Anonymous wrote:The position was advertised for 7 days and limited to 25 applicants.

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/427965000

Sure sign they have someone an internal candidate lined up for the position?

This afternoon (Friday) they invited me for an in-person interview on Monday.

How did the interview go???

Anonymous wrote:When they have a short close date, they know who they want, bro.

NOT TRUE.

There are a variety of reasons for a short close date. With government hiring mandates, HR is under a microscope to get people in QUICKLY. I have seen many postings with a 4 day close date for positions that were not pre-selected. I am in a 14. Everyone assumed my position with a 7 day post time (and a re-post) was a pre-selected one. I knew NO ONE in the division - and no one on the panel. Assume nothing.

I have also seen positions where there was the appearance of a pre-selected candidate -and an outsider came in and blew the panel (yes, everyone uses panels to avoid the pre-selection issue) away. Just go in and shine. Half the battle is getting on the cert. An interview is a great step!

Our office in a large federal agency recently advertised for a position that we had no internal candidates in mind for. We have little control over when they post it or for how long. There's one HR for the entire agency & they are so out of touch with what we do, it's a joke trying to deal with them or trying to figure out the logic to the hiring process they use.
HR posted this recent position for a 7 day period and combined it with openings from 7 different offices - all looking for same GS grade, but all very different positions with different requirements.
Beyond frustrating.
A few years ago we had an opening and no internal candidates in mind, & HR sat on the posting for 3 months then finally released on 12/26 for 5 days, yep.

They require TS clearance because whoever they have already picked got one...

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious as to why a Department of Education position requires a TS clearance.

Because threat briefs at the S level are uninformative.

When they have a short close date, they know who they want, bro.

Alternate explanation: they are in a hurry for political reasons.

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious as to why a Department of Education position requires a TS clearance.

Probably because it is in IT security. Access to government wide security protocols and the like.

7 days means someone else in mind, but they probably liked your resume enough to consider you for future jobs.

I'm curious as to why a Department of Education position requires a TS clearance.