A note about the federal job application process

As many of you know, I graduated in May with my master's degree and have been writing federal government applications like crazy ever since. What you may not know is how difficult it is to get into federal service. Generally, just one of these applications takes me several days to complete, if not longer, depending on how clear I am on what they are asking of me and how long it takes to get some of the materials together. An average application requires that you respond in essay form to a series of vague "Knowledge, Skills and Abilities" statements (or KSAs), plus respond to an online self-assessment, and submit anything from your resume, to your last SF-50 form, to your transcript, to references, to a 70-page pre-employment background investigation report (and yes, I'm serious - SEVENTY PAGES).

What is funny about this is that most Americans believe that this will be the last time that I work so hard. Getting into federal government service is the hard part, they say. After that, it's a piece of cake. Or, as one former (high school) schoolmate pointed out in reference to a friend's website promoting citizen involvement in government, "...we hire lazy government workers to execute everything, give them 25 paid vacation weeks a year, 30 sick days, every holiday and 2 hour lunch breaks. These are our true american workers." (While government employment does offer a superior benefits package in relation to most private service jobs, this statement simply isn't true and, if I were going to be very honest, I find it offensive. There certainly ARE those government employees who are doing nothing but breathing oxygen and taking up space - just like in private industry, I might add - most government employees work very hard to do what needs doing to support their agency's mission. But I digress; this is fodder for a completely different conversation.)

When I used to work for the State Department in my early 20's, I didn't realize how good I had it in terms of job security, pay, and ease of movement throughout the government. I also didn't realize how easy it was for me to get hired at that time. All I could focus on was how miserable I was - miserable with my home life, miserable with my professional life, just all around, all consuming misery (it was as un-awesome as you can get for living in New York City). So I did what I had to do at the time and quit (which involves a really "interesting" story about a supervisor who found out I was considering leaving and then unleashed his fury about women being allowed to become special agents all over my unexpecting ass).

Now that I'm in my fifth month of job applications (and rejections), I realize how easily everything seemed to work out for me back then. Although I don't regret what I did at the time, leaving federal service is not always the brightest move. Sometimes you gotta take life with all the lumps - in time, things will get better.

So I'm still applying. Some days it is difficult, either because the process takes so long or because I've received yet another rejection letter, but most of the time I remind myself to perservere. They can't leave me high and dry forever, right?

The other thing that I have to keep reminding myself is that I have to take advantage of this period in my life and not just go after whatever shiny object throws itself into my path. With this upcoming move to Mexico, I have been searching the "internets" for potential jobs in the Nogales area and I've found a few that I could do well, but then I remind myself that this isn't what I want out of life. I am not happy with unemployment, but I am blessed with a comfortable situation that doesn't yet require that I work (although Anthony, a.k.a. my comfortable situation, is tired of my unemployment as well). So I try to remain focused: Keep your eyes on the prize, Ryan. Eyes on the prize.

Since many of you have been asking, I thought I would tell you where I have been looking. I am trying to get a job that still has me focused on international affairs, so most of the positions are associated to that. Most positions I've applied to have been with the State Department and USAID, but I have also sent applications to nonprofits like Vital Voices, think tanks like the Brookings Institution, other federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, and I continue to look at job postings at universities for something interesting since I really enjoyed the community of a college campus when I last worked at one. That being said, I do have a top three:
1) GAO Professional Development Program - this is a two year entry-level analyst position with the Government Accountability Office. You do 3 rotations during the 2 years, have a mentor, receive training, and have all the benefits of a normal employee. After the 2 years, if you haven't killed anyone or done lines of coke off your boss's stomach at the annual Christmas party, then you can go permanent. Right now, I'm waiting on the job announcement to come out - last year, it arrived in November, but hey, it could come out this month. Who knows? This is the federal government we're talking about here and I am told that this announcement depends on funding from Congress...
2) State Department Foreign Service Officer - for the nth year running, I have taken the Foreign Service Written Exam for the Public Diplomacy cone. I scored well enough to be invited to take the Oral Assessment, which is why I head to the U.S. later this month. If I pass that, my name goes on a list, where it stays until I get hired or until 18 months pass, whichever comes sooner. If the 18 months pass and I am not hired, I get to go through the whole process again. Good times. If I actually get hired, then HOLY CRAP and HALLELUJAH!
3) USAID Foreign Service - I applied to the policy and programs AND democracy and governance officer positions. This is similar to the State Department's FS program, only with a limited choice of countries of assignment (i.e. if it's not the third world, I won't be there). I have no idea when I will hear back from them. An interesting note is that a few weeks ago, I received an email in regards to my policy and program application, which I believe I sent in April. They wrote to inform me that their application review system had been revamped and they would now (finally) get to reviewing those applications. That is exactly the kind of information I could have used, oh, I don't know, FIVE MONTHS AGO.

So, that is pretty much where things stand for me. Still pushing to be a fed, still nothing definite. Yay uncertainty!