Hi!
I applied for several jobs on USAJOBS and a couple of them said referred. There is an email to contact, VHANationalRecruitmentCenter@va.gov
Has anyone ever tried emailing and getting any update on their referral status?
Thank you!
I am at that bridge... i am looking for supporting reasons to justify my decision. For me, I am looking for stability.
I applied for a job on USAJobs and about a week ago got a referral to the hiring manager (or whoever looks at applicants). When should I determine that they have gone with another applicant and move on?
I know a lot of people have inquired about this position, but there’s a few things I was curious about that I haven’t specifically seen in these threads. I was recently notified of an interview for this role and have to provide two references. It specifically asks for a current supervisor and a past supervisor. I have a current supervisor, but have not maintained contact with past supervisors to use them as a reference. Can anyone speak to what the reference checks are like or have any other suggestions on what to do when you don’t have a past supervisor to reach out to?
I also see a lot of feedback on what people don’t like about this position. Is there anyone that can speak to the positives of this role other than the obvious, which is that it’s fully remote?
I received an offer for a VA job coming in at Step 1 of GS 12. The salary just does not justify the move to the area. Is it worth countering? Can an external hire come in at a different step?
Asking for a friend. Can an offer be reinstated after the candidate declined it?
Having regrets for declining it.
I recently applied on the usajobs.gov website for the position mentioned in the title that had an opening in my state. I understand the job is considered to be a very challenging position, but I am still very interested.
I was wondering if it is considered an entry level position that I might have a chance of being eligible for with just an associates degree (fine, 3.0+, gpa) and some various labor jobs since graduating? Any thoughts would be appreciated!
I got contacted by a supervisor to work at a new duty location that I have dreamed of. I was vacation at the time and didn’t have access to supplemental documentation for the role. I got plenty of experience for the role. I landed at 9 pm in another state on the last day of the application. I wasn’t referred because of a lack of documentation. Will an appeal work for me? I just need to give them the documentation and I know I will get the job.
Sat on a hiring panel recently and watched the strongest interview of the day basically lose because of paperwork. The candidate was a veteran, crushed the interview, everyone liked them. Then HR sent over the cert list and preference hadn’t attached because the right docs weren’t uploaded correctly.
Realized a lot of people think “I’m a veteran” automatically means the system treats you as preference eligible. It doesn’t. If the paperwork isn’t right for that specific posting, the system just treats you like any other applicant.
What also surprised me was how many people misunderstand which announcements preference even applies to. I kept hearing “veteran’s preference did nothing for me,” but half the time they were applying to merit promotion/internal postings where it barely matters.
The other big thing HR kept repeating was that preference won’t rescue a weak resume. If your specialized experience isn’t spelled out clearly, you can get ruled out before preference even enters the conversation. Federal hiring feels way less forgiving than people expect. HR is not sitting there trying to decode what you “probably meant.”
I keep a huge master resume now and tweak it constantly for announcements. Sometimes I’ll throw sections into resumeworded just to see where the wording sounds vague or where I buried experience that should’ve been obvious. I noticed when bullets sounded too private-sector vague for federal postings and not explicit enough about scope/responsibility.
The whole thing honestly stressed me out because the candidate absolutely should’ve been competitive, but once the paperwork issue happened, everyone’s hands were tied. It was such a stupid way to lose an advantage they already earned.
Recently had an interview and received an email that it was favorable , does that mean I made it to the next round?
DoD data engineer in Albuquerque, 4 years exp, sitting at 90k. Am I underpaid?
Title pretty much says it. Working on a DoD contract out here as a data engineer. 4 years of experience, salary is 90k. Just trying to get a feel for whether this is fair or if I should be pushing for more somewhere else.
The job market in ABQ is rough. I've been applying around and most companies just ghost. No rejection email, no callback, nothing. The places that do reply either lowball or want full onsite for the same money I'm already making.
Are there companies or sectors where someone with my background could realistically hit 110-130k? Open to remote, hybrid, or relocating if the numbers make sense. Just trying to figure out if I should keep looking locally or start aiming outside New Mexico.
