CBP officer

[SolidSnoopy]

Just checked all 3 of my credit reports and saw a soft pull on each report from CBP on 12/24....nice to see things are moving forward with my background, nervous for my upcoming VBT/SI.

How to prepare for your VBT:
Step 1: Turn on your TV to a show like CSI
Step 2: Stand up and stare at your TV (make sure to dress nicely)
Step 3: Begin talking to your tv and responding to the characters

Congratulations, you are now ready for your VBT.

But in all seriousness, don't worry about it too much. Be confident!

[Shadowtrain]

Couple of questions...if you accept a place (duty location) then re-take the test while you are working that duty station, can you transfer into a new region? 2nd question- what is considered a desirable location in the central east coast region? New Port News (VA) VA beach, has anyone been offered that duty station? I appreciate everyone who's been answering these questions. I am just considering whether to just take the job and hope to transfer OR wait re-take the test and and get a duty station down in NC or SC. thanks everyone.

Cheers

Ok... I'm going to try my best to answer the questions for you, but unfortunately you're pretty scatterbrained and I got lost.

Yes, you can accept a duty location.
To move from duty location to somewhere else, you have sposedly three routes.
1) The national reassignment. Basically after so many years, you can put your name into a magical hat and if you're high enough on seniority, you are given the option to transfer to that port.
2) Swaps. You are at xyz duty location, person at efg duty location wants to go where you are working at. If you both get the green light from your ports, you can swap. Some have been successful, some have gone down in flames.
3) Re-apply via USA jobs. So a route that some have been taking is to reapply as if they are going through the process all over again. You have to take a test and some things have been waived as far as academy/pfts/etc. Unfortunately, this is a very gray area and it may or may not stay. How some people have been using it is they are at grade 12 or whatever, but they have to downgrade to something like a 9. While it's a major hit in terms of pay, some people really want to leave the hellholes they are in and get 'home'.

Desirable is relative. You like the beaches? Florida. You like City life, New York/NJ,etc. You want to make it around to a different agency, DC'ish region. You want sunshine? Cali. You want the great outdoors? Montanna,Alaska, etc. It really depends on what you want.

New officers do get offered Newport News, but generally your big ports will be the most likely landing spots. JFK, San Ysidro, etc.

The nice thing about the CBP gig is that whatever you pick, you can stay and be happy there. There's no mandatory move like some places. Additionally, if you want to move elsewhere, you can, but you have to put the effort/sacrifice to get there. CBP is so large, you can go abroad for TDYs, or whatever too. All depends on what your expectations are and what you want to do.

Can you get to NC/SC? Sure. But you'll have to fight others who want to go there and more than likely you'll be beat by seniority for some time.

Yes I understand that and I appreciate the magnitude of the position. I have a couple of other options in terms of Federal LE, so I am looking at a few options. I just want to make the best decision for my future and be near the people that matter the most to me, and I feel CBP has many duty stations so that it is a very real possibility I can make that happen. But I understand what you are saying, Re-taking the test is risky but everything transfers over--from what they told me in Minneapolis, but you are right there are risks involved. All of which are real. A part of me says get on and then look to transfer--but from what I have been told or from what I have heard, it seems people are kind of stuck where they are. ahah Who kows, we'll see what happens.
Cheers

My best advice, don't put your eggs in one basket. Apply to everything that interests you. I have no idea what your background is, nor what your end goals are. CBP is nice in terms of the vast quantity of duty locations, pay, and the sense of contribution to the welfare of the US. What do you want? You want location? You want to be near family? You want money? What?

As the old saying goes. "A bird in in the hand is worth two in the bush..."

[Steph631_]

Just checked all 3 of my credit reports and saw a soft pull on each report from CBP on 12/24....nice to see things are moving forward with my background, nervous for my upcoming VBT/SI.

How can I check mine ?


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[merlin436]

The nice thing about the CBP gig is that whatever you pick, you can stay and be happy there. There's no mandatory move like some places.

Funny thing...a bunch of us we sitting around at work this week and we came to the conclusion that a limited mobility agreement is just what the agency needs.

Share the pain...basically. Create a listing of hardship ports. Rotate people into and out of them based on, say, a 4 year commitment. Everyone participates. People get chosen based on lot or seniority. Those with a prior 4-year stint in a hardship port are excluded from further participation. Completed participation pushes those people to the front of the pack as far as consideration for relocations, TDYs, and other "perks" go. Promotions as well would be tied into system. Want to move up...go do your time in a hardship location.

Essentially, nobody gets stuck in the worst locations with no way out. Basically, nobody gets a prime spot where they can milk the location for a career. We more or less introduce fairness and equality to the system.

