AUSA/USAO hiring Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm pretty sure I'm being paranoid, but I'm feeling slightly crushed by my current job and need some reassurance (or a splash of cold, hard reality, depending on how people read my situation).

I interviewed for a criminal division AUSA position at a major non-NYC USAO. Interview process was very quick, and I interviewed with the USA about 3 weeks ago. I'm usually pretty decent at gauging my interview performance, and I came out of it thinking I had done well. The USA also ended by telling me that if I received an offer from a different office, I should reach out to him/the First AUSA before accepting that.

Since that interview, it's been total radio silence, but I've noticed that the office put up another job posting for criminal AUSA spots shortly after. I'm probably (hopefully?) being neurotic, but does this sound like a normal timeline to an offer? I think the job posting spooked me more than the lack of contact, but I'd appreciate any insight into how long it usually takes to go from USA interview to offer.

Would you mind sharing what the executive level/front office panel interviews were like- was it similar to the first round interviews? As well as the USA interview?

For this office, the first and second rounds were largely similar. I guess there was maybe more of a discussion of substantive focuses in the second, since the office has different divisions focused on different areas, and you basically get placed right away without a formal rotation system. The USA interview was a little more aggressive (at least from the FAUSA's side). That one involved answering tough hypos about ethics, handling reluctant witnesses, etc.

And thank you, other Anon, for the earlier response.

A major office that has three rounds of interviews culminating with an aggressive FAUSA asking ethical hypos?

Best of luck! It’s a great place.
(And they just might take a very long time to make hiring decisions, too)

[Anonymous User]

FWIW, both times I’ve interviewed with a USA, it’s been very mellow and polite. I think it depends a lot on the USA. I also didn’t find much difference between a first round interview and second round (non-USA) interview.

When I interviewed, I had a panel, then one with my unit chief and the criminal chief and the USA together. Both interviews were pretty mellow and polite overall (a few direct questions but nothing aggressive).

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have experience going to a USAO with prior federal service in a different agency? I am curious if going from the GS pay scale to AD pay scale would entitle someone to start at a higher pay scale than they otherwise would. For example, would someone who was GS 14 at one agency, with only 5 years of experience, be entitled to start at a level on the AD pay scale that would be comparable to their salary at GS 14?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have experience going to a USAO with prior federal service in a different agency? I am curious if going from the GS pay scale to AD pay scale would entitle someone to start at a higher pay scale than they otherwise would. For example, would someone who was GS 14 at one agency, with only 5 years of experience, be entitled to start at a level on the AD pay scale that would be comparable to their salary at GS 14?

I don't think it automatically *entitles* you to a different level - we once had someone from Main Justice apply and I remember the head of the hiring committee commenting about making sure the candidate understood the pay structure. (The candidate withdrew for other reasons so I never heard more than that.) But there is a statement here https://www.justice.gov/usao/career-cen ... nformation:

Initial salary may be set at any point in the recruitment range (between the minimum and the Q4 pay rate). Initial pay setting practices vary between United States Attorneys’ offices. Attorneys with prior experience under other federal pay schedules may be eligible for salaries above the recruitment range.

Hopefully someone else here will have more of an idea how this plays out in practice. I don't think you'd be in a position to get paid above the recruitment range - I don't think that GS14 translates to *that* big an increase over the AD scale - but the language does suggest some flexibility for someone coming from another federal payscale, and might be something to point to if you get to this point and are discussing salary.

(I'll admit that from the culture of the offices where I've worked, it feels more like this flexibility would be applied to, say, someone stepping down from a more political Main Justice position with a change in administration, rather than a more lateral move like coming over from an agency. BUT I don't have anything concrete to back that up, I just throw it out there for context. I've never had the impression USAOs are very interested flexibility about salary in that way; they tend to give off the vibe of "if you don't want this job at this salary we'll take the next candidate who does." I'm not advocating for that approach, just giving a heads up that it's out there so you can decide how best to move forward. And, as always, ymmv by office/admin, too, so my experience may not be what you experience.)

[Anonymous User]

A few questions to help someone anxiously waiting to hear back from a USAO. I went through 3 rounds of interviewing, and I've just heard from my personal references that they've received calls (I was not given a heads up that they would be called, and I don't believe they've called my current supervisor or prior supervisors). Is this a good sign? Does anyone know how long it can take from reference checks to an offer or rejection?
I also know from the interviews that even after the first/tentative offer is made, that there is a background investigation before a formal offer is made with a start date. Has anyone been through this recently know how long this background investigation can take? I have heard that this initial background check is not as extensive and sometime after you start you'll randomly hear from the FBI that you've received security clearance.
Do people usually wait until after background investigation is cleared and a formal offer received before leaving their current jobs? Or has anyone just quit knowing there really isn't anything in your background?

