Why is it so hard to find a Federal job??

[Anonymous]

I keep reading about the federal workforce "brain drain" because of the ongoing retirement of so many early baby boomer workers. Yet there seem to be so few posted openings on USA Jobs and then it's so hard to get interviews. Are agencies simply shrinking positions and/or do new hires have to be vets or "diverse"?

[Anonymous]

Our federal agency loses people, but then takes it sweet time hiring a replacement. So the work just gets distributed and piled onto the current staff. We are overworked but love our jobs, so what can we do?

[Anonymous]

Thanks to sequestration, we can't fill vacant positions at my agency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to sequestration, we can't fill vacant positions at my agency.

+1

I have a 50% vacancy rate in my office, and haven't been able to fill any positions for the past two years due to sequestration.

[Anonymous]

1000 people apply for each listing.

1/2 the jobs posted are "fake" openings--already pegged for someone else.

If you are not a VET good luck.

Current employees get looked at before outsiders.

Those with connects have an edge.

If you get past these barriers it is because you have a special technical skill that is needed badly.

[Anonymous]

We contract everything out.

[Anonymous]

Our agency only posts jobs to status candidates due to budgetary issues and the hassle of DEU. Also, if do post something DEU, they typically can't hire who they want because of Veterans Preference.

[Anonymous]

We only fill 1/3 of retirees spots. And if anyone replaces them, it's from within since we hadn't been able to move up in years.

[Anonymous]

We can't hire anyone right now, either. People are retiring and leaving, and the work just keeps getting piled on the rest of us. We can hire some contractors, though. That's not a bad way to get your foot in the door.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our agency only posts jobs to status candidates due to budgetary issues and the hassle of DEU. Also, if do post something DEU, they typically can't hire who they want because of Veterans Preference.

What is DEU?

[Anonymous]

My agency is on a hiring freeze

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our agency only posts jobs to status candidates due to budgetary issues and the hassle of DEU. Also, if do post something DEU, they typically can't hire who they want because of Veterans Preference.

What is DEU?

Delegating Examining Unit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to sequestration, we can't fill vacant positions at my agency.

+1, we have lots of "vacancies" that will never be filled. We don't have the money. When we do hire in the upper grades (14/15) it usually is an internal-only opening so that our own people can advance their careers, but then their former lower-grade position is often not filled.

FWIW, I'm GenX and I don't think brain drain is a thing: plenty of GenXers and older Millennials have been working in their agencies for 10+ years now, they know the job and have the institutional knowledge. I think the big threat to the Federal workforce is that we are not hiring people to replace the Boomers who are retiring, and we are not spending money to train anybody of any age.

[Anonymous]

jobs are there but qualified people aren't.

only the special kind can become feds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:jobs are there but qualified people aren't.

only the special kind can become feds

Thanks for the input middle school kid