Do you hate waiting to hear back from that federal job you applied to? If you’re like many job seekers who’ve applied to the federal government, then you know what it’s like to wait. Wait. And wait some more. It seems like months can go by before our “usajobs.gov” status changes; IF it changes.
Some federal agencies do a better job than others by actually keeping your usajobs.gov application status current. Some agencies will actually be reviewing your application when usajobs reflects that. Other agencies will have already made a selection or cancelled the vacancy and you are none the wiser. For some, usajobs.gov will continue to say, “Reviewing applications” or “forwarded to the selecting official” long after a vacancy has been canceled or filled.
So, how do you know the status of your federal application if you can’t rely on the usajobs.gov status? You don’t. You will have to get in touch with the HR Specialist point of contact (POC) listed on the vacancy announcement. Some vacancy announcements don’t even have a POC; there’s a generic number or email; but these are in the minority. I have found that contacting these generic numbers or emails will actually lead to a response (and sometimes quicker than a formal HR POC), so don’t despair. It just means that the particular agency uses a “help desk ticket” type of arrangement that serves the same purpose.
In any case, when you apply to federal jobs, you shouldn’t be waiting. Keep applying to any and all jobs you’re interested in that based on the announcements – you are qualified for. Applying to federal jobs is not a “one at a time” game. To win you have to have as many eggs in the basket as possible. Good eggs, not bad eggs. Applying to jobs you’re not even remotely qualified for is a complete waste of your time. And don’t apply only for the grade level you want. Apply to grades below and above if the option is there. There are so many people out there willing to take less pay just to get a federal job. You have to be willing to do this too. If you don’t, you may just end up without a job at all. Don’t overestimate your professional value in the context of this down economy. Don’t underestimate desperate others willing to outbid you as the best candidate (less money, highest qualified).
