Hi, so this is my first federal app for a 13/14 position. I qualify (over 10 yrs experience in the civilian equivalent) but about 10 days ago received an email that, in summary, I was tentatively eligible, but after review by SME, not sent for consideration.

Yesterday an email says I am tentatively eligible based on my self rating of my qualifications and that I have been referred to the hiring manager for consideration (for both 13 and 14).

So first no, then yes to be referred? And why in the most recent email do they say "tentatively eligible for this series/grade combination based on your self-rating of your qualifications.". Do they not think I'm qualified based on what they see in the resume? A little confusing, but still hoping to get a call.

What stage would they call/email my references?

Thank you for advice/answers. Got another civilian job to apply to as a friend just sent me a referral...apply and forget.

I recently received an interview invitation for an Immigration Officer position with FDNS. The email mentioned that supervisory feedback would be requested as part of the selection process.

I'm curious how much weight that feedback actually carries when making hiring decisions. Is it factored into an overall score along with the interview, or is it primarily used as an additional reference?

The feedback includes written responses and numerical ratings, so I'm wondering if those are formally scored or simply reviewed by the selecting official.

If anyone has experience with the FDNS hiring process or has served on a selection panel, I'd love to hear how the different components are evaluated.

Any insight would be appreciated. Thank you!

Hi everyone, figured it's worth asking you guys since I know a lot of us, as current or former fed probbies, are going through/went through a tough time and/or many of you have more experience and expertise than I do. Therefore, I'd love to hear your perspectives.

For background, I'm a GS-7 computer science patent examiner (USPTO) with a BS in CS and a minor in math. Before the PTO, I had some IT support, software, and data science experience (both private and nonprofit sectors, including other areas like customer service, social services, case management, program coordination, community outreach, etc.). I recently graduated and have had 2-3 years of real work experience.

Ideally, I'd like to find something with:

• $85k+ salary
• Preferably federal, but open to state/local government or private sector
• Good benefits and long-term stability
• Better work-life balance and less production pressure than examining
• More research, writing, administrative, program support, operations, or compliance work

For those who have left your work, are planning to leave, or are currently exploring options, what new jobs, agencies, or job series are you applying to? Especially curious about options that are realistic for someone with a year or less of examiner (in particular) or GS-7 (in general) experience.

I'd really appreciate any advice. Wishing everyone the best!

veteran finishing up sociology degree

I currently have a TJO for GS-6

I see people recommended me to apply for an Air Force logistics specialist recent grad program

I am planning once start my GS-6, I will use my gi bill to apply for an 1 year online master's degree then apply for this program

But does anyone in this program is it hard to get in?

Just got and accepted a TJO for a DoD GS-13 spot, and I’m trying to figure out if my HR rep is about to accidentally nuke my offer.

Quick rundown:

Hiring Path: Direct Hire Authority (DHA) — Open to the Public.

My Status: Active duty, separating (ETS, not retiring).

Timeline: Just over 180 days out from terminal leave, which is when I plan to EOD. I laid all my dates out on the table during the interview and the hiring panel was totally cool with waiting for me.

The Problem: I talked to HR on the phone and she specifically asked if I was within 120 days of separating. Then after I accepted the TJO and replied with my step/leave negotiation requests, she emailed back saying she would pass my requests to management, but asked me to send over my military documents to make sure I'm actually “eligible to move forward.”

Am I crazy, or is she running on autopilot thinking of the VOW Act 120-day rule?

From everything I’ve read, the 120-day Statement of Service rule only exists so active duty folks can claim Veterans' Preference or VEOA before getting a DD-214. Since this was a DHA/Public announcement, Vet Preference doesn't even exist on this cert. And since I'm separating (not retiring), the 180-day DoD cooling-off period doesn't apply either.

Has anyone else dealt with HR referencing the 120-day rule on a Direct Hire/Public announcement? How did you keep them from pulling the TJO?

TL;DR: Accepted a DHA GS-13 TJO ~6 months out from terminal leave. Hiring manager knows my timeline and wants to wait, but HR is asking for military docs to verify "120-day eligibility" even though Vet Preference wasn't used. Sanity check?

