Some agencies have formalized the referral process to add transparency. I used the system to refer a friend. It got his resume in front of the hiring manager, but he ended up not getting the job because other candidates were better on paper. I think it was a fair system, allowing for networking to be useful, but not at the expense of public trust.

Private sector = Connections get you hired.
Public sector = Connections get you considered.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can help if the person get your resume on the decision-maker's desk or more broadly offer a substantive recommendation. It's basically the same as the private sector. Of course, you would still have to make it past the cert by the HR reviewer, which is a little different.

this. that's how i got in.

BUT, i did do 2 or 3 phone interviews and 3 face to face. and i know there were 3 other candidates. so you still go through the process, and get evaluated against other candidates. but it definitely helped to get my resume on the decision maker's desk.

If you’re already a fed and highly qualified for the position it may help. If you’re not a current fed and you’re not a veteran, it won’t help. Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:It can help if the person get your resume on the decision-maker's desk or more broadly offer a substantive recommendation. It's basically the same as the private sector. Of course, you would still have to make it past the cert by the HR reviewer, which is a little different.

this. that's how i got in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it helps. Tell your friend to recommend you to the person doing the hiring. Don't listen to the idiots on this forum who say it doesn't help--they clearly don't know how reality works.

I'm a hiring official at my agency. You don't know how all agencies work.

NP. If you don't think a connection can help at your agency you are naive. Of course you have to make cert on your own (although I have seen something be reposted when someone didn't make cert, but that had more to do with the HR moron disqualifying obviously qualified candidates).

We get a huge number of applications for our better openings and quite a lot for some not so great openings. Having someone vouch for you, can definitely help you not get lost in the pile.

This doesn't mean some random person at the agency is going to be able to get his unqualified, or marginally qualified, buddy a job. But if you are well qualified and someone who the decision maker trusts can provide a recommendation, it certainly can help.

And you just said what most of everybody said in direct response to OP's original post, which stated that she has an attenuated connection in the agency whom she thinks works in an unrelated office. Most people weren't saying it doesn't help, they were saying it doesn't help in OP's situation.

+1. I think PP had reading comp issue

At mine nepotism rules and they found ways to go around HR.

At my agency, connections are basically pointless until you're on the cert list, which means you've already made it past a soulless, incompetent HR "specialist" and we can actually consider your resume.

Every agency is different but you have nothing to lose, reach out to your former colleague and see what they can do...

Maybe OP. Your friend might raise your profile ...why not try?

First hand experience here. I had a friend who worked at an agency who thought I would be a good fit in another department. He sent my resume over to the hiring manager and 6 months later I got an interview. They opened up the usajobs posting for me (it was up for only 1 day) then I had to get through the HR cert. I appealed the initial HR rejection and I finally got certified. I then negotiated pay and leave and the rest is history.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it helps. Tell your friend to recommend you to the person doing the hiring. Don't listen to the idiots on this forum who say it doesn't help--they clearly don't know how reality works.

I'm a hiring official at my agency. You don't know how all agencies work.

NP. If you don't think a connection can help at your agency you are naive. Of course you have to make cert on your own (although I have seen something be reposted when someone didn't make cert, but that had more to do with the HR moron disqualifying obviously qualified candidates).

We get a huge number of applications for our better openings and quite a lot for some not so great openings. Having someone vouch for you, can definitely help you not get lost in the pile.

This doesn't mean some random person at the agency is going to be able to get his unqualified, or marginally qualified, buddy a job. But if you are well qualified and someone who the decision maker trusts can provide a recommendation, it certainly can help.

And you just said what most of everybody said in direct response to OP's original post, which stated that she has an attenuated connection in the agency whom she thinks works in an unrelated office. Most people weren't saying it doesn't help, they were saying it doesn't help in OP's situation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it helps. Tell your friend to recommend you to the person doing the hiring. Don't listen to the idiots on this forum who say it doesn't help--they clearly don't know how reality works.

I'm a hiring official at my agency. You don't know how all agencies work.

NP. If you don't think a connection can help at your agency you are naive. Of course you have to make cert on your own (although I have seen something be reposted when someone didn't make cert, but that had more to do with the HR moron disqualifying obviously qualified candidates).

We get a huge number of applications for our better openings and quite a lot for some not so great openings. Having someone vouch for you, can definitely help you not get lost in the pile.

This doesn't mean some random person at the agency is going to be able to get his unqualified, or marginally qualified, buddy a job. But if you are well qualified and someone who the decision maker trusts can provide a recommendation, it certainly can help.