Foreign Service Opening

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Comments

  • 7lowe7lowe Member Posts: 178 ■■■□□□□□□□
    bryguy wrote: »
    Have you been in a scenario where you served overseas where your family couldn't accompany you?

    "Many embassies and consulates are in countries where harsh climates, health hazards, and other discomforts are prevalent and where American-style amenities are frequently unavailable. Personal security often becomes an area of concern, particularly in countries where there is political unrest or terrorist activity. For this reason, family members are not permitted to accompany the IMS on assignments to a number of overseas posts. However, careers in the Foreign Service offer special rewards, including the pride and satisfaction of representing the United States and advancing U.S. interests abroad."

    I just wanted to add that even accompanied posts can have danger or health risks. I don't want to paint it all rosy and lure people in unwittingly.

    There can definitely be risks. Probably the only IMS you may know of besides me was Sean Smith who died in Benghazi. He and his family actually had a very safe posting, but he volunteered for a 30 day TDY to help fill a gap and it just happened to be at the wrong time.

    But, as I said, he volunteered. I don't think they would try to force anyone to an unaccompanied or danger pay post. There are enoguh people willing to go for one reason or another. One tip though, if you did get hired, when you talk to your assignments officer don't say that you aren't willing to go somewhere. As the job description says, you have to willing to serve worldwide, & I think they take something like that as sort of a challenge and have a tendency to call your bluff (if it is) and force you to go or quit. But, if you have a legitimate reason they will work with you as long as you don't give them an ultimatum. A friend has kids with medical conditions that prevent him from going anywhere other than some place with 1st world medical care. So, basically he can only serve at the "really nice" posts.
  • TKKJLTKKJL Member Posts: 17 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Hi,
    I'm new to here and trying to absorb so many information!
    Thank you all for so much reading so far.
    I don't know much about Dept of State, are they similar jobs as GS Federal jobs?
    My husband was in the Navy for 12 years as CTO and medically discharged 10 years ago. We've been trying to get a GS job in Asia and Europe with not much success. His Security Clearance expired almost 10 years ago so that limits most positions, it seems. Also dh noticed that applying process with usajobs site, too time consuming and frustrating. Is there a way to speed the application process? How long do they usually take until you can hear something from them?
    Is the pay scale in DoS lower than DoD GS jobs? What are the difference between the two department?
    Looks like dh might qualify for the position. He was in several foreign countries during the Navy career. He is a Network Analyst locally but have been looking for jobs in Federal sector or in California.
    7lowe, thank you for your comments about your job. Are you working as a Info Mgmt Specialist with DoS currently? We would love to travel with dh's job like that. We homeschool and we are open to new, different environment. With your job, do you NEED to move every 2 years? Do they assign you where to go or do you have a choice where/ not to go? All those places you've been, were they a few months assignment? Could you tell me how easy/difficult it is to move up into next level? If dh gets in as grade 5, how long does he need to wait until he can get promoted? Also when you are in foreign countries, do they give enough COLA, housing expenses that offset low salary?


    7lowe wrote: »
    The site seems to be acting up, and I can't get the quotes or advanced reply options to work, so I'm just going to answer/comment without quoting. Also, the answer to almost any question you can come up with is inevitably "it depends." :)

    Sounds Good - We have to be somewhat security conscious in all we do, but this is a very generalized job. It is probably the most generalized IT job I know of. IMS are basically over all forms of communication. I am currently at a very small post, so I am a sysadmin, phone technician, network admin (in a minor way, mostly physical layer), and ISSO as well as being over comsec, crypto, pouch, mail, & even to a certain extent TV. You have to be somewhat open new challenges.The last few weeks I've even been having to work in SQL which is something I've never done before. The good thing is that there are usually specialists you can reach out to in DC or elsewhere that can help you out. If you go to a larger post you may find yourself doing 1 assignment for like 6 months (they often stick the newbies with the pouch). After a few tours most people get into more of a management position and do less hands on stuff.

