Slow... but Still Hiring

Dreamfedjob.com

Despite current hiring freezes in some government agencies, the government is hiring thousands of employees - to replace retiring feds, to supplement undersized staffs, and to take up new government priorities. Among the hot sectors: Veterans health, border security, acquisition, diplomacy, law enforcement and intelligence. Even the latest bill introduced in the House seeking to freeze hiring government-wide excludes the Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans' Affairs departments.

The fact is that the federal government is hiring more employees than it is letting go, while the opposite is true for state and local governments. More than 4 out of 10 federal employees (42%) report agencies are adding people, while state and local government employees report a net loss of workers.

In 2010, President Obama mandated a reform of federal hiring practices in order to achieve quality talent acquisition. In his memo, the president directed agencies to simplify the hiring practice, while reducing the time it takes to hire an applicant and accept resumes. Be patient... the government is really trying hard to change its ways.

Where Should I Start Looking for a Job?

The Defense Department's workforce continues to grow as the "insourcing" of contractor jobs takes place. This is the largest staffing increase proposed for next year, aside from the Commerce Department.

The Veterans Affairs Department (VA) is increasing its staff of medical officers, nurses and other medical services personnel to help treat wounded veterans returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan. Thousands of doctors and nurses across the nation have served and continue to do so, as interns at VA facilities, and the department will try to lure some of them back with recruitment and relocation incentives. VA is also using student loan repayment programs and nurse scholarship programs to attract medical personnel.

In addition to medical personnel, VA needs additional social workers, intake specialists and other support employees to help it treat combat veterans, some of whom suffer from conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury, the New PSA on Suicide Prevention for Veterans program and information technology workers to help it upgrade its computer networks, records systems and automated hiring systems.

The Homeland Security Department is growing to help enforce immigration laws, secure our borders and provide transportation security. Increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement are playing a role in this growth.

The Social Security Administration's workforce is also growing to help it handle an expected increase in retirement and disability claims as the baby boomer generation ages and as the economic downturn drives more people to pursue government benefits.

So, Why is it Taking So Long to Hear Back From Them?

Although each agency is different, generally, you will hear from the hiring agency in about 15-30 days after the job opportunity announcement (JOA) closes. If you have not heard from the agency, you should contact the agency that posted the JOA to inquire about the status of your application. Just keep one thing in mind, with the current budget crunch, many agencies can't afford to replace employees who leave and some departments are seeing their staffs shrink. When a Human Resources staff department shrinks, the time it takes that department to hire increases, so be patient.
Good luck and don't give up.

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