Bump.
I spent some time today as a SME for HR scrubbing resumes and I found out some things I thought I'd share with the forum.
1. As a note from the HR reps.......READ THE ENTIRE ANNOUNCEMENT prior to starting to filling out the application.
2. There is discussion on this forum in other threads about whether to apply for a position if you do not meet the stated minimum requirements. There has been good ideas put forth from both camps about whether this practice is right or wrong in the private sector; but it is only their way or the highway in the gov't sector. If you do not meet ALL of the stated minimums - your application goes into the NOT QUALIFIED pile. It doesn't stay on file for the next time, they don't review old resumes and get some email stating that you now meet the minimums, etc.... You wasted your time.
There was a guy with 5 hours over the minimum - he was marked QUALIFIED (barely).
There was an overall incredibly qualified guy who was 12 hours shy of the 12 month minimum - he was marked NOT QUALIFIED.
3. While you are reading the entire announcement - please make a list of ALL of the REQUIRED paperwork that should be submitted along with the application. It is listed right there in the announcement with links to the forms if required. Today - almost half of the packages went into the INCOMPLETE application file because the applicant failed to provide one of the required forms (in this case most often the FAA Form 33330-47-3
https://jobs.faa.gov/forms/3330473.pdf)
- A. It doesn't matter if your attached resume has all of the times listed - you still have to fill out and attach the form. In this case - quite a few well qualified pilots just didn't fill out the form and/or submit the form with the application package.
- B. Fill out the entire form. One somewhat strange metric that is hard-over for consideration is the 100 HRS MINIMUM IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS (waiverable to 50 HRS for inservice placements - meaning people who are already gov't employees most likely ATC'ers, ASIs, TERPsters, other gov't pilots like CBP, etc...) This is also one of those minimums that you must meet - no exception. Two different people didn't have the minimum times. That information is clearly listed in the announcement so I'm not sure if people are ignoring it and applying anyways, or as the HR lady thought might be happening, people aren't reading the entire announcement before applying. And it doesn't matter what the time is in once the minims are met. If you need to fly 5 more hours to make the minimum time for the year - rent a C-152.
- C. For you retired airline CAs, even if you put a sentence in your resume that you have 17,700 hrs; if you didn't fill out the form listed above - it does no good. I know that you have all of the minimum amount of total, PIC, ME, night, and actual instrument time - I tell HR that - but it doesn't matter. Most of the time I still don't know what your last 12 month total was so that is a double whammy. Current ASIs - I know that we are all in the same system tracking flight times but that doesn't matter either. When I applied for my GS-14 ASIP PIC position I had to fill out the entire application package to include that same painful form (for a job doing the job that I am doing). Don't forget that Gov't HR is a whole different animal and has NOTHING to do with your little piece of the world within your agency/department/section/office/cubicle!
4. This particular announcement was for GS12/13. Part of the on-line (through USAJOBS.gov) asks if you are a current Federal Employee and your current pay rate. Another question asks if what is the lowest pay rate you'll accept. This is essentially a trick question - especially if you HAVEN'T READ THE ENTIRE ANNOUNCEMENT! Unless you have a very special circumstance (like having been a former ASIP and still current), you will NOT come in any higher than a GS-12, promotable to GS-13 without further competition. This is especially important for those current GS-13 or -14 ASIs out there who don't want to take a pay cut to come to FIS and state that they will not take anything lower than a GS-13 for instance. That automatically puts you into the NOT QUALIFIED stack for no other reason than maybe a person didn't understand what was being asked, or the applicant not realizing that there will be a temporary pay cut if you are already a GS-14 ASI for instance. The job growth potential is greater in FIS than in AFS though so it isn't the end of the world. If you CAN NOT take a temp pay cut for greater gain in the fairly near future - then the job isn't for you.
So to recap:
- Read the entire announcement before applying.
- Meet the minimums - all of them - to include each category of flight hours.
- Include all REQUIRED forms in the package.
- Completely fill out those forms with all REQUIRED information.
- Don't ask for a pay grade that you aren't qualified for.
I think that is pretty much it.
Again - ask your questions here if you have any for me or PM me.
The application process is painful. It is a lot of paperwork.
I hope these pieces of information help those of your deciding to apply help dodge some of the pitfalls that I saw befall some excellent qualified pilots today.