    bryguy - Family can make the decision tough and it's a personal decision, so I'm not really going to try and convince you. But, let me point out the family doesn't hold you back. In fact, the bigger your family is, the better your benefits are since you housing is based on your family size and your kids get free schooling. We thought long and hard about joining since we have a young daughter, but we decided the opportunities/experiences this lifestyle will allow her outweighs the cons (for us.) By the end of the year, she'll be 6 and will have lived in the US, China, & Fiji, & will have visited Hong Kong, The Philippines, Bangkok, Seoul, Vienna, London, Geneva, Frankfurt, and parts of France & Italy. She's in kindergarten and has well surpassed me in Chinese language ability (not hard to do.)
  • 7lowe7lowe Member Posts: 178 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Lots of questions, so I'll answer inline:
    TKKJL wrote: »
    Hi,
    I'm new to here and trying to absorb so many information!
    Thank you all for so much reading so far.
    I don't know much about Dept of State, are they similar jobs as GS Federal jobs?
    My husband was in the Navy for 12 years as CTO and medically discharged 10 years ago. We've been trying to get a GS job in Asia and Europe with not much success. His Security Clearance expired almost 10 years ago so that limits most positions, it seems. Also dh noticed that applying process with usajobs site, too time consuming and frustrating. Is there a way to speed the application process? How long do they usually take until you can hear something from them?

    No shortcut on the process. For me it was a few hours applying on USAJobs & then forget all about it until I get a letter 6 months later inviting me to DC for the OA (Oral Assessment). That's at your own expense btw. If you pass that, they begin security and medical clearances which took about another 5 months. If you pass both of those, you go through Final Review (which is usually just a formality if you've made it this far.) After that you go on the register, ranked by your score on the OA, & when they have a new hire class they go down the register inviting people. Typically, there is practically no register for IMS. I believe veterans get extra points, so that should help his score/position as well.

    From application to offer was about 1 year, about 14 months until I actually started.
    TKKJL wrote: »
    Is the pay scale in DoS lower than DoD GS jobs? What are the difference between the two department?

    Completely separate payscale & works in the opposite direction of GS. FS has it's own payscale. Here's a PDF: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/205552.pdf

    Page 3 "Overseas" is mostly what you would want to look at.
    TKKJL wrote: »
    Looks like dh might qualify for the position. He was in several foreign countries during the Navy career. He is a Network Analyst locally but have been looking for jobs in Federal sector or in California. 7lowe, thank you for your comments about your job. Are you working as a Info Mgmt Specialist with DoS currently? We would love to travel with dh's job like that. We homeschool and we are open to new, different environment. With your job, do you NEED to move every 2 years? Do they assign you where to go or do you have a choice where/ not to go? All those places you've been, were they a few months assignment?

    I am currently working as an IMS. I am finishing up my 1st tour. All of the countries I listed except China are either training or just personal travel we've done usuallly a week or so in length except for the European ones which we will do all of in 2.5 weeks this summer for our R&R.

    Your first 2 tours are entry-level (EL) directed tours (you are assigned with little choice) that typically last 2 years. After those, you choose where you want to go, but it's a competetive bidding process as to whether you get it or not. Most tours are 3 years.

    Homeschoolers are lucky IMO, as you don't have to factor in the quality of schools when looking at assignments. You still get the benefit of the education allowance as you are able to get reimbursed for materials, etc...

    There are a few regional type positions where you would do more short term TDYs, but most positions are in one place for 2-3 years.
    TKKJL wrote: »
    Could you tell me how easy/difficult it is to move up into next level? If dh gets in as grade 5, how long does he need to wait until he can get promoted? Also when you are in foreign countries, do they give enough COLA, housing expenses that offset low salary?

    All IMS hire in as a 5(with step varying on degrees,certs,experience,etc...). After 18 months you get an admin promotion to a 4. Promotions beyond that are competitive and are done by a panel on an annual basis. Before you worry about becoming a 3, you worry (not really) about getting tenure which should follow the admin promotion by a year or two. How long it takes to make 3 or higher just depends on you, your performance, and your reputation.

    Benefits vary by the post you are assigned to. You can browse around here for examples:

    U.S. Department of State

    Mostly what you want to look at are the COLA, Hardshipt Differential, & Danger Pay. Genericly speaking, you can save LOTS of money when posted to places with lower cost of living and then in those with higher you will still be able to get by, but don't plan on saving a lot. In Canada & some European posts they give you the LQA listed at the site above and leave it to you to find housing within that or pay the extra out of pocket. However, at the vast majority of posts, they just provide you with housing directly.

