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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Do you have any direct supervisory experience?[/quote]
Yes, but not directly supervising feds.[/quote]

That's a huge hole in your app. probably too large to overcome.[/quote]
OP here. Thanks. Right now I am supervising the supervisor who directly supervises fedeal staff, but this is not "official" because on paper we are both from different agencies. I understand the perceived hole, although it's kind of ridiculous. Many of the 2nd line SES in my field only directly supervise one or two people (e.g., a Director supervising the Deputy Director who supervises the staff).[/quote]

I actually do not think it’s ridiculous at all. If the SES to whom you refer have no supervisory experience prior to their current role, then maybe I can see why it annoys you, but in any case, some people get lucky and that’s not really something on which you can count. The fact is, program management, or management of work of contractors is not supervisory and team leaders often are not either. If you are the supervisor of record and you are responsible for the appraisals and careers of staff or other management, that’s the only experience that counts. If your ECQ is written in a way that is not understanding of this difference, that might be an issue. You can keep applying and hope to get lucky but your best bet is to take a year long detail somewhere that you are a direct supervisor to multiple Federal staff. [/quote]
Apologies. Let me clarify. The ridiculous part is the apparent requirement to supervise feds. I have supervisory experience outside of the federal government, and within the federal government, but the latter is mostly long term contractors and postdocs. I disagree that supervising postdocs and scientific contractors does not entail being responsible for their careers. In fact several keep me as a mentor to this day so I am still advising them on their careers! [/quote]

Generally, they only care if you were the supervisor of record.

I do think your private industry experience SHOULD count, so maybe there is something in your ECQ that doesn’t highlight that in the right way.

I think from this thread at least 2 people (I wrote several of these responses) could easily identify that you’d not been an official supervisor in this manner, so clearly that’s something you need to reframe. If you have the experience you need, it’s your presentation of that experience that’s your issue.

Do not attempt to argue that your experience that’s not direct is valid. You’d be better off acknowledging a difference and highlighting why it is still relevant. [/quote]

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