Can anyone make sense of this.......

[scraggler01]

I interviewed for an Investigative Specialist position with the FBI in March of 05. This interview was in regards to an application I submitted in November of 04. Three weeks ago I got a call from my AC, im guessing, stating that I passed the interview and if I would send a FD-979 to a specific person in Washington to start a BI. I have read others posts on the hiring process of IS positions but nothing seems to make sense. What's next? Is that something I can and should take up with my AC? Can I contact the person doing the BI? Is that ok to do? What do you think my next move should be? Honestly, when I walked out of the interview 2 mths ago I expected to hear absolutely nothing. I thought the interview was horrible, but I guess it went fine. What do you think I should be doing while I wait for them to call again? I appreciate the help, and it nice to meet you all. This forum has been a god send. Thanks.

Also when I got the last call regarding the 979 form, the AC told me this is really good news. To be more percise he stated, "You know this is very good, right?" What do you think my status is right now and whats next?

[forms]

Congratulations.

I think you send the information where you are told to send it and then wait. Expect to wait 4 to 6 months. You can call your AC and say you sent it in and ask what's next, and you will probably be told you will be scheduled for a poly, a pee test, and fingerprinting. Expect to go months hearing nothing. Friends will start calling and say, Guess who I talked to yesterday, after the investigator interviews them. Probably at some point the BI will call you to clear up a point of fact. After a while the calls will stop and you will hear nothing. But behind the scenes it is being taken cared of. Just be patient.

And...congratulations. When you AC says it's really good, it's really good.

[JCMC219]

Hey Scraggler. First of all, congrats on being advanced to the next stage of the application process. I am finding, as I apply to more agencies, that ANY movement is good movement when it comes to the Federal government :-). I am also learning that the word "process" doesn't really apply in the sense that there is a strict formula for hiring that is followed for every potential employee. In fact, there are certain nuances and changes from person to person and agency to agency. And if you think the FBI "process" is confusing, try the Postal Inspection Service! Now that is an application "process" that seems to have no rhyme or reason! So hang in there, be patient and enjoy the ride!

As for your SSG application, I can tell you that so far your process has been very similar to mine. I was interviewed in February 2005, and, like you, I thought that I did very poorly. Then, about 3 weeks later I received a surprising call from an HR specialist (my AC) to schedule a date for my poly and additional interviews. I was not directed to contact anyone in D.C., but if that's what you were told to do then I would follow your AC's instructions carefully.

In the last few weeks, I have received several calls from friends and former employers telling me that they were contacted by the FBI regarding a background interview. I thought this was interesting, considering I had not yet even completed my polygraph or medical exams. Nevertheless, the ball was rolling...and seemingly at full speed. I'm not sure why the process has changed from the more traditional sequence where BIs are done last, but my GUESS is that the FBI is really trying to get some SSGs processed quickly...therefore they are likely "front-loading" applications by doing as much of the BI as possible to streamline the process if the person passes phase II. While this is just a guess on my part, I think there might be some merit to it given the FBIs focus on CT/CI initiatives these days (see other good threads on this topic). I had my phase II yesterday, and things went very well (I think...one can never be absolutely sure). So I'm hoping that you and I are both among the candidates that get selected in the near future.
Good luck to you!

[scraggler01]

Hey thanks a million forms and JCMC. You guys have really shed some light on a dim subject. Hey JCMC, when you interviewed was it a panel interview or 1-on-1? How many more interviews should I expect to attend? I'm guessing one more? Any written tests for this position? I apologize but I don't have a copy of the job description. I cant seem to find it posted anywhere else. Also, is there and where any formal training associated with this position? Thanks again and I wish you JCMC and everyone else the best of luck.

[Sparta]

Since you have your COE, you now just need to go through the rest of the process, which are your medical, BI, poly etc... The phase I and II stuff is most probably in reference to the special agent (SA) positions which have additional testing that the SSG (investigative specialist/IS) doesn't seem to have. I have listened to the advice on this forums, which is to sit back and enjoy the ride, as the process will see itself through, and it seems to be right on the money.

There is formal training for the SSG position which you will have to attend. You can run a search on this site and get crazy amounts of info on the position. There is a lot of OPSEC that seems to be associated with this position, so you will not get any real job specifics though. Thats why you should get no answer on your interviews as anyone who has had one singed a non disclusure statement.

Good luck and enjoy the ride, sounds like your tracking along nicley.