It's so hard to concentrate at my current job and I would have to make a cross-country move if I were to get the offer, so trying to figure out how long I have at my current job...
Thank you in advance!

[Anonymous User]

No way to answer when you’ll hear, although your references being called is a good sign. Probably sooner rather than later, but it’s just impossible to tell from outside.

You’re right that generally there’s an initial preliminary clearance after which you can start work, and then the final clearance comes later after you’ve been on the job for a while. But you will probably get told not to quit your job until the formal offer is made because there’s absolutely no guarantee until then. So I wouldn’t quit until you get the official okay, unless you’re willing to risk being jobless. It’s also really hard to know when you’d start and have a paycheck coming in, so that makes just quitting early and taking time off difficult to plan as well. (This is usually out of the USAO’s hands, and based on how backed up DC is in getting through clearances; it’s handled centrally, the USAO doesn’t get a say.)

The moving across country thing is just something you have to figure out and negotiate with the office if they make you an offer. Most offices will be pretty understanding about this and flexible about your start date.

[Anonymous User]

A few questions to help someone anxiously waiting to hear back from a USAO. I went through 3 rounds of interviewing, and I've just heard from my personal references that they've received calls (I was not given a heads up that they would be called, and I don't believe they've called my current supervisor or prior supervisors). Is this a good sign? Does anyone know how long it can take from reference checks to an offer or rejection?
I also know from the interviews that even after the first/tentative offer is made, that there is a background investigation before a formal offer is made with a start date. Has anyone been through this recently know how long this background investigation can take? I have heard that this initial background check is not as extensive and sometime after you start you'll randomly hear from the FBI that you've received security clearance.
Do people usually wait until after background investigation is cleared and a formal offer received before leaving their current jobs? Or has anyone just quit knowing there really isn't anything in your background?

It's so hard to concentrate at my current job and I would have to make a cross-country move if I were to get the offer, so trying to figure out how long I have at my current job...
Thank you in advance!

Mind giving any hints which office it was to those of us wondering if we’ve been dinged?

[ss2578]

A few questions to help someone anxiously waiting to hear back from a USAO. I went through 3 rounds of interviewing, and I've just heard from my personal references that they've received calls (I was not given a heads up that they would be called, and I don't believe they've called my current supervisor or prior supervisors). Is this a good sign? Does anyone know how long it can take from reference checks to an offer or rejection?
I also know from the interviews that even after the first/tentative offer is made, that there is a background investigation before a formal offer is made with a start date. Has anyone been through this recently know how long this background investigation can take? I have heard that this initial background check is not as extensive and sometime after you start you'll randomly hear from the FBI that you've received security clearance.
Do people usually wait until after background investigation is cleared and a formal offer received before leaving their current jobs? Or has anyone just quit knowing there really isn't anything in your background?

It's so hard to concentrate at my current job and I would have to make a cross-country move if I were to get the offer, so trying to figure out how long I have at my current job...
Thank you in advance!

Mind giving any hints which office it was to those of us wondering if we’ve been dinged?

On the west coast. I took the first interview dates offered to me with each round and I was told during 2nd round that they had more interviews to go through and I know from when I was scheduling they had interviews going until March. Hope this helps

[Anonymous User]

A few questions to help someone anxiously waiting to hear back from a USAO. I went through 3 rounds of interviewing, and I've just heard from my personal references that they've received calls (I was not given a heads up that they would be called, and I don't believe they've called my current supervisor or prior supervisors). Is this a good sign? Does anyone know how long it can take from reference checks to an offer or rejection?
I also know from the interviews that even after the first/tentative offer is made, that there is a background investigation before a formal offer is made with a start date. Has anyone been through this recently know how long this background investigation can take? I have heard that this initial background check is not as extensive and sometime after you start you'll randomly hear from the FBI that you've received security clearance.
Do people usually wait until after background investigation is cleared and a formal offer received before leaving their current jobs? Or has anyone just quit knowing there really isn't anything in your background?

It's so hard to concentrate at my current job and I would have to make a cross-country move if I were to get the offer, so trying to figure out how long I have at my current job...
Thank you in advance!