    A lot of larger posts have comissaries where you can purchase items cheaper, or if there is a military base nearby you may be able to shop there. We have DPO & diplomatic pouch too, so we can order things from Amazon, Wal-Mart, etc... But, liquids are quite restricted so plan ahead in shipping those if you'll need them or just buy them locally. I did the currency & metric conversion & came to the cruel realization that I'm currently paying about $12/gallon for milk. Even so, I've still saved a LOT of money while being posted here.
  • TKKJLTKKJL Member Posts: 17 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Thank you for the very helpful reply. I don't know how to multi quote so I'll add blue comment next to yours. :)
    7lowe wrote: »



    No shortcut on the process. For me it was a few hours applying on USAJobs & then forget all about it until I get a letter 6 months later inviting me to DC for the OA (Oral Assessment). That's at your own expense btw. If you pass that, they begin security and medical clearances which took about another 5 months. If you pass both of those, you go through Final Review (which is usually just a formality if you've made it this far.) After that you go on the register, ranked by your score on the OA, & when they have a new hire class they go down the register inviting people. Typically, there is practically no register for IMS. I believe veterans get extra points, so that should help his score/position as well.
    What do you mean by register?
    From application to offer was about 1 year, about 14 months until I actually started.
    Wow, over a year!


    Completely separate payscale & works in the opposite direction of GS. FS has it's own payscale. Here's a PDF: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/205552.pdf

    Page 3 "Overseas" is mostly what you would want to look at.
    I think I read it their site that with Bachelor's degree, you get in as FS5, step 5, is it correct or do they start as step 1? Do people go up each step before moving onto next grade? (meaning you need to reach high step before going over to next grade)?


    I am currently working as an IMS. I am finishing up my 1st tour. All of the countries I listed except China are either training or just personal travel we've done usuallly a week or so in length except for the European ones which we will do all of in 2.5 weeks this summer for our R&R. What is R&R? Is your work hour typical 8-5 or is it by shift/ on call? Do you get enough vacation days or weekend off time to travel around? For you next post, Fiji, did they assign you the place with no selection choice from you?

    Your first 2 tours are entry-level (EL) directed tours (you are assigned with little choice) that typically last 2 years. After those, you choose where you want to go, but it's a competetive bidding process as to whether you get it or not. Most tours are 3 years.
    What happens if you didn't get picked for the post you desired? Do they appoint you somewhere random? Do people stay more than 1 tour continuously (for example, if you liked China, can you stay there 2 more years)? I'm just curious, why don't Dept. of State keep people in each post permanently (it seems that it cost a lot more to move folks around every 2-3 years). Also do you know if they give you priority country/region in selecting posts if you speak the language or have a family member from nearby country?

    Homeschoolers are lucky IMO, as you don't have to factor in the quality of schools when looking at assignments. You still get the benefit of the education allowance as you are able to get reimbursed for materials, etc... Do you know if this is set amount regardless of school expense? (meaning if tuition cost more than the reimbursement, we need to pay additional)?

    There are a few regional type positions where you would do more short term TDYs, but most positions are in one place for 2-3 years. Do short term TDYs accompany family?



    All IMS hire in as a 5(with step varying on degrees,certs,experience,etc...). After 18 months you get an admin promotion to a 4. Promotions beyond that are competitive and are done by a panel on an annual basis. Before you worry about becoming a 3, you worry (not really) about getting tenure which should follow the admin promotion by a year or two. How long it takes to make 3 or higher just depends on you, your performance, and your reputation.

    Benefits vary by the post you are assigned to. You can browse around here for examples:

    U.S. Department of State

    Mostly what you want to look at are the COLA, Hardshipt Differential, & Danger Pay. Genericly speaking, you can save LOTS of money when posted to places with lower cost of living and then in those with higher you will still be able to get by, but don't plan on saving a lot. In Canada & some European posts they give you the LQA listed at the site above and leave it to you to find housing within that or pay the extra out of pocket. However, at the vast majority of posts, they just provide you with housing directly.

