15-TIGTA-059 - IRS Criminal Investigator, Fresno Vacancy

[3.14 Beans]

For anyone that is a VEOA eligible applicant, if your status is currently showing "not referred" because you were found not eligible, you should call into the contact center. My status showed this, and I was confused because I am qualified to apply, so I called to find out what happened. I was told that they've had several people call in that are VEOA eligible with the same issue.

The position is only open to people that live in the local commuting area OR VEOA eligible applicants wherever they leave. Whoever was reviewing the applications evidently didn't pay attention to the VEOA eligible part, and marked as ineligible people who didn't live within the local commuting are regardless of their VEOA eligibility. If you call in, they will correct have the specialist who is in-charge of the vacancy correct the issue.

[ronald_mcdonald]

Thanks for the heads up PI. I was deemed not eligible and am VEOA eligible. Will give them a call later. Good luck, by the way.

[ronald_mcdonald]

I recieved a call back from HR and they stated that I was still not referred after looking at my application. Oh well, the process continues for an 1811 job.

[3.14 Beans]

I recieved a call back from HR and they stated that I was still not referred after looking at my application. Oh well, the process continues for an 1811 job.

Odd. Did they say why? As a VEOA applicant, you are eligible to apply and therefore qualified. They are required to inform you why you weren't referred (e.g. your score was 85 but the cut score was 95). There isn't much you can do now, but they should have provided you with a reason you weren't referred.

[ronald_mcdonald]

Yeah, they called me and stated that my score was below the cut off. So I am out of the running for this vacancy announcement. I wouldn't mind living in California for awhile though; I haven't been there since I was in TAD to Miramar while I was still in the military and the wife is orginally from Los Angeles.

[N8]

As a VEOA applicant, you are eligible to apply and therefore qualified.

Eligible to apply does not mean qualified for the job.

At any rate, I'm glad to see your post because I dropped an app on this vacancy to see how my resume would stack up, and was surprised that I was automatically dropped without even a rating (so I figured my resume must suck).

It is important to keep in mind that they only put the VEOA eligibility on there because they have to. When a job posting says ”local employees in the local area”, you can assume they already have someone in mind for the position. It doesn’t hurt to apply, but don’t get your hopes up.

[3.14 Beans]

Eligible to apply does not mean qualified for the job.

At any rate, I'm glad to see your post because I dropped an app on this vacancy to see how my resume would stack up, and was surprised that I was automatically dropped without even a rating (so I figured my resume must suck).

It is important to keep in mind that they only put the VEOA eligibility on there because they have to. When a job posting says ”local employees in the local area”, you can assume they already have someone in mind for the position. It doesn’t hurt to apply, but don’t get your hopes up.

N8 - you are correct that being VEOA eligible does not mean qualified, but I assume we are all adults here and don't apply to jobs that we aren't otherwise qualified for. My statement was meant that the specialist who reviewed the applications initially did not allow VEOA applicants to go on because she found them immediately ineligible because they did not live in the local commuting area. I was saying that, as a VEOA applicant, you are eligible regardless of where you live.

Further, and this was what my second post to Ronald was about, if you are eligible (VEOA and meet all the other requirements), they are required to provide you a formal rating AND explanation that, while you were qualified, you were not the most highly qualified applicant; this is usually manifested in an email that shows you your rating and telling you it wasn't high enough.

So, if you know that you are qualified for this position and you are a VEOA applicant, you have a legal right to an explanation why you were not referred, along with the score you were assigned. If you did not get a rating, it is because you were found ineligible. You cannot be auto-dropped if you are a VEOA applicant AND you meet all eligibility requirements.

[N8]

I should have known better than to reply to a thread started by a lawyer.

"You cannot be auto-dropped if you are a VEOA applicant AND you meet all eligibility requirements." I am both, but I was dropped without rating or a NOR for reasons unknown (as it appears you were as well). Federal HR people know how to make the things they want to happen, happen. Even if HR violates MSPB rules or hiring laws, it results in nothing, or maybe a slap on the wrist. It is lame, but it happens (I agree that it shouldn’t happen though). Fun fact, I once rated 109 on a NOR for a job, was referred, and didn’t get an interview.

The indicator that we weren't going to get much of a fair shot at the job was the local area and agency employee provision; kind of a read between the lines situation. It is what it is, there will be other 1811 opportunities where they actually are looking for competition and to hire from outside of their fiefdoms.

[3.14 Beans]

I should have known better than to reply to a thread started by a lawyer.

"You cannot be auto-dropped if you are a VEOA applicant AND you meet all eligibility requirements." I am both, but I was dropped without rating or a NOR for reasons unknown (as it appears you were as well). Federal HR people know how to make the things they want to happen, happen. Even if HR violates MSPB rules or hiring laws, it results in nothing, or maybe a slap on the wrist. It is lame, but it happens (I agree that it shouldn’t happen though). Fun fact, I once rated 109 on a NOR for a job, was referred, and didn’t get an interview.

The indicator that we weren't going to get much of a fair shot at the job was the local area and agency employee provision; kind of a read between the lines situation. It is what it is, there will be other 1811 opportunities where they actually are looking for competition and to hire from outside of their fiefdoms.

I was initially dropped without a rating, but when I called to inquire as to why, I was called by a specialist a few hours later who said I was mistakenly dropped because I was not put in VEOA status, and once they rated me, I was referred. So, right now, I'm in referred status. That's why I was saying people should call and find out if a mistake was made, because you may get switched to referred.

My understanding of the "local area" recruiting was that it simply saves the agency money by not having to pay to interview people who don't live close.

I do agree, however, that federal HR people know what they are doing. They know how to work the system in order to select, in their eyes, the best qualified applicant, regardless of points, status, etc.

[saone]

My understanding of the "local area" recruiting was that it simply saves the agency money by not having to pay to interview people who don't live close.

It is extremely rare in the Fed that they would pay to bring a candidate to an interview. The local commuting area only language can be translated to: "we know who we want to make the cert, and unless you are that person, you have no chance."