Mind giving any hints which office it was to those of us wondering if we’ve been dinged?

On the west coast. I took the first interview dates offered to me with each round and I was told during 2nd round that they had more interviews to go through and I know from when I was scheduling they had interviews going until March. Hope this helps

Very helpful, thanks.

[Anonymous User]

A few questions to help someone anxiously waiting to hear back from a USAO. I went through 3 rounds of interviewing, and I've just heard from my personal references that they've received calls (I was not given a heads up that they would be called, and I don't believe they've called my current supervisor or prior supervisors). Is this a good sign? Does anyone know how long it can take from reference checks to an offer or rejection?
I also know from the interviews that even after the first/tentative offer is made, that there is a background investigation before a formal offer is made with a start date. Has anyone been through this recently know how long this background investigation can take? I have heard that this initial background check is not as extensive and sometime after you start you'll randomly hear from the FBI that you've received security clearance.
Do people usually wait until after background investigation is cleared and a formal offer received before leaving their current jobs? Or has anyone just quit knowing there really isn't anything in your background?

It's so hard to concentrate at my current job and I would have to make a cross-country move if I were to get the offer, so trying to figure out how long I have at my current job...
Thank you in advance!

I went through this process last year. I accepted in July and was cleared to start in September. From what I heard during the process, 2-4 months is pretty typical for that initial background check process. I started winding things down with my firm after accepting the offer, and was able to take off about a month between jobs (which gave me a chance to move, etc.).

[Anonymous User]

A few questions to help someone anxiously waiting to hear back from a USAO. I went through 3 rounds of interviewing, and I've just heard from my personal references that they've received calls (I was not given a heads up that they would be called, and I don't believe they've called my current supervisor or prior supervisors). Is this a good sign? Does anyone know how long it can take from reference checks to an offer or rejection?
I also know from the interviews that even after the first/tentative offer is made, that there is a background investigation before a formal offer is made with a start date. Has anyone been through this recently know how long this background investigation can take? I have heard that this initial background check is not as extensive and sometime after you start you'll randomly hear from the FBI that you've received security clearance.
Do people usually wait until after background investigation is cleared and a formal offer received before leaving their current jobs? Or has anyone just quit knowing there really isn't anything in your background?

It's so hard to concentrate at my current job and I would have to make a cross-country move if I were to get the offer, so trying to figure out how long I have at my current job...
Thank you in advance!

I went through the process in 2020. It took about three months to get cleared to start.

[Anonymous User]

To answer your first question, offices generally use reference checks as a final spot check once they’ve decided to hire someone. The problem with USAO hiring knowledge is that there are few mandatory rules, so no one can say 100% unless they’ve been recently hired by that particular usa. But generally hiring folks won’t spend the time talking to references unless they’ve made the decision to hire that person.

Re the background, it’s a single scope background that lots of folks do except it gets adjudicated within DC’s USAO people, as opposed to the DOD that gives clearances for military/agents/contractors. Part of the variability in how long it takes comes from how long it takes to put together the huge form that asks you everywhere you’ve lived, all alcohol/mental health issues you have, outstanding debt, whether you paid your taxes, etc. Once you get that submitted it takes 2-4 weeks for them to check the reasons most folks fail (taxes, drugs, criminal record), and you get the equivalent of a waiver while the full single scope resolves.

[Anonymous User]

To answer your first question, offices generally use reference checks as a final spot check once they’ve decided to hire someone. The problem with USAO hiring knowledge is that there are few mandatory rules, so no one can say 100% unless they’ve been recently hired by that particular usa. But generally hiring folks won’t spend the time talking to references unless they’ve made the decision to hire that person.

Re the background, it’s a single scope background that lots of folks do except it gets adjudicated within DC’s USAO people, as opposed to the DOD that gives clearances for military/agents/contractors. Part of the variability in how long it takes comes from how long it takes to put together the huge form that asks you everywhere you’ve lived, all alcohol/mental health issues you have, outstanding debt, whether you paid your taxes, etc. Once you get that submitted it takes 2-4 weeks for them to check the reasons most folks fail (taxes, drugs, criminal record), and you get the equivalent of a waiver while the full single scope resolves.

