Non-SA Non-IA FBI Positions

[forms]

Does the hiring for FBI FO support positions go any faster than the SA or IA positions?

Have an interview for one of two positions at the FO on Monday. Does the hiring process go any faster or should I settle in for another 18 month wait? I don't imagine the background would go faster, but maybe the interview, poly, COE might?

Or is that wishful thinking?

[ProudDad]

From what I'm seeing by the posts here the process will vary by position applied for and by where you are processing through. It seems there is little uniformity in the process even when applying for the same position.

[eff-bee-eye]

Does the hiring for FBI FO support positions go any faster than the SA or IA positions?

Have an interview for one of two positions at the FO on Monday. Does the hiring process go any faster or should I settle in for another 18 month wait? I don't imagine the background would go faster, but maybe the interview, poly, COE might?

Or is that wishful thinking?

Why on earth would you want another position that wasn't an SA or IA? :D:D But seriously, it might not be that much faster, and it just all depends. Yes, generally it might go a bit faster when there is only a few, specific positions as opposed to a mass hiring posting, but nobody knows really. It's all in the hands of staffing, human resources, and hardly has a lot of input from the actual hiring Unit as to how fast things should be done. Good luck though!

[electra1978]

Hi there! While I have interviewed for the FO-2005-0022 position and am anxiously waiting to hear back, I also applied for an IA assistant position at my FO a few weeks ago. I just checked my status for that and it's still application received.

Keep us posted on how that whole process goes. Good luck!!!!!!!!

[BuMan]

Applying for a non-IA/non-SA position may be a little faster, depending on where the resources are allocated at a particular time. For the SA positions, there are a lot of factors at play which determine the speed of the process -when you get selected for a Phase I test, how long it takes to get the results back, how competitive your results are for one of the limited number of Phase II slots in your particular field office, how you do on Phase II and the PFT, how long your background requires, and, of course, when a slot is available for your background at QT.

For the IA positions, it can be a little faster - generally, people who have applied and made it through the QuickHire screening are being scheduled for interviews and prioritized. Once that's done, and the results are reported back to Headquarters, the candidate is approved for background and starts the process with the three Ps (usually). The background is then started (again, usually, some people's order on this may vary), and, when completed, the applicant is put into the hiring pool and offered up to various units/offices with slots available. Once the individual is selected by an office, an offer is extended, the starting date is negotiated, and off you go.

For the non-IA/non-SA hiring, a posting is placed up on FBIJobs. Candidates apply, go through the QuickHire screening and then a list of qualified candidates is provided to the office with vacancies, selections are made, and, once again the three Ps and the background are started. Once the background is complete, the offer is extended, yada yada yada. If, as now, a prioirty is being placed on hiring IAs, then there may be a bit of a slowdown in processing the backgrounds, polys, etc. of non-IA, non-SA candidates, which can slow them down a little. But since the interaction on the hiring process is between the Staffing Unit and the hiring office, rather than including the Directorate of Intelligence and the hiring office in the loop, it may make up for any slowdowns there.

Keep in mind, if your goal is an IA position, you will have to go through the same basic process of applying - all internal candidates have to go through the QuickHire process, too. Even if you are a higher grade and are seeking a lateral transfer into an IA position (for example, you are hired as a GS-12 Program Analyst (non-0132) and apply for a GS-12 IA (0132) position), you still have to meet all of the qualifications for the GS-12 0132 IA position to be considered for it. If you don't have the qualifications, you have to drop down to a lower grade and go through the DI promotion process. For the SA position, there really isn't a huge advantage to being an FBI employee, other than having some familiarity with the process and some of the people you will be dealing with. The days of hiring potential future agents as clerks and then moving them into agent positions is long over. (That being said, I know one recently retired SAC who started off as a file clerk, moved into another admin support position, into an SA position and up through the ranks to SAC of a major field office...but that was years ago).

Also, if you hiring into a non-IA position, you'll have to wait at least one year in your position before being eligible to apply for an IA position (or SA position).