Affirmative on the FAA medicals. If your Position Description requires it (not all do) then you will get 2nd class Medicals paid for.

On the phone question. It depends. Not normally though. Some Managers have an agency issued phone, but most ASI's do not. I'd highly recommend NOT using your personal cell phone for any agency business, unless you are OK with EVERYTHING in your phone being FOIA material.

Medicals:

You can get your medical for free usually by the regional flight surgeon if you live close to the regional office, but most people don't do that, they'll just go to AMEs, in which case health insurance covers it.

Usually you can be issued a cell-phone for certain duties, like accident response, surveillance and duties in remote locations, etc. Likely depends on the office and what they deal with. There is no "cell phone reimbursement" per-say, but there are plenty of opportunities and ways to avoid using your cell phone for work purposes.

Not sure what region or office you work, but in my region, it has been successfully argued thru the grievance process that we can go to ANY AME of our choice (in addition to the region flight surgeon) such as at CAMI. The office manager must sign an Auzn form, which the AME completes and then Sends to the regional flight surgeon for reimbursement.

Thanks for the info. Still waiting on a call......

It took me about 10 days to get the call after my "face to face". They've got to get on the payroll prior to the end of the FY. You'll probably get a call this week....

It took me 5 years to get onboard. I applied right after 9/11. I did not know anyone, and no military time. There is definitely truth to a "push" for hiring by end of September (Fiscal year ends).

Recommend calling the office of interest and speaking with a front line manager.

I have a contact on the inside who tells 'goal is for you to start on new pay period 9/7 or 21, prior to new fiscal year'. I think it is moving forward, just waiting on 'word'.

If they offer 9/7, is there any issue with me asking for 9/21? Do I lose anything, other than two weeks pay?

When I was hired - into a different LOB though - I applied in May, interviewed in August, and was hired to start on the first day of the last pay period of the fiscal year (Sep 27). I pushed that date as far as possible because I wanted to stay at my old job for as long as I possibly could, but I mention this because the end of August/beginning of September was definitely push time and a lot of things came together there at the very end.

The minimum requirement would be to work 1 day during the last pay period of September. The pay period begins 9/21 and ends 10/4. You would need to report between 9/22-9/30. I did that 8yrs ago. I took LWOP (leave without pay) for the remainder of the pay period so I could "finish out" my time at the airline.

I'm a different LOB also.

Get sworn in ASAP. You never know what kind of incident can happen to trigger a hold or freeze. I know of a case where someone did not make the on-board date last year due to putting it off. Due to a strange set of circumstances, they then went beyond the freeze date due to sequestration. The referral list was terminated and the name went back in the pot. By the time the availability to hire came around, more qualified people in the pool, etc.

I know this is a remote possibility, but why take a chance on the last job you may ever need to accept!

Never put off a start date. Get sworn in, then work out leave with the new boss. Most of us are very accommodating to new hires w/r/t leave to get settled, as we all had to go through the same thing.

As for cell phone, those that need one get issued cell phones through the FAA NWP (National Wireless Program). You can choose a device from a limited number of what are mostly obsolete models. You can also choose the carrier (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint). Some managers qualify for blackberry or iPad. The large carriers also give government discounts on yr personal service. I get 20% (I think) on Verizon.

Our only medical is the drug/alcohol/hearing testing...that is on the house.