This is accurate. Just a few more things to hopefully help:

IF you get what's typically called a conditional offer, only then will HR contact you to begin the national security screening process. When you get that conditional offer, you will probably be told that it's not a good idea to tell your current employer anything or make life-impacting decisions, because you haven't been national security approved ("cleared") yet. Everyone handles this fork in the road differently. Most follow the advice. Some choose differently depending on their circumstances. The potential-AUSA population of the world is not really a high risk population for failing the clearance process, but you need to evaluate that risk as objectively as you can based on your personal biography and characteristics.

The clearance process, once it begins, does typically last an additional 3-6 months or so based on current trends, which will hopefully result in your obtaining a "waiver" that allows you to start work. Not to get hypertechnical, but this waiver does not mean you have been cleared for national security. You will not actually get fully cleared for approximately one year. But the waiver process is used so that AUSAs can start with only a few months delay. The waiver is the FBI's method of telling the DOJ: Based on our first layer of investigation, this person appears likely to eventually obtain a national security clearance.

That day when HR contacts you to start the clearance process, they will give you access to a form that anyone can google, it's not a secret. It's called the SF-86, which I am linking to here and I suggest you look at so you can start preparing the documentation you'll need for it: https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86.pdf

[Anonymous User]

How early is too early to reapply to an office? I got to the second round (front office ex-USA) four months ago but radio silence since. I think I need to accept I didn’t get it, but I want to try again. Should I wait until the summer or can I go now?

[Anonymous User]

How early is too early to reapply to an office? I got to the second round (front office ex-USA) four months ago but radio silence since. I think I need to accept I didn’t get it, but I want to try again. Should I wait until the summer or can I go now?

Is this an office that takes rolling applications, or did you reply to a job posting and now they've posted another job? If there's a new job posting, then go ahead and reapply.

If this is an office that accepts rolling applications and nothing came of your last one and you're just sending it off again... I don't know, but it feels like it would be weird to apply again now. Do you have significant new accomplishments that would make your candidacy now different from your candidacy before? Do you know if they actually hired out of that round of interviews? Have they actually rejected you (sounds like not since you've said radio silence)?

I guess I feel like if there's no new formal job posting and/or you haven't received an official rejection, I'd give it more like a year before applying again (or until there's a job posting). For one thing, while I agree it's unlikely they're going to offer you the job you interviewed for at this point, it seems weird to reapply if you haven't even got a rejection (and usually someone who makes it to a second round interview would get a rejection at the end of the process, although I can't guarantee that of course). It's also possible they were undecided and are keeping your materials on file for a possible future hiring.

The biggest factor for me would be if you have what's essentially a material resume update. If you've changed jobs, or accomplished something major/different that makes your application look different from before, applying again is kind of like updating an application and would make sense. But if not, I don't see a reason to apply again for a while when there might not be anything stopping them from calling you up again based on the materials you have already submitted.

(Caveat: if someone that has hiring experience in an office that takes rolling apps feels differently, go by what they say. The offices I've worked at only hire through formal job postings and don't take apps just whenever, so my expectations around hiring may be slightly different.)

[Anonymous User]

How early is too early to reapply to an office? I got to the second round (front office ex-USA) four months ago but radio silence since. I think I need to accept I didn’t get it, but I want to try again. Should I wait until the summer or can I go now?

If you want to work at a particular USAO, I don’t think you can afford to pass on any posting. You never know when the stars will align re budget/needs/turnover, and you may end up not applying to the one panel/cycle where everything would have come together for you.

[Anonymous User]

How early is too early to reapply to an office? I got to the second round (front office ex-USA) four months ago but radio silence since. I think I need to accept I didn’t get it, but I want to try again. Should I wait until the summer or can I go now?

Is this an office that takes rolling applications, or did you reply to a job posting and now they've posted another job? If there's a new job posting, then go ahead and reapply.

If this is an office that accepts rolling applications and nothing came of your last one and you're just sending it off again... I don't know, but it feels like it would be weird to apply again now. Do you have significant new accomplishments that would make your candidacy now different from your candidacy before? Do you know if they actually hired out of that round of interviews? Have they actually rejected you (sounds like not since you've said radio silence)?

I guess I feel like if there's no new formal job posting and/or you haven't received an official rejection, I'd give it more like a year before applying again (or until there's a job posting). For one thing, while I agree it's unlikely they're going to offer you the job you interviewed for at this point, it seems weird to reapply if you haven't even got a rejection (and usually someone who makes it to a second round interview would get a rejection at the end of the process, although I can't guarantee that of course). It's also possible they were undecided and are keeping your materials on file for a possible future hiring.

