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Applying to a second USAO while background check is underway with the first?
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2025 10:44 pm
by Anonymous User
I recently received a tentative offer from a USAO that’s in a different state than the one I currently live in, and my background check has been underway for a dew weeks. This week a posting went up for an office in our home district, and I am really tempted to apply, knowing that I would choose the home district office (should I receive an offer) over my current offer just because of the location and not having to move (especially since we have a 2 yo who just started daycare, and my spouse won’t be able to live with me for at least the first year or so due to his job situation). My question is: with the background check pending, can I still apply and how negatively would that be viewed from either office’s perspective? I’ve spoken with my law firm mentors with 15+ years of Main Justice and/or USAO experiences, and yet they are basically divided into two camps: some caution against real risk to my reputation and even employment opportunity with both offices, while others reassure me it is completely normal to pursue multiple tracks simultaneously and that I won’t need to accept/reject the offer from the first office until/unless my background check with the first office and I receive a formal offer letter. I’d really appreciate thoughts from people who are currently working in USAOs and/or have been involved in the hiring process—have you seen this happen? How was it resolved?
Re: Applying to a second USAO while background check is underway with the first?
Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2025 1:06 am
by Anonymous User
lol I'm actually in the same situation
except I'm waiting on a final offer
here's hoping the govt shuts down forever
Re: Applying to a second USAO while background check is underway with the first?
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2025 9:11 am
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 10:44 pm
I recently received a tentative offer from a USAO that’s in a different state than the one I currently live in, and my background check has been underway for a dew weeks. This week a posting went up for an office in our home district, and I am really tempted to apply, knowing that I would choose the home district office (should I receive an offer) over my current offer just because of the location and not having to move (especially since we have a 2 yo who just started daycare, and my spouse won’t be able to live with me for at least the first year or so due to his job situation). My question is: with the background check pending, can I still apply and how negatively would that be viewed from either office’s perspective? I’ve spoken with my law firm mentors with 15+ years of Main Justice and/or USAO experiences, and yet they are basically divided into two camps: some caution against real risk to my reputation and even employment opportunity with both offices, while others reassure me it is completely normal to pursue multiple tracks simultaneously and that I won’t need to accept/reject the offer from the first office until/unless my background check with the first office and I receive a formal offer letter. I’d really appreciate thoughts from people who are currently working in USAOs and/or have been involved in the hiring process—have you seen this happen? How was it resolved?
I responded in the other thread, but something I forgot to mention: my office has always emphasized to people they’ve made offers to that they should *not* quit their jobs/sell their houses/move etc until and unless the background check goes through, and I feel like the way they say this acknowledges that neither side is committed to the other until the background check is done and there’s a final offer on the table. I know we’d be disappointed to go through the process and have someone bail at that point, but we’d understand why someone would do it.
But again, this may be very office-specific.
Re: Applying to a second USAO while background check is underway with the first?
Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 8:37 am
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Thu Sep 25, 2025 9:11 am
I know we’d be disappointed to go through the process and have someone bail at that point, but we’d understand why someone would do it.
But again, this may be very office-specific.
What counts as a final offer? An EOD date printed on DOJ letterhead and signed by the relevant DOJ HR people and also signed by the candidate?
Re: Applying to a second USAO while background check is underway with the first?
Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2025 8:06 am
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Fri Sep 26, 2025 8:37 am
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Thu Sep 25, 2025 9:11 am
I know we’d be disappointed to go through the process and have someone bail at that point, but we’d understand why someone would do it.
But again, this may be very office-specific.
What counts as a final offer? An EOD date printed on DOJ letterhead and signed by the relevant DOJ HR people and also signed by the candidate?
I don’t even remember what kind of letter I got when, but in the context of what I wrote above, “final offer” just means “you’ve passed your background check and we’ve confirmed you will start on date X.” It’s really the background check that’s operative here; until you pass that check and are approved to work for us, we can’t guarantee you a job. I didn’t mean a specific document.
And by background check, I mean the initial sort of prima facie check that takes 4-6 weeks that allows you to start working, even though there is usually more to the process.