Tuesday, June 03, 2008

So I got this email from Beau this afternoon right as I was leaving for home:

This is regarding your application for the position of Archivist at [redacted], announcement [redacted].

We are unable to consider your application for this position because you did not submit a narrative description of your experience as it applies to each of the knowledges, skills and abilities listed in the vacancy announcement.  This information is needed to evaluate your experience.  As stated in the announcement, applicants who do not submit this information will not be considered.

We appreciate your interest in this position and wish you the best of luck in your job search.

[name redacted]
Lead Human Resources Specialist
National Archives and Records Administration

Bummer! Those damned KSAs will kill you every time you apply for a fed job. It seems like such a perfect job for Beau. I immediately started praying - for Beau, for wisdom in how to encourage him, for wisdom for the next steps, for peace, etc. And I prayed like that for the first half of my commute - until I felt peace about it all.

Got home to see mail on the kitchen table. On top was an opened letter from NARA, so I picked it up and read this:

Dear Mr. [Beau]:

Re: Your application for Archivist ... [there follows redacted information about the job he was just rejected for by email].

This is to update you on the status of your application for the position.

You were rated qualified for the position. The next step in the process involves a review of all qualified applicants against the job requirements for this position… [yadda, yadda, yadda].

Huh?

Turns out Beau got about 6 of the rejection emails (he didn’t tell me about that until much later), which he thinks are in response to the iterations of the application he saved while working on it at the USAJOBS.gov website. The hard copy snail mailed letter is in response to his final submission of the application packet. At least that is what we’re hoping.

The letter says there were a lot of applications and that they expect it to take several weeks to evaluate those rated qualified. We will be notified either way.

So now we know to pray for the next step in the process and we’ve got a glimmer of hope for this job prospect. And it means the house hunting is still on hold until we hear back again.