I have run across folks interested in getting into NEPA/project planning with the feds. I realize the FS has a hiring pause but BLM is still there.
The question folks have is “what words are used in advertising for those jobs?”
They also observed “if you hear from the feds nine months later that you have an interview, you may have already gotten another job.” Sounds very frustrating for applicants and hiring officials. Does anyone know what makes the process (es) so slow?
Finally, I’ve been told that there are now personality tests (perhaps BLM) that take hours to complete and they do not tell the applicant the score. It all sounds very odd. Any observations from the front lines of applying and hiring would be appreciated.
One experience: Timelines sound about right. By the time an action is processed, at least, it’ll likely be 6-10 months end-to-end from submitting on USAjobs to starting. Longer from outside gov. HR will frequently fail to respond if you make inquiries.
Regarding the “tests” my experience was with a centralized OPM announcement. Was incredibly bizarre. About 2 hours of Playstation-1 graphics in faux “workplace” simulations and knock-off standardized test questions.
That’s exactly what the folks I spoke with experienced! I thought it was too weird to be true 🙁 . OPM seems like a runaway train.