    A lot of larger posts have comissaries where you can purchase items cheaper, or if there is a military base nearby you may be able to shop there. We have DPO & diplomatic pouch too, so we can order things from Amazon, Wal-Mart, etc... But, liquids are quite restricted so plan ahead in shipping those if you'll need them or just buy them locally. I did the currency & metric conversion & came to the cruel realization that I'm currently paying about $12/gallon for milk. Even so, I've still saved a LOT of money while being posted here.
    What do you mean by shipping liquid ahead?? (I don't know what kind of liquid that you want to ship)?
  • MrAgentMrAgent Member Posts: 1,310 ■■■■■■■■□□
    I was a DoS contractor for 5 years. The job and travel were awesome. I would apply to work there now, but the pay just isnt enough for me. I did like the job a lot when I was working there.
  • TKKJLTKKJL Member Posts: 17 ■□□□□□□□□□
    We are wondering the same thing. We are in young 40s with kids, we like the opportunity to travel and changes. However, the pay isn't great compared to the private sector.
    I wonder how much promotion availability are there, moving up to another department but higher grade later on? Anyone know?
  • the_Grinchthe_Grinch Member Posts: 4,165 ■■■■■■■■■■
    You do have to remember there is a lot added onto the salary. I believe you get 16% on top for where ever you are station. There will be hazard pay for some locations which is another add on. Add in the fact that they are paying for your housing, so unless you are carrying a mortgage here and living abroad you nipped a major bill right in the butt. 7lowe can cover most of it, but obviously there is a lot more then the base salary to factor in.
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  • 7lowe7lowe Member Posts: 178 ■■■□□□□□□□
    What do you mean by register?

    Note: the numbers in the below explanation are completely made up at random.

    For instance, assuming that of the people that apply during this application period only 20 make it through the whole process. Those 20 people are placed on "The Register" which is basically a list of potential hires for whenever they have openings. You are placed in order by your score on the OA + bonus points for language and/or veteran's preference. Then, whenever they decided to start a new hire class they work their way down the register making offers. Say they plan to have 5 IMS in the new hire class, they make offers to the top 5, then if any of them turn it down they will move down to 6, 7, etc...

    You can remain on the register for a year. Additionally, you can place your self on "Do Not Call" (DNC) status if for some reason you don't want an offer at a particular time. If they offer & you decline then I believe they remove you from the register, so it would be preferable to be DNC than to decline. However, the time you spend DNC still counts against the time limit on the register, so that's not really recommended either.

    In practice, specialist (such as IMS) hiring is better planned since the numbers are smaller than the generalist hiring. So, there typically is no, or a very short register. For IMS, if you make it past final review it's basically just a matter time until they invite you to a new hire class.
    I think I read it their site that with Bachelor's degree, you get in as FS5, step 5, is it correct or do they start as step 1? Do people go up each step before moving onto next grade? (meaning you need to reach high step before going over to next grade)?

    Which step you start on is determined by HR, dependent on your degree, certs, & experience. If it says a Bachelor's will start you at step 5, that's probably right, but that would be new since I joined. I think you would also move up a step for each year of experience & 1 step for each certification. (I'm not guaranteeing any of that, but I think that's basically how it works.)

    I think they also take your previous salary into consideration. Especially if you are already a federal employee.

    People typically don't go through each and every step before promoting to the next grade. From what I hear, promotion opportunities up to FS3 are fairly plentiful, but there is sort of a bottleneck FS2 and fewer opportunities from there up.
    What is R&R? Is your work hour typical 8-5 or is it by shift/ on call? Do you get enough vacation days or weekend off time to travel around? For you next post, Fiji, did they assign you the place with no selection choice from you?

    R&R=Rest & Recuperation. Basically a travel allowance given to people at hardship posts so that they can return to the US or some other location of their choosing. They pay the airfare, but you still have to use annual leave or comp time to cover the days.

    I think you get roughly 2 weeks vacation for the first 5 years then it goes up a litte. Plus, all US Federal holidays & some local holidays up to a max of like 21 combined holidays, I THINK.

    In addition to earning annual leave and sick leave we earn what is called "home leave". Basically, we are mandated to spend 30 business days in the US between each posting. So, I'll leave China August 30, spend September in the US visiting friends & family & doing Drs. appointments and prepping for Fiji, & then head there around the 1st of October.

    I surely would enjoy more time off to travel, but I think I have it pretty good as is. :)

    I'm at a small & busy post, so I work around 0730-1800 most of the time taking a 1hr lunch. Bigger posts with more people work more regular schedules. As with any IT job, there are often upgrades/migrations/etc... that have to be done after hours or on the weekend.

    There is a duty rotation where you are on call also.

    For both my entry level assignments, I was given a list of potential postings (10 for the 1st 35 for the 2nd) & rank ordered them and wrote a little narrative on why I made my choices. China was #2 on my first list and Fiji was #16 on my 2nd.