[cscott91]

How can I check mine ?


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You can view each report from "annualcreditreport.com" for free every 12 months, each report is provided by the credit bureau itself (Equifax, Transunion, and Experian). When you are viewing each report make sure you look under the "soft" inquiries section not the "hard" inquiries.

[Steph631_]

You can view each report from "annualcreditreport.com" for free every 12 months, each report is provided by the credit bureau itself (Equifax, Transunion, and Experian). When you are viewing each report make sure you look under the "soft" inquiries section not the "hard" inquiries.

Gotcha. I checked transunion and they pulled it 12/23


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[Kattle]

Right hours of Spanish a day is turning my brain to mush. I was just on the first page, reading it, thinking it was the last page and wondering what the heck was going on. Glad to see Merlin has stuck around for so long. Can't wait to be back home.

[merlin436]

1) Im also from NJ like many of you and this place sucks! haha

2) I'm just wondering why so many people ask how it is to work at a certain duty station. I know your location matters if you have a family but from my point of view I do not care where they place me, the hours, the workers, nothing. I have wanted a federal position for a long time and I'll do whatever they ask me to. Should you really care what it is like at a certain station? You have a dream job thousands are praying they get everyday. Remember how lucky you are when you get it

As Napoleon the pig might put it..."All ports are equal...but some ports are more equal than others. "

Well, not really. Not all ports are equal and depending on what one is looking for, it just makes good sense to have an idea of what a duty location has to offer.

[merlin436]

How much of a dream job would it be, if there were mass corruption. I've heard horror stories about some ports.
Most people will take a pay cut also for a federal job, so if families are used to living off a certain salary, then take this cut for a fed. Job, though temporary, it makes sense if people want to know how advancement opportunities work at various ports. Because it IS quicker and easier at some over others... once you hit journeyman of course.

Seeings as I'm young, I'm in the same mind set as you, anything they want done, I'm doing it.

There's no "mass corruption" within OFO.

Are there some corrupt CBPOs..sadly, yes. We're talking of a tiny fraction of the agency though. Maybe 1/2 of one percent. Out of that group, I'd almost label many of them as more stupid than corrupt.

[merlin436]

Right hours of Spanish a day is turning my brain to mush. I was just on the first page, reading it, thinking it was the last page and wondering what the heck was going on. Glad to see Merlin has stuck around for so long. Can't wait to be back home.

Every once in a while I go back and read through the old pages and the past postings.

It's amazing how much change has come to the agency since this thread was brought to life. In many ways, we're world's apart from where we were when the CBPO position was first created in July of 2004.

[Shadowtrain]

Funny thing...a bunch of us we sitting around at work this week and we came to the conclusion that a limited mobility agreement is just what the agency needs.

Share the pain...basically. Create a listing of hardship ports. Rotate people into and out of them based on, say, a 4 year commitment. Everyone participates. People get chosen based on lot or seniority. Those with a prior 4-year stint in a hardship port are excluded from further participation. Completed participation pushes those people to the front of the pack as far as consideration for relocations, TDYs, and other "perks" go. Promotions as well would be tied into system. Want to move up...go do your time in a hardship location.

Essentially, nobody gets stuck in the worst locations with no way out. Basically, nobody gets a prime spot where they can milk the location for a career. We more or less introduce fairness and equality to the system.

Personally, I think it's all relative. A person may like XYZ port for whatever reason. What you may define as garbage, another person will call home.
I think a limited mobility agreement would be brilliant, but alas this agency is still trying to figure itself out as a whole.
All things being equal, I do think the hardship rotation placement system should be implemented. Will it? Doubtful.
For the potential new hires, location is a big deal. Some people just want to stay wherever they get placed.

There should be a way out and the current paths are terrible.
Sure, that 12-4 will take that cut 9-whatever elsewhere, but that's how much he/she is willing to sacrifice to make that move.

[Steph631_]

So an update guys. Took my VBT/SI today. Was scheduled for 9:30 am left around 1:30pm.


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[Steph631_]

Has anyone takes the VBT and then the SI and was notified that they failed ?


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[gymrat77]

Has anyone takes the VBT and then the SI and was notified that they failed ?


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When I took mine. I was told after the SI that the VBT had to be reviewed by another party. However, the officers that interviewed me said I had nothing to worry about in regards to the SI.

Good luck

[Steph631_]

When I took mine. I was told after the SI that the VBT had to be reviewed by another party. However, the officers that interviewed me said I had nothing to worry about in regards to the SI.

Good luck

Thanks. I mean I don't see how you could possible fail the SI. BUT you never know with CBP.


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