From Applying to Sitting in the seat, 4 Months. Does that seem like a long time? It’s actually not that bad.
This post is just a simple journal of my path from application to hire, nothing more.
OPM has a timeline on their website that details each step of the process from creating a job to hiring. My experience seems to have stuck pretty close to their time estimates. Government didn’t overrun the schedule – are you surprised?
Job Posted
I found out about it
A person I know in the Organization caught me on the street and told me about this new unicorn posting that will be closing soon
Applied on USAJOBs
Applied the night it closed (11:30pm). Evidently there were 21 applicants (shows this on the job application page after it closes)
Referred to Hiring Manager
Email from USAJOBS, guess my 10-page resume checked the boxes!
Got first call
Received call from Organization’s Contact (another Department Head) to schedule interview! (Inferred 8 candidates made it, based on interview scheduling slots)
Interviewed
Sat for a panel of Organization’s Department Heads. Let me tell you, you’ve never had an interview like this. It’s weird.
Second Interview
Phone interview with the Organization’s Executive Director
Selected!
Curtesy call from the Director letting me know I got the job!
Received OPM Tentative Offer
Received Tentative Offer from OPM
Accepted Tentative Offer
Accepted online as required, and notified the Organization’s HR rep that I would be negotiating the offer
Counter Offered
Forwarded my Counter to the Organization HR representative (salary, leave accrual rate, and incentive bonus)
Received 2nd Tentative Offer
Got their suggested negotiated offer from the Organization’s HR rep
Accepted Tentative Offer
Accepted Organization’s negotiated offer. They sent it up to HQ and OPM to officialize it.
Got a tentative Start Date (always a Monday starting a new Pay Period)
Received OPM Amended Tentative Offer
Received “Amended” Tentative Offer from OPM, it is the Original Offer with the negotiated items changed. They call it “Amendment to the Original Offer”
I accepted it.
Received “Official” Offer
This is the one I was waiting for!
It was actually missing one of the negotiated items, they fixed it same day. READ CAREFULLY.
Gave Employer Notice
Normally 2-weeks, as a Principal I thought it was fair to give them 4-weeks
Started and Swore In!
Yep, you have to swear in to the Federal Government. Next is a bunch of onboarding and getting started as a “Govie!”