    You earn "equity" at your first post (basically hardship differential + danger pay) which can factor into you getting a higher pick on your list for your 2nd assignment. But, that seems to only apply to the top 2 or 3 and then everyone else ends up more or less equal.
    What happens if you didn't get picked for the post you desired? Do they appoint you somewhere random? Do people stay more than 1 tour continuously (for example, if you liked China, can you stay there 2 more years)? I'm just curious, why don't Dept. of State keep people in each post permanently (it seems that it cost a lot more to move folks around every 2-3 years). Also do you know if they give you priority country/region in selecting posts if you speak the language or have a family member from nearby country?

    After your entry level tours, if you don't get accepted by the posts you bid for, then you have to do a new bid list and keep doing the process until there is a match. There is no "appointment" at this phase, but I suppose if you are the person nobody wants, your options will shrink until you bid on the place nobody wants to go to.

    People can do multiple back to back tours in a country once they are out of entry level.

    My assumption on why they move people around is because they don't want people becoming too attached to the host country, but that's just a guess.

    If you test for a language to get the bonus points to add to your score on the register you are supposed to serve in a place where you can use that language in 1 of your first 2 tours. This comes up much less for specialists and I think the bonus points may only be for certain "critical needs" languages like Arabic & Mandarin. Some posts also offer Language Incentive Pay where you get like a 20% bonus if you can achieve a certain score on the language test.

    I'd say family members in a nearby country would probably be only be minor consideration and I wouldn't count on it affecting your posting too much.
    Do you know if this is set amount regardless of school expense? (meaning if tuition cost more than the reimbursement, we need to pay additional)?

    Educational allowance varies from post to post depending on the cost to get an education equivalent to US standards. Most schools have a deal where they will lower their cost so there is no out of pocket expense. For example, my daughter is in kindergarten & I think her tuition would be like $28k/yr, which is above our allowance. So, they give us a discount to meet the allowance. Obviously you never get money back more than your expenses though. Also note, "allowances" are tax free.
    Do short term TDYs accompany family?
    Not at government expense. However, before my wife started working and my daughter started school I took them with me when I went for training or anything. The flexibility to do that would be another benefit of homeschooling IMO, but my wife doesn't want to do that.
    What do you mean by shipping liquid ahead?? (I don't know what kind of liquid that you want to ship)?
    Qty of liquids we can get in mail or pouch are severely limited. So, you can't just order those and get them shipped in & would need to plan ahead and ship it in with your House Hold Effects (HHE) or Consumables shipment (if you get one). We didn't know what to get and shipped lots of cleaning supplies, shampoos, etc... and then found that we can find all that stuff relatively cheaply here. What's available locally varies from post to post.

    Once you know your assignment, you can reach out to post for tips, and you are assigned a sponsor who will help you out as well.
  • 7lowe7lowe Member Posts: 178 ■■■□□□□□□□
    the_Grinch wrote: »
    You do have to remember there is a lot added onto the salary. I believe you get 16% on top for where ever you are station. There will be hazard pay for some locations which is another add on. Add in the fact that they are paying for your housing, so unless you are carrying a mortgage here and living abroad you nipped a major bill right in the butt. 7lowe can cover most of it, but obviously there is a lot more then the base salary to factor in.

    Right, many people take a pay cut coming in, but the benefits more than make up for it. Free housing is one of the biggest of course.

    My friend that graduated just after me got a contracting job in DC making probably $20-30k/yr more than I started out base salary wise. But, he's paying rent in No. VA, plus costs of commuting, and the generally high cost of living in the DC area. I'm sure I'm able to save more than he is even though he is single & I have a wife and kid.

    Caveat: If you already live within 50 miles of DC you are considered a local hire and will miss out on some of the initial benefits which will make it much more costlier for you starting out.
  • TKKJLTKKJL Member Posts: 17 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Thanks. I really appreciate you all taking time to comment and reply to my questions.
    Husband started applying for the job last night, took him 4 hours to get to question number one hundred something at the DoS site. It was already after 1am so he couldn't finish. Why why why do they make this such a long application? He filled out usajobs application first as it had directed and after "click""submit", it went to DoS and had to start all over again, filling out one by one. Is this how everyone apply?? I hope they saved the data.
  • hema07hema07 Registered Users Posts: 4 ■□□□□□□□□□
    I am in the process of applying for Foreign Service Specialist IMS opening. I have been in IT Security field for more than 12 years. I have mostly worked on government contracts plus 3 years in provate industry. My work has been more geared towards compliance to security standards, audits, etc. I was a developer prior to IT security. I have been working with DHS since 2011 as an ISSO supporting one of the major financial system. I am @ GS-13. I am married and had two kids (3rd and 1st grade)

    Going to FSS will probably mean pay cut but the benefit both direct and indirect out weighs the loss. Plus we will not be struggling to meet ends as long as we are overseas.