The biggest factor for me would be if you have what's essentially a material resume update. If you've changed jobs, or accomplished something major/different that makes your application look different from before, applying again is kind of like updating an application and would make sense. But if not, I don't see a reason to apply again for a while when there might not be anything stopping them from calling you up again based on the materials you have already submitted.

(Caveat: if someone that has hiring experience in an office that takes rolling apps feels differently, go by what they say. The offices I've worked at only hire through formal job postings and don't take apps just whenever, so my expectations around hiring may be slightly different.)

It was a rolling position. The only reason I’m considering applying again is because I actually applied a long time ago, I just didn’t get called up to interview until 6 months after I applied. But fair point that it’s too close.

My resume has improved a lot since I applied, should improve quite a bit in the next month or so too, hopefully including some trial/motion argument experience. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to wait until the summer.

[Anonymous User]

How early is too early to reapply to an office? I got to the second round (front office ex-USA) four months ago but radio silence since. I think I need to accept I didn’t get it, but I want to try again. Should I wait until the summer or can I go now?

Is this an office that takes rolling applications, or did you reply to a job posting and now they've posted another job? If there's a new job posting, then go ahead and reapply.

If this is an office that accepts rolling applications and nothing came of your last one and you're just sending it off again... I don't know, but it feels like it would be weird to apply again now. Do you have significant new accomplishments that would make your candidacy now different from your candidacy before? Do you know if they actually hired out of that round of interviews? Have they actually rejected you (sounds like not since you've said radio silence)?

I guess I feel like if there's no new formal job posting and/or you haven't received an official rejection, I'd give it more like a year before applying again (or until there's a job posting). For one thing, while I agree it's unlikely they're going to offer you the job you interviewed for at this point, it seems weird to reapply if you haven't even got a rejection (and usually someone who makes it to a second round interview would get a rejection at the end of the process, although I can't guarantee that of course). It's also possible they were undecided and are keeping your materials on file for a possible future hiring.

The biggest factor for me would be if you have what's essentially a material resume update. If you've changed jobs, or accomplished something major/different that makes your application look different from before, applying again is kind of like updating an application and would make sense. But if not, I don't see a reason to apply again for a while when there might not be anything stopping them from calling you up again based on the materials you have already submitted.

(Caveat: if someone that has hiring experience in an office that takes rolling apps feels differently, go by what they say. The offices I've worked at only hire through formal job postings and don't take apps just whenever, so my expectations around hiring may be slightly different.)

It was a rolling position. The only reason I’m considering applying again is because I actually applied a long time ago, I just didn’t get called up to interview until 6 months after I applied. But fair point that it’s too close.

My resume has improved a lot since I applied, should improve quite a bit in the next month or so too, hopefully including some trial/motion argument experience. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to wait until the summer.

Don’t mean to sound obnoxious, but while 6 months is a long time to wait, it’s not really enough time to make a major difference in a career. In any case, the relevant marker here isn’t really when you originally applied, it’s when they were looking at you, or when they last interviewed you (presumably you could show whatever improvements had happened in those 6 months when you interviewed). So you effectively applied 4 months ago.

Do you know if they concluded their search and hired anyone? Again, I just think it would be weird to reapply now (or in the summer) if technically this is ongoing. I’m usually pretty anti-contacting offices, but why not just contact the office, ask for an update, and ask if you can/should submit an updated application or if they’ll keep you under consideration for any future openings?

[Anonymous User]

How early is too early to reapply to an office? I got to the second round (front office ex-USA) four months ago but radio silence since. I think I need to accept I didn’t get it, but I want to try again. Should I wait until the summer or can I go now?

You're probably hearing radio silence because the federal hiring process puts USAOs in a bind, making it impossible to act quickly: Maybe your competitor got an offer and not you, but the competitor now needs to go through a 4-6 months national security investigation, which could result in his or her failing it, in which case the office might want to send you an offer after all. There are other possibilities too for why you've heard nothing.

That doesn't answer your question about re-applying but I just wanted to offer context for what may be going on. (If I were you, I would re-apply.)

[Anonymous User]

How early is too early to reapply to an office? I got to the second round (front office ex-USA) four months ago but radio silence since. I think I need to accept I didn’t get it, but I want to try again. Should I wait until the summer or can I go now?

Is this an office that takes rolling applications, or did you reply to a job posting and now they've posted another job? If there's a new job posting, then go ahead and reapply.

