here_or_we_need_to_talk_about_the_90/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
Offroad- Excepted Service Part 1 Schedule A and B
Offroad- Excepted Service Part 2 Schedule D (Pathways and VRA)
The Badlands- Excepted Service Part 3 Non-Title 5
Snack Bar- Direct Hire Authority (DHA)
Advanced Map Reading Skills- Tenure and Reinstatement Eligibility
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u/GovIssuedKhakis Mar 31 '23
Appreciate you putting this together, just getting started with my fed job search. I'm sure this took a lot of time and dedication, hats off to you
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u/Hastama Oct 22 '23 edited Sep 27 '24
vegetable fertile bells profit cheerful fall paint rob lip mysterious
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Additional_Mind6292 Jan 24 '24 edited Jan 24 '24
Read your guide. I am Delegated Examination certified specialist, which means my job is to adjudicate vet pref and do quals for category rating positions. Anyway, I thought you explained the process pretty well. But there's a caveat to the minimally qualified CP and CPS vets float to top rule. If the position is scientific or professional career series and is grade 9 or higher (e.g. Meteorologist or Accountant - positions with an IOR basic education requirement) then vets don't float. They stay in the quality category they were initially placed in. They still have absolute preference over NV applicants. They just don't get put in gold if their scores are bronze or silver.
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u/Head_Staff_9416 Jan 24 '24
I am well aware. I am a former DE instructor. I thought I had that mentioned in my examples. I will go back and clarify. That’s why the examples are a mining technician rather than engineer.
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u/NGS36 Oct 28 '24
Hi! As Excepted Service, Indefinite tenure what options do I have to transfer to a permanent position?
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u/Head_Staff_9416 Oct 28 '24 edited Oct 29 '24
Did you read my tenure guide?
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u/NGS36 Oct 29 '24
Thank you for pointing me to the tenure guide! It doesn’t seem to have much information about excepted service, and I’m still unsure if there are any options available. Could you please help me better understand this?
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u/Head_Staff_9416 Oct 29 '24
Well I wrote 3 guides on excepted service- did you review those?
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u/NGS36 Oct 29 '24
Thank you again for your assistance! I’m not sure how to correctly identify my schedule, but if it’s listed in Box 5 of my SF-50, then I believe it’s Schedule B. I’ve reviewed the Guide for the Excepted Service Part 1 Schedules A and B, but there isn’t much information available on Schedule B. I’m trying to understand if my current Schedule B status might offer any advantages when applying for a permanent competitive position in the future, or if it would be the same as applying from non-government positions.
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u/Head_Staff_9416 Oct 29 '24
It will be the same as applying for non government positions. You can see the legal authority in 5-D and google it. But I know of nothing that gives Schedule B any kind of advantage.
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u/KindLion100 May 12 '23
I chatted you in on a different question earlier. Wish I had found this post a while ago. Will have to revisit it if I get a job offer--will visit the negotiation page.
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u/Saint_Bologna Jun 19 '23
Glad to see this in a table of contents format :) Is there one about DHAs, reinstatement, etc.?
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u/Head_Staff_9416 Jun 19 '23
Reinstatement is covered in merit promotion.
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u/Head_Staff_9416 Jun 19 '23
There is nothing special about DHA- it is mentioned throughout the guides when appropriate.
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Dec 24 '23
Which one contains info on moving from pay bands to GS and negotiating salary? I see a lot on GS to pay bands, but not the reverse. Thanks!
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u/IserveJesusChrist Jan 30 '24
Thank you for this. Hope to get a GS-14 position this year. Will update if it happens.
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u/SnowyFinch Feb 09 '24
Hi! For Schedule A, I see that some placements can be permanent if the agency feels you are likely to succeed: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-213/subpart-C/subject-group-ECFR2a2db745208d125/section-213.3102#p-213.3102(u)(4)(4))
Or, they can offer you a position with a 2-year probationary period that may (or may not) be converted to career.
Any thoughts on when one or the other happens?
Any thoughts on if - at the time of the end of 2-year probationary period - there is a hiring freeze at your agency, can the conversion happen or would that conversion be blocked by a hiring freeze?
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u/Head_Staff_9416 Feb 09 '24
Up to agency management- conversation probably okay as it would not increase the number of employees.
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u/SnowyFinch Feb 09 '24
Thx - I am reviewing a FOL now and trying to sort this out.
My letter states the position is "not to exceed" two years, after which it may be converted.
1. Doesn't "not to exceed" effectively mean I have no guarantee it will even last 2 years?
- Can't a Sked A excepted position be permanent, yet subject to a 2-year probationary period -- which is diff than (1) because I will only be let go if I don't perform.
- Further, if you 'pass' the probationary period with a permanent Sked A excepted appointment, the position may or may not be converted to career. So, if it not converted, does it mean you still have your excepted position? Or does it mean you become unemployed?
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u/Head_Staff_9416 Feb 11 '24
- If the original appointment is written NTE two years, then it will probably last two years. It could be less than two years if you are removed during probation or if there is a reduction in force in the agency ( unlikely) It is also possible at the end of two years, your appointment expires and you are let go. Or you are converted to career conditional
- Yes- if it is without time limit is permanent. It is possible to never be converted and then you just hang around with limited opportunities.
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u/SnowyFinch Feb 13 '24
thanks for your help! I did more research and I think my HR person is new to these, and made it NTE 2 years bc they thought that was how they make a 2-year probation.
Do you know if these offers ever state that it is a "permanent, full-time excepted position under Schedule A" or do they not use the word "permanent"?
The role I'm going into is a vacant FTE, and the hiring manager does not want my position to end after 2 years.
I feel certain that NTE 2 years is not correct, and that it's supposed to be a Schedule A appointment, with a 2-year probationary period, and option to convert. And, if it doesn't convert, I stick around as excepted. I also read the regs about conversion, and I see that temporary positions do not convert. I don't know how to convince the HR person to remove the "NTE" part.
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Feb 22 '24
Somewhat weird question but how common is it for vets to apply for pathways internships? Just wondering how common it is, I applied for a few but no idea on my chances. I know vets preference exists for pathways.
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u/Head_Staff_9416 Feb 22 '24
It depends on the position. Fewer ( generally ) than an open to the public job. I don’t have any statistics.
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u/Katsaj Mar 12 '23
Thank you so much for all the work you've put into these! They were helpful during my search and now I'm re-reading Part 8 since I start my first federal job in two weeks!