    My question is does my work profile meet the criteria of candidates that are being hired for security related positions. Can some of the senior member provide some insight. I grew up outside the USA and I do have benefit of speaking the foreign language listed for level 3 and leve 2.
  • MSP-ITMSP-IT Member Posts: 752 ■■■□□□□□□□
    hema07 wrote: »
    Thank you for a great active forum.

    I am in the process for applying to this position. I currently work for DHS as an ISSO supporting one of the major financial system. I have been in the IT Security field for 12+ years. My work has been more towards compliance and audit. Can some of the senior member tell me if that would be a good match?

    Thank you in advance.

    To be honest it sounds like you have more than enough experience. Best of luck!
  • hema07hema07 Registered Users Posts: 4 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Thank you MSP-IT.

    7lowe, can you please provide some feedback? I don't have much of technical hands-on experience. I do have the knowledge of how things work. What are my chances of making through the process?
  • 7lowe7lowe Member Posts: 178 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Sorry for the delay, this site is blocked in China so I can't access it from home & it's been a pretty busy week at work.

    It sounds like technical qualifications shouldn't be a problem and experience outside the US and speaking other languages definitely doesn't hurt.

    I would think you have a good chance getting invited to the OA. Once there, I think it's more about personality & writing ability than technical skill. If you understand logic enough to do basic troubleshooting it should be no problem.

    If you are a federal employee, make sure you coordinate the transition so that you leave your old job on Friday and start the new one on Monday so that you have no lapse in benefits and they all get carried over properly.

    Hands on experience is really only helpful in the early years IMO and then you move more into management. And, there are SOPs and support and all kinds of things in place to help you out as nobody can possibly have hands on experience in such a wide array of things.
  • hema07hema07 Registered Users Posts: 4 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Thank you.

    is there any chance that they will match base salary to my current salary? I then need to come in higher than FS-5.
  • jibbajabbajibbajabba Member Posts: 4,317 ■■■■■■■■□□
    hema07 wrote: »
    Thank you.

    is there any chance that they will match base salary to my current salary? I then need to come in higher than FS-5.

    VERY unlikely
    7lowe wrote: »
    Right, many people take a pay cut coming in, but the benefits more than make up for it. Free housing is one of the biggest of course.
    My own knowledge base made public: http://open902.com :p
  • hema07hema07 Registered Users Posts: 4 ■□□□□□□□□□
    I am @ GS-13 Step 10. FS-5 without benefits will be way off. I am not sure what the guidelines are for federal employees. Can someone help?

    The announcement states:
    [h=5]Grade and Starting Salary Range: FP-05, $42,948- $63,071

    Initial Salary, Salary Increases and Tenure:[/h]Initial salaries are determined in accordance with paragraph 1 or 2 below:
    1. Initial salary for new employees is at the FP-05 level, depending on such factors as education, certificates, and specialized experience. Salaries are determined at the time employment offers are made.
    2. Entry-level salary for current or former federal civilian employees will be set at the rate, within the Foreign Service grade to which they are appointed, that is nearest to the base salary rate of their previous federal assignment, provided the work performed in the previous position is relevant to information management activities.
  • 7lowe7lowe Member Posts: 178 ■■■□□□□□□□
    hema07 wrote: »
    Thank you.

    is there any chance that they will match base salary to my current salary? I then need to come in higher than FS-5.

    I've heard a rumor of like 1 IMS coming in as 4, but as far as I actually know we all hire in as a 5. They will do their best to salary match within that, so you would come in at FS-5 step 14. Then after 18 months you will get an admin promotion to FS-4 Step 9, I believe.
  • the_Grinchthe_Grinch Member Posts: 4,165 ■■■■■■■■■■
    I logged into USAJobs today, I was found eligible and referred to the hiring agency! It appears they will review my application again and then decide if they want to refer me for the oral assessment. We'll see how it goes!
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  • NyblizzardNyblizzard Member Posts: 332 ■■■■□□□□□□
    This thread has been very informative
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