If this is an office that accepts rolling applications and nothing came of your last one and you're just sending it off again... I don't know, but it feels like it would be weird to apply again now. Do you have significant new accomplishments that would make your candidacy now different from your candidacy before? Do you know if they actually hired out of that round of interviews? Have they actually rejected you (sounds like not since you've said radio silence)?

I guess I feel like if there's no new formal job posting and/or you haven't received an official rejection, I'd give it more like a year before applying again (or until there's a job posting). For one thing, while I agree it's unlikely they're going to offer you the job you interviewed for at this point, it seems weird to reapply if you haven't even got a rejection (and usually someone who makes it to a second round interview would get a rejection at the end of the process, although I can't guarantee that of course). It's also possible they were undecided and are keeping your materials on file for a possible future hiring.

The biggest factor for me would be if you have what's essentially a material resume update. If you've changed jobs, or accomplished something major/different that makes your application look different from before, applying again is kind of like updating an application and would make sense. But if not, I don't see a reason to apply again for a while when there might not be anything stopping them from calling you up again based on the materials you have already submitted.

(Caveat: if someone that has hiring experience in an office that takes rolling apps feels differently, go by what they say. The offices I've worked at only hire through formal job postings and don't take apps just whenever, so my expectations around hiring may be slightly different.)

It was a rolling position. The only reason I’m considering applying again is because I actually applied a long time ago, I just didn’t get called up to interview until 6 months after I applied. But fair point that it’s too close.

My resume has improved a lot since I applied, should improve quite a bit in the next month or so too, hopefully including some trial/motion argument experience. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to wait until the summer.

Don’t mean to sound obnoxious, but while 6 months is a long time to wait, it’s not really enough time to make a major difference in a career. In any case, the relevant marker here isn’t really when you originally applied, it’s when they were looking at you, or when they last interviewed you (presumably you could show whatever improvements had happened in those 6 months when you interviewed). So you effectively applied 4 months ago.

Do you know if they concluded their search and hired anyone? Again, I just think it would be weird to reapply now (or in the summer) if technically this is ongoing. I’m usually pretty anti-contacting offices, but why not just contact the office, ask for an update, and ask if you can/should submit an updated application or if they’ll keep you under consideration for any future openings?

Not obnoxious at all, I know I’m being impatient. I have no idea if they hired someone. I agree with the update idea but I’d like to wait since I expect my resume to improve a lot in the next month - once I can add that stuff I’ll reach out. Thanks for the insight!

[Anonymous User]

Do you know if they concluded their search and hired anyone? Again, I just think it would be weird to reapply now (or in the summer) if technically this is ongoing. I’m usually pretty anti-contacting offices, but why not just contact the office, ask for an update, and ask if you can/should submit an updated application or if they’ll keep you under consideration for any future openings?

AUSA here. Even within my USAO, which is tight knit and many of us are good friends with each other, the official word on whether someone has been newly hired or not is treated as not appropriate for casual conversation and is a secret. No one even inside the office is typically going to find out if the office has "concluded its search and hired anyone" until at least the national security review is completed, which takes 4-6 months these days. And that's if you are an insider. Only supervisors and people on the hiring committee are in the know--and the non-supervisors on that committee are still kind of just left guessing as to what's going on.

[Anonymous User]

Do you know if they concluded their search and hired anyone? Again, I just think it would be weird to reapply now (or in the summer) if technically this is ongoing. I’m usually pretty anti-contacting offices, but why not just contact the office, ask for an update, and ask if you can/should submit an updated application or if they’ll keep you under consideration for any future openings?

AUSA here. Even within my USAO, which is tight knit and many of us are good friends with each other, the official word on whether someone has been newly hired or not is treated as not appropriate for casual conversation and is a secret. No one even inside the office is typically going to find out if the office has "concluded its search and hired anyone" until at least the national security review is completed, which takes 4-6 months these days. And that's if you are an insider. Only supervisors and people on the hiring committee are in the know--and the non-supervisors on that committee are still kind of just left guessing as to what's going on.

That's a little different from where I've worked - the offices where I've worked have definitely given out some updates about the hiring process, including that an offer has been made pending a background check (obviously not names or any details). But I asked originally because the OP has had radio silence since their interview, which I think is a little unusual if the search has concluded - USAOs where I've applied unsuccessfully have always at least rejected me and when I've been involved with hiring they've definitely reached out to let unsuccessful interviewees know the search is concluded. So the fact that the OP hasn't heard anything suggested, to me, that the search might still be ongoing, which, to me, makes "re" applying kind of weird/premature. Hence why I asked if they had any other info suggesting someone has actually been hired.

