It worked for me. But only a tenth of the openings are real. As most promotions and transfers have to go through the system, it is always jam-packed with irrelevant postings.

Yes!

YES

It's no joke but it does get frustrating. You just need to keep trying. Don't give up.

I've applied for dozens of jobs over the past several years with no luck. Literally just last week, I got an email from a real person asking if he could call me with some questions about my application. It wasn't even an interview, but I figure a response from a live human is progress!

I think it's pretty safe to say that if you aren't checking "highly qualifed" or "expert" on the online questionnaires, you won't get past the first stage of screening. However, I've also applied to many jobs I was extremely qualified for and still never heard anything so you just never know...

Anonymous wrote:I got my job using USAjobs in 2011.

I should add I'm not a vet and was not previously in the federal government.

I got my job using USAjobs in 2011.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is a black hole for sure, but there is the very occasional non-vet, non-status candidate who makes it in by luck. I'm a gov contractor and even with my experience couldn't get anything more than interviews for two exempt (don't have to follow the normal hiring processes) positions, both of which were ultimately not filled. Total waste of time and energy.

I interviewed, they liked me, wanted to make an offer, but could not because some status candidates were ahead of me. So they cancelled that opening, and rewrote the description to fit me exactly. They were then able to hire me. It took a few months.

What is a status candidate? Like vet preference? I'm glad it worked out since it sounds like you were truly the best candidate.

Anonymous wrote:It is a black hole for sure, but there is the very occasional non-vet, non-status candidate who makes it in by luck. I'm a gov contractor and even with my experience couldn't get anything more than interviews for two exempt (don't have to follow the normal hiring processes) positions, both of which were ultimately not filled. Total waste of time and energy.

I interviewed, they liked me, wanted to make an offer, but could not because some status candidates were ahead of me. So they cancelled that opening, and rewrote the description to fit me exactly. They were then able to hire me. It took a few months.

It is a black hole for sure, but there is the very occasional non-vet, non-status candidate who makes it in by luck. I'm a gov contractor and even with my experience couldn't get anything more than interviews for two exempt (don't have to follow the normal hiring processes) positions, both of which were ultimately not filled. Total waste of time and energy.

There is an "apply to all jobs" option??

I will venture and say a lot of the open jobs on USA jobs have someone in mind when they are listed. You have to literally meet every point criteria wise or you will not make it past the first cut.

I made it through a million years ago, after lots of tries. Took so long I ended up in the private sector! I just wish (and I bet hiring managers wish this too) they could simply add to jobs that are secretly designated this way:
*Hiring from within-don't bother
*Already have candidate-don't bother

That would save oodles of time. If the hiring manager needed a few apps to "show competition" they could randomly pull some for people who click "apply to all jobs". This would save us time and stop playing games.

I've had one interview and two nice letters telling me I didn't make the cut. Keep trying.

I applied so many of them, but never heard a thing from human being except the auto reply email.