Anyone been in this spot? Where'd you end up landing?
Hi!
Does anyone know how does negotiating a higher step for GS-6 works? If you get a job offer for step 1, but you want a higher step, how long will it take to hear back?
Thank you!
This is for the VHA, mind you. I had two interviews for a position that I felt went extremely well based off of the panels' body language from my responses to the questions. It was positive, and they even asked more personal follow-up questions after the interview. Shortly afterwards my references were contacted.
I then received an email today that a selection was not made on the announcement.
I'd understand if someone else were selected, as they were the better option, but for no one to be selected even after references were contacted? Mind you, HR was the one reaching out to the references, not the hiring managers, and I'm positive that my references spoke highly of me, as this is my second time applying for this job series at a different site and receiving a call for references within the last month. I was selected for the other site, but the site in question is the one i really wanted.
I'm just wondering if this has ever happened to anyone else. I am a current Fed doing the same role; I just want to transfer to another location. Any advice would be extremely helpful. Thanks!
Is it normal for the VA to initiate a reference check shortly after you interview if you're not getting the position?
I interviewed for federal job. A week later the AA that set up the interview was told by the hiring panel to call me to obtain my SSN. The call was legitimate and I provided my SSN, albeit leery to do so. Should I have done this? It's been two weeks and counting since providing my SSN and I've had no further contact.
After 4 months, made it to the Referring manager…I wasn’t Chosen :,( There’s nothing else for me to apply for in my city and I had everything checked off that they required with 14yrs experience. They probably got a vet candidate that got more points than me. Oh well 🤷🏻♀️
I was given a verbal offer from HR one month ago. I didn't hear anything since so reached back to them and was told that they're waiting for approval. Does anyone know if this is a thing? Am I being taken for a ride?
I applied for a GS-14 position that aligns well with my current role. It is not a promotion, but the announcement was open for two weeks to the public and military spouses/veterans. About a month later, I received an interview invitation. The interview is only two days after the invitation email, and they only provided three available time slots.
I am not sure how to feel about it. Does this usually mean I was added as an additional candidate? Could they already have someone in mind and just want to say they interviewed outside candidates too? Or am I overthinking it?
I applied for a GS civilian position at an agency that I used to serve as a government contractor- though it was in a different department. I worked successfully with the department chief and other staff there. The position overlapped significantly with my experience and used the cover letter to demonstrate it using key words. Should I email the department chief to find out what happened or feedback on the process?
I say this in interviews as well just to show my dedication to this government.
I got a FJO mid Nov 2024 in another state. And it was overseas. Only reason i took it was for the GS increase. That is what i had been trying to do for a very long time. Anyway i got it. When it was time to pick a start date i said ending of December. HR agreed and it was set. Then my manager at the time needed me to sub because lots of people had gone on vacation. Plus the new manager I was getting knew my manager through being in the same VA department except in a different VISN. So they always have weekly Team meetings. New manager OKd that and new date was set for beginning January 2025.
Here's what happened....
Trump got in office... Immediately paused the federal hiring. My car was already shipped to California. HR calls says job is in limbo so start date wasn't happening. HR said ship your car back home overseas. Also, i had a place already rented out for the first month. Had to cancel it and lost all that money because it was a airbnb that went past the date u could cancel full refund.
Fast forward my car comes back weeks later. Same day HR calls saying my new job is back on. Do i want it? I was like WTF...i said very angrily ok. New start date end of February 2025. Shipped my car back to California, had to find another airbnb repay all those again... Go do the job... And turned out to be the most corrupt place ive ever seen. Stayed the year to get my 12 months to get time in grade to next GS.... Then went back home... Where i just now found a new FED job starting first week June but several GS levels lower but at least its a foot in the door with the DOD. Which is the agency i have always wanted to work for. So all the funding i was never reimbursed for, all the stress i had from that new job, to finally back home where i belong. Shipped my car out of California again btw. This has been the wildest ride of my life.
Whats your story?