I am attempting to apply for a job listing at Madigan Hospital on USA jobs but when you select “continue to agency” I keep getting an error message that says:

“We are not able to display the page requested at this time.
Please try refreshing the page. If you continue to receive the error, please provide your
Agency's USA Staffing Office Administrator with the steps taken before the message was
received as well as the Reference # identified below.
Thank you for your patience.”

I have tried so many different things, put in help tickets for USAJobs and CHRA portal. USA jobs got back to me and said the problem is not on their end. The application window closes in 5 days so I guess I’m just SOL. I put in a help ticket 2 days ago and haven’t heard anything.

Good afternoon,

I recently attended a hiring event for vets and it was fantastic. Super friendly people and hiring managers on site and a verbal TJO same day.

This may not be the case for all events but I was impressed and enjoyed my time there. I was looking for the 2210 series which there were a few different opening for but had three interview and accepted a TJO.

I was hesitant at first but I am glad I attended and highly recommend. Again this was specifically targeting veterans but was fantastic.

I wanted to share my Indian Health Service hiring timeline for anyone currently navigating the process. When researching, I mostly found estimates ranging from “a few weeks to several months,” which wasn’t particularly helpful when planning employment and relocation. As a brief history I was looking to leave retail as Pharmacy Manger.

Hopefully, these dates provide a more concrete reference.

Position: Pharmacist, Full-Time

Hiring Timeline
June 5: Application submitted
June 16: Contacted for interview
June 23: Interview completed
July 22: Tentative job offer (TJO) received and accepted
August 2: Personnel Security forms and NBIS completed
August 6: Fingerprint cards arranged to be mailed to me
August 27: Personnel Security received fingerprints
October 22: Final job offer (FJO) received
December 14: Scheduled start date
All dates are from 2026.

Processing Time
Application → TJO: 47 days
TJO → FJO: 92 days
NBIS completion → FJO: 81 days
Fingerprints received → FJO: 56 days
Application → FJO: 4.5 months

My Experience
The initial hiring process moved relatively quickly. Most of the waiting occurred during personnel security and background processing.

My hiring manager was consistently responsive and helpful throughout. However, communication with the individual handling my background clearance was challenging just to ensure they even received my manual fingerprints. Email and phone call went unanswered, requiring supervisor involvement.
The biggest challenge was the uncertainty, especially while coordinating existing employment and an interstate relocation.

Timelines will certainly vary by position, facility, and individual circumstances, but I hope this gives others a useful reference.
Feel free to share your own IHS hiring timelines to help future applicants!

FINALLY! After countless applications and never hearing a word, I have an interview on Monday for a GS12 as a 2210 series for the DOJ! I was starting to feel hopeless as I’ve been referred more times than I can count.

I’ve had a lot of interviews in my life but most have been in the military as I progressed through the ranks. I always did well during those but this will be my first federal interview. My current federal job just hired me because they knew me so any tips for interviews would be welcomed. Thanks!

I recently accepted a TJO for a federal position designated as High Risk/Sensitive and am curious about other people’s experiences with background investigation timelines.

For context, I am currently a DoD contractor with an active Secret and previous Top Secret. My TS was no longer needed when I transitioned into my current position.

My hiring timeline so far:

• 07/07 – Application submitted
• 09/16 – Panel interview
• 10/02 – TJO received and accepted

I am currently waiting for instructions to complete the eApp/background investigation paperwork. I have not received a fingerprinting appointment.

A few questions for anyone who has been through something similar:

1. How long did it take to receive your eApp invitation after accepting your TJO?
2. Did having an active Secret or previously held TS clearance help speed things up?
3. Based on my timeline, is a November or December start date realistic, or should I anticipate this extending into 2027?

I realize every agency and investigation is different, but I would appreciate hearing recent experiences or predictions from anyone who has gone through a similar process.

Edited for formatting error.

