OSUmetstud

From what I understood before, GS-9 for scientific positions (incuding met) had to be competed for. In other words, 5/7 veterans did not beat out GS/9 gold category non-vets. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

I've talked to people at region over the past month. I don't think they were lying to me. GS-05 and GS-07 vets would not block at GS-09 non-vet candidate. In fact, a GS-09 vet would not block at GS-05 non-vet either.

It doesn't necessarily mean qualified veterans beat you out. It could have been qualified non-veterans as well. I'm not sure who told you that veterans "block" panels, but I'm wondering if some sort of lip services was given to you. Those folks at OPM and EASC etc are not exactly known for willfully helping people out. I asked for a sanitized panel (seeing what my score was wrt others w/o seeing their names) recently, something that is legally my right, and they danced around it and never sent me one. I concluded they just didn't want to do the paperwork.

Yes it does, I've been told this is how it works by numerous people at region. I made the gold category for at least a few intern positions but was not referred like usual since there was a veteran or veterans who qualified at the GS-05/07/09 levels.

I don't think this is true since it would go against what NOAA Workforce management and the hiring MIC at my last interview passed along. Give NOAA workforce management a call, any of them. I was specifically told since Nov 1 they are more agressively hiring Veterans and now a veteran at 5/7/9 will block out a non-vet at any level. They only refer non-vets if too few vets apply. I was told by the NOAA Workforce manager in central that they use 5-7 as a general cutoff now. I was told by a different office MIC this last month that the one vet that was blocking all others was hired by a different office, hence why we were considered.

I talked to these people before...that's why I'm confused. It's been true for some time that if a Veteran qualifies at GS-05/07/09 that they will block all gold candidates. If the Veteran qualifies at GS-05, the candidates that made gold at GS-07 and GS-09 are referred, and compete on an even level with the GS-05 veteran in consideration. And yes, as far as I know, even if only one veteran is qualified at GS-05/07/09, all non-vet golds are blocked and that veteran goes up against any other non-vet candidates in the MAP group. The MIC must offer the job to the veteran even if by chance he is the only one who gets referred.

http://www.americanw...post__p__120232

This thread doesn't explain it all, but any changes likely would have been made in concert with this. I can say, after talking to hiring MIC's and NOAA workforce, they have actually said that any vet grade 5-7-9 blocks out non-vets and they mentioned the Nov 1 change. Perhaps there was something lost in translation, but it seems to match the recent trends in a number of us not making any panels. I was also told by NOAA workforce management that the hiring official for the opening can decide if they choose to pass on non-vets if they believe too many veterans are on panel.

The only change I know of is the streamlining of the Federal job hiring process, nothing has changed with Veteran's Preference. I have not made any interview panels, but I was making gold category at all three grades, which means that qualified Veteran(s) were blocking all three grades. I've applied to around 10 intern positions over the past 2 months and it's been the same deal.

So you learned the calc while learning thermo?

There was a couple weeks of straight calc in the beginning of synoptic meteorology at Oswego, just as a refresher I guess.

In my senior year Kean participated in the WxChallenge, and we also had a broadcast met class that was created by Dr. Paul Croft(the Mt. Holly guys know him well).

WxChallenge (The PSU National Forecast Game originally) was recommended, but not required.

No met program really has a forecasting class. I'm just amazed Kean doesn't require chem or calc III. How did you understand the partial derivations required to derive the met equations?

I can't speak for other schools, but it was required at Oswego that you participated in the local forecasting game while in Synoptic 1 and 2...and one of the requirements of synoptic 2 lab was to write forecast discussions and give forecast briefings.

Also, while an elective, there was a broadcast meteorology and advanced forecasting course offered by Dave Aichorn, the chief met at WSYR at the time.

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That's not necessarily true.

lol right...people should speak for themselves.