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should understand their positions are provisional and may not lead to long-term jobs).
For a full list of exemptions, as well as information about how departments will determine if someone should still be hired with a start date after 22 February, please see the original memorandum, the 1 February follow-up memorandum, and this list of FAQs.
What We Will Know
In the coming weeks, individual agencies and departments will put
out information