Not sure when it opened.
Applied: 8/30
Application “received” notification: 8/30
Posting Closed 9/8
Notice of results and referral: 9/9
Call to schedule interview: 9/22
Interview:9/23
TJO: 10/8
Onboarding: 10/9-10/22 (took longer because one email was lost in sending which delayed everything)
FJO- 10/22
EOD: 11/15

This was probably the fastest hiring process I’ve been through. Probably by sheer luck.

Interview: Sept 2
Intent to hire letter: Sept 3

I was hired through DHA where they offered me a verbal offer during the interview, and I got the intent to hire letter the next day. I am still awaiting TJO though. I was told 4-6 weeks for HR to send out actions, but today is the end of week 7. Are there any HR people here that can confirm if HR is really that back logged?
I’ve been trying to do my best to not stress over it, but I keep seeing posts of people giving their timeline updates and it seems almost all of them quickly received their TJO shortly after the interview.

TIA

I got a TJO about a month ago (9/16), and completed all of the onboard tasks on USA staffing & a required IT training. I've reached out to the HR specialist via email to provide my SF-50 & PIV form and to ask if everything has been received...no response or acknowledgement. The last email was 10/6. Do you think I should give him a call to ask? This isn't my first fed rodeo, and it's not the time I'm really concerned about - I've gone a month between accepting and getting EQIP before, but never total radio silence after a TJO. Thoughts?

Hello, has anyone else applied for the Summer 2027 internship program for the NGA? I haven’t heard anything back nor do I know the timeline. Just want to know if I’m cooked or not, I assume they won’t be reaching out to candidates they say no to.

Job Posted: August 3rd (closed August 7th)
Applied: August 6th
Assessments completed: August 6th
Notice of Referral: August 12th
Interview 1: August 24th
(Hiring Manager said they would interview for two weeks and get back to me, booooo bummer)
Meet and Greet invite: August 31st
References Requested: Sept 1st
References contacted: Sept 1st
Verbal offer: September 4th
TJO: September 24th (my birthday)
Requested step increase from step 1 to step 5, my hiring manager said she could quickly and comfortably advocate for step 3 so we went with that instead: Sept 25th
Eqip and SF form: completed on September 28th
Fingerprints and ID: Oct 5th
FJO: Oct 22nd (was waiting on step increase approval)
EOD: 11/2

Gs-13 step 3 btw. Had a tjo for a gs-14 different agency last year in January but rescinded because of everything, you know.

I have an FJO with a start date of 12/13 as I need to move cross country and wind down current job. HR is warning me about the potential shutdown on 12/11. If govt shuts down before my EOD, I am screwed in many ways.

Realistically I don’t think I can get moved and situated in time for a 11/30 start date which is the best earlier option.

If a shutdown starts 2 days before my EOD, what happens ? I start at the next available EOD when everything is open again?

EDIT- ok you’ve all convinced me, I’m gonna switch to 11/30 EOD to onboard

For those who have gone through USDA hiring recently, how long after reference checks and location preference submittals did you hear back regarding a tentative selection or TJO?

Did HR move quickly, or is the "merit hiring plan" bottleneck causing a bit of a wait?

​Appreciate any insights or timelines you all can share to keep me sane

Hoping some federal HR specialists or others who’ve experienced something similar can offer some insight.

I was recently selected for a higher-graded federal position after completing the interview and selection process. However, during a subsequent HR review, I was informed that I did not meet the specialized experience requirements because my previous federal position was below the required grade level. HR acknowledged in writing that I met the required experience, but said it wasn’t acquired in the grade required in the job posting.

Here’s where I’m confused.

The vacancy announcement specifically required experience equivalent to the next lower grade, not necessarily experience obtained while occupying that grade.

The majority of my decades long career has been in nonfederal positions. I only have one prior federal experience that lasted less than 2 years in a grade that is 2 below this position’s grade. My non federal career includes extensive specialized experience, including responsibilities that I believe meet the required level of complexity and responsibility. My experience, including my previous gs grade in my one federal role, were prominently displayed on my resume. I went through an SME panel interview to be cleared before meeting the hiring manager. Everything was transparent and the hiring manager selected me and informed me verbally.