I also think it's completely fair game for an applicant to reach out the hiring contact for an update, to express continued interest in the position, and ask about whether they should send in a new app or can ask to remain under consideration. I'm not suggesting they call up a random AUSA to try to get the scoop. If the hiring people aren't in a position to give any further info at this time, they can just say that.

[Anonymous User]

That's a little different from where I've worked - the offices where I've worked have definitely given out some updates about the hiring process, including that an offer has been made pending a background check (obviously not names or any details). But I asked originally because the OP has had radio silence since their interview, which I think is a little unusual if the search has concluded - USAOs where I've applied unsuccessfully have always at least rejected me and when I've been involved with hiring they've definitely reached out to let unsuccessful interviewees know the search is concluded. So the fact that the OP hasn't heard anything suggested, to me, that the search might still be ongoing, which, to me, makes "re" applying kind of weird/premature. Hence why I asked if they had any other info suggesting someone has actually been hired.

I also think it's completely fair game for an applicant to reach out the hiring contact for an update, to express continued interest in the position, and ask about whether they should send in a new app or can ask to remain under consideration. I'm not suggesting they call up a random AUSA to try to get the scoop. If the hiring people aren't in a position to give any further info at this time, they can just say that.

Frankly, for all I know, the OP is applying to my own office. Who knows. We are interviewing. And I do happen to know that the office is deliberately not sending out rejection letters to those who made it to the finalist list, while others did receive rejection letters. The reason is exactly what I described above.

I have offered no comment on whether it's "fair game to reach out to the hiring contact for an update." Do what you want, OP. However, in the scenario I have been describing, no one is able to actually say jack squat, for very pragmatic reasons that the office can't do anything about. The national security stuff is what it is. (Important.) It's a unique feature of applying to the DOJ, compared to virtually all other lawyer jobs in our profession.

[Anonymous User]

That's a little different from where I've worked - the offices where I've worked have definitely given out some updates about the hiring process, including that an offer has been made pending a background check (obviously not names or any details). But I asked originally because the OP has had radio silence since their interview, which I think is a little unusual if the search has concluded - USAOs where I've applied unsuccessfully have always at least rejected me and when I've been involved with hiring they've definitely reached out to let unsuccessful interviewees know the search is concluded. So the fact that the OP hasn't heard anything suggested, to me, that the search might still be ongoing, which, to me, makes "re" applying kind of weird/premature. Hence why I asked if they had any other info suggesting someone has actually been hired.

I also think it's completely fair game for an applicant to reach out the hiring contact for an update, to express continued interest in the position, and ask about whether they should send in a new app or can ask to remain under consideration. I'm not suggesting they call up a random AUSA to try to get the scoop. If the hiring people aren't in a position to give any further info at this time, they can just say that.

Frankly, for all I know, the OP is applying to my own office. Who knows. We are interviewing. And I do happen to know that the office is deliberately not sending out rejection letters to those who made it to the finalist list, while others did receive rejection letters. The reason is exactly what I described above.

Right, so if finalists haven't received rejection letters yet, presumably that's because the process isn't over. (And the fact that you know that some people have received rejection letters and some haven't is at least some information about where the process stands.) Basically I don't think it makes sense for the OP to reapply until they know they've been officially rejected, which is why I asked if they had any other info suggesting the cycle was complete.

I have offered no comment on whether it's "fair game to reach out to the hiring contact for an update." Do what you want, OP. However, in the scenario I have been describing, no one is able to actually say jack squat, for very pragmatic reasons that the office can't do anything about. The national security stuff is what it is. (Important.) It's a unique feature of applying to the DOJ, compared to virtually all other lawyer jobs in our profession.

It feels like we're disagreeing but I'm not entirely sure what about. Like I said, if the hiring people can't give any updates at this time, then they can say so. I agree it's likely that an offeree is going through the background check and that explains the radio silence, but suggested reaching out on the off chance that the office has ghosted the OP or something has happened to stall the search. Plus I honestly don't know how offices with rolling apps handle reapplications and I don't think there's any reason the office couldn't talk about that.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have any insight on how long it takes between submitting eQIP/fingerprinting/drug test to receiving the interim clearance/final offer (I believe it is from OARM)?