I have never added my two cents worth to these discussions, but in this case, I feel compelled to do so. I saw the job announcement and immediately thought there was someone in mind for the position already. I worked for the federal government for 12 years and saw many instances of jobs being announced for only short periods of time and written very specifically so that hardly anybody but the intended was able to qualify. I can't extrapolate that experience to all federal agencies as I realize it may only have been the one I worked for. However, my experience has kept me from applying for any job that is open for only a few short days.
I recently lost my position due to lack of funding. However, the system is broken. During the 17 years I was with this particular agency (5 as an unpaid graduate student), I was a temporary employee. Lest anyone think it is because I was not a good employee, I received a superior rating on all performance evaluations except for one. Unfortunately for me, I did not have good mentors,and as such have ended up as a jack of all trades rather than a specialist. Although I have a PhD (with a 4.0 GPA), I am now giving serious consideration to walking away from the wildlife field altogether. My experiences have made me somewhat cynical where the federal system is concerned. Again, I realize this is only one agency and I appreciate budgetary and time constraints that sometimes dictate a short application period. But for whatever its worth, my experience doesn't seem to be limited to me and it's time the system was fixed. I'm just not sure how that can be accomplished. Christi On Fri, Aug 19, 2011 at 8:12 PM, malcolm McCallum < [email protected]> wrote: > My personal experience with USOPM and applications: > > I have applied for many positions with the Feds since 2003. > I have reached the interview stage 6-10 times. > During that time I was offered two positions. > One I turned down because I could not justify to myself leaving my > courses half-way through the semester (they could not delay it), and > the other was in Wash DC (at the time I didn't know how urban DC > was!). > > About a half-dozen of my applications were incorrectly labeled as > unqualified due to not having a BS, MS or PHD. That problem has now > been corrected as the selection process was altered this past year. > > >From this experience, I do not think that a lot of hiring is done > inappropriately. > However, I think some of the procedures they follow were so carefully > planned to avoid favoritism, that they actually are > counter-productive. > \ > Either way, the feds are a different lifestyle from academia. In some > ways (from my communications with friends there) it is very similar, > but I believe your freedoms of speech and pursuit of inquiry are more > restricted. > > :) > > > > On Fri, Aug 19, 2011 at 7:41 PM, jon mccloskey <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Kyle, > > > > My comments were not directed at you personally. I just feel that the > time is long overdue that we not keep accepting these "very restrictive" > rules (not just hiring practices) and stand up and do something. Otherwise, > as we see by this discussion, good people leave the system completely or > simply give up and accept the "rules", thereby enabling a system that > remains essentially impotent to facilitate change and innovation. As an > Ecologist, I'm sure that you can see the pattern of self organization > (creating conditions for ones own success) fueled by a lack of diversity, > good thinking, etc. that allows these "rules" to remain. From my knowledge, > broken systems only correct themselves through strong leadership...or > crisis. We have at least some control over our leadership. > > > > They can fire one person, but it would be hard to ignore a large group of > past and present federal employees. From my experience, people in these > agencies are, for the most part, hard working and good people (yourself > included I'm sure). Some are very good friends of mine, and they all have > great ideas for improving things (not just hiring practices)...the thing > they lack is organization...and as they get older, the will to fight. > > > > P.S. I am a practical, but cynical old bastard and believe that if you > can think it, then it is possible. So, if any of you younger folks ever > decide to stand up and fight, I'll be right there with you. I have tried > for years and have even been black listed by certain people in both Academia > and the Agencies. I work for a non-profit now (they have their faults too, > but appear a little more open minded). I recently spent some time in Tibet, > Africa, and China and believe me there are people in the world who need > help...but this will not happen unless we stand up against broken > systems...not broken parts, but broken systems. > > > > For now, I'm with Ms. Cox and will enjoy time with my son and try to > teach him the value of standing up to bullies disguised as weak managers, > policy makers, and politicians > > > > Jon McCloskey, Ph.D. > > > > > > > >> From: [email protected] > >> To: [email protected]; [email protected] > >> Subject: RE: [ECOLOG-L] Job Announcement: US Forest Service Ecologist > >> Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:23:49 +0000 > >> > >> What a great discussion! I won't try to defend federal hiring practices > here, but I will try to defend myself. I certainly would not have gone to > the effort of posting this on Ecolog if I had someone lined up to fill it. > I posted this announcement because I wanted to widely advertise this > position given that is unfortunately only open for 10 days. Our new hiring > rules are very restrictive, and I wanted to ensure we had the best pool of > candidates possible given these constraints. Although many people on Ecolog > may not be eligible for this position, I took the risk of posting it in case > there were folks out there I hadn't been able to reach through other > channels. > >> > >> I may be a fair-haired, pencil-pushing clone, but I sincerely want to > recruit the best possible person for this position! > >> > >> Sincerely, Kyle Merriam > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto: > [email protected]] On Behalf Of jon mccloskey > >> Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2011 4:15 PM > >> To: [email protected] > >> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Job Announcement: US Forest Service Ecologist > >> > >> To Whom it May Concern, > >> > >> I rarely respond to these futile discussion, but felt the need this > time. > >> > >> These type of practices have been going on for at least 20 years (my > first job was in 1992)...and we wonder why the system remains impotent. > Filling positions with clones that think exactly like their predecessors is > not likely to result in change or innovation...people talk about systems > thinking, but few really understand it. > >> > >> I feel sorry for the poor souls who will, no doubt, spend considerable > time and effort in the application process. I guess it keeps the pencil > pushers employed. > >> > >> Remember, follow the incentives. The money comes from the tax payers, > these are NOT entrepreneurial efforts and are largely self serving. > >> > >> Good Luck, > >> > >> Jon McCloskey, Ph.D. > >> > >> > >> > >> > Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2011 07:34:31 -0400 > >> > From: [email protected] > >> > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Job Announcement: US Forest Service Ecologist > >> > To: [email protected] > >> > > >> > Dear Wayne, although I am not a federal employee I have watched > >> > federal hiring practices and seen ads like this before that have > >> > nothing to do with "fair-haired boys" or girls. What they have > >> > everything to do with is getting people on board before drastic budget > >> > cuts occur so that you don't automatically lose funding by having > >> > money sitting around for an unfilled position. cheers, g2 > >> > > >> > On Thu, Aug 18, 2011 at 12:32 AM, Wayne Tyson <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> > > >> > > Hmmmm--I'd be willing to bet there's a fair-haired boy or girl > >> > > waiting in the wings and that it would be a waste of time to apply. > >> > > I hope I'm wrong, but really, TEN days? Read the advertisement > >> > > carefully. It will be interesting to see who is hired . . . > >> > > > >> > > WT > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kyle Merriam" > >> > > <[email protected]> > >> > > To: <[email protected]> > >> > > Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 3:39 PM > >> > > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Job Announcement: US Forest Service Ecologist > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > The USDA Forest Service Sierra Cascade Province, comprised of the > >> > > Modoc, Lassen, and Plumas National Forests in northeastern > >> > > California, is currently advertising a one-year detail position for > >> > > a GS-11 Associate Ecologist ($57,408.00 - $74,628.00 per year). > >> > > This position is a temporary promotion/detail for one year, which > >> > > may be extended for up to five years and/or be made permanent > >> > > without further competition. This position is open to current Career > >> > > and Career-Conditional status Forest Service employees. > >> > > > >> > > This vacancy will be open for 10 days, beginning on 8/16/2011 and > >> > > closing on 8/26/2011. More information about the position and how to > >> > > apply is posted on www.usajobs.gov. Find the announcement by > >> > > searching for Ecologist in Quincy, CA and by checking "all jobs, > >> > > public and status" on the right of the results screen. > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > >> > > >> > -- > >> > Gary D. Grossman, PhD > >> > > >> > Professor of Animal Ecology > >> > Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources University of Georgia > >> > Athens, GA, USA 30602 > >> > > >> > Research & teaching web site - > >> > http://grossman.myweb.uga.edu/<http://www.arches.uga.edu/%7Egrossman> > >> > > >> > Board of Editors - Animal Biodiversity and Conservation Editorial > >> > Board - Freshwater Biology Editorial Board - Ecology Freshwater Fish > >> > > >> > Sculpture by Gary D. Grossman > >> > www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/album.php?aid=2002317&id=1348406658<http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#%21/album.php?aid=2002317&id=1348406658> > <http: > >> > //www.facebook.com/?ref=home#%21/album.php?aid=2002317&id=1348406658> > >> > > >> > Hutson Gallery Provincetown, MA - www.hutsongallery.net/artists.html > >> > > > > > > > > > > -- > Malcolm L. McCallum > Oceania University of Medicine > Managing Editor, > Herpetological Conservation and Biology > > "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - > Allan Nation > > 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert > 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, > and pollution. > 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction > MAY help restore populations. > 2022: Soylent Green is People! > > The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) > Wealth w/o work > Pleasure w/o conscience > Knowledge w/o character > Commerce w/o morality > Science w/o humanity > Worship w/o sacrifice > Politics w/o principle > > Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any > attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may > contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized > review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not > the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and > destroy all copies of the original message. >