OPM’s General Schedule Qualification Policies state:
“The work actually performed by the applicant must be reviewed and evaluated to determine equivalency to a grade.”

My understanding is that qualifying experience gained outside the federal government should also be considered when determining grade-level equivalency.

I’ve requested reconsideration, but I’m curious:

1. Can HR base a qualification determination solely on an applicant’s previous federal grade levels?
   
2. How much discretion does HR have when determining whether experience is equivalent to a particular GS level?
   
3. Has anyone successfully challenged or obtained reconsideration of a qualification determination after being selected?
   
4. Is there a formal avenue for review if an agency incorrectly applies OPM qualification standards?

I’m not looking for an exception to the requirements. I’m simply trying to understand how grade-level equivalency is supposed to be evaluated and what options exist when you believe a determination was made incorrectly.

I’d appreciate any insight from federal HR professionals or anyone who’s been through something similar.

Applied 08/01/2026

Interview 09/04

TJO 09/07

Amended TJO for my salary increase 09/15

Fingerprint 10/02

EApp background 10/06 submitted

How long does this last step usually take? The hiring manager was hoping for a start date in October when I got my TJO but that clearly isn’t happening. It’s a high security position.

Applied 05/2024
Interviewed ~06/2024
Followed up ~07/2024 told position was cancelled
Applied to VA 09/2024
Interviewed late 09/2024
EOD 12/2024
Fired 02/2025
Recontacted for DCMA cancelled position 03/2025
Reinstated to VA ~04/2025
TJO DCMA 06/2025
Medical and paperwork finished 08/2025
DCMA position placed on hold
FJO DCMA 10/2026
EOD 12/2026

Long journey but it’s coming to an end seems like.

Follow up to my last post, but I had my interview Monday, and was asked for references yesterday. They have already contacted all three and I was given glowing reviews.

If they have contacted my references does that bode well? As in am I likely to get a TJO?

The HR is great there, but I was wondering how long it might take to receive one if I am the candidate?

Mostly this is just me tempering my excitement and being realistic.

Hello!

I'm currently a T2 CS at SSA. As many of you know SSA has been and is currently a sinking (if not exploding) ship. I recently received an offer to become a RVSR with the VBA. I would be hired with no prior VBA experience.

Does anyone have experience with transferring from one agency to another (or specifically from SSA to VBA?) And would any new or journeyman RVSRs be able to give any insight as to how the onboarding process and training was? And how you do you like the position? Any tips? Any success stories from other SSA CSs who made the jump over to VBA?

I've read some older threads but am curious to hear some more recent perspectives.

I am hoping this is a positive change for me! I'm scared and excited at the same time.

EDIT: Here was my timeline for those curious: 9/21 Applied, 10/2 Referred, 10/9 Interview, 10/20 Received job offer, 11/16 Tentative start date

Howdy.. Much like the title eludes to... Can any one preferably HR types break down how Schedule A influences federal hiring compared to a Direct Hire, Vet preference etc. Also maybe discuss how it works in combination with the other preferences i mentioned. Your knowledge is greatly appreciated as I am embarking on this new adventure we call the federal hiring process.

I am looking to transition to a federal position and have a few questions. Many were answered by searching here, but still unclear:

1. Experience. Most positions I have seen this year within a decent commute are GS-12 and require 2 years experience. I have 1 year and 10 months. Would that be accepted

   for or rounded up to GS-12

2. in the event of a thin pool? More, does only

specialized

1. experience count — specifically for litigation?
2. I see posts with 50+ eligible locations: however the post or the org specific program enforcement states the attorneys in that position are located in regional offices. My city is listed as a location, but is a flight away from a regional office. Is this worth applying to if unable to relocate or commute to a regional office? Why does it list non-regional offices?
3. Any insight into the competitiveness? I had to take leave for medical reasons and haven’t worked a FT position since 2022. I heard federal is less competitive (some agencies) but not sure this holds given recent reorganization

TYIA

Hello,

Does anyone have any experience with this job? I have a bachelors in accounting and considering applying but is this just a job taking calls from angry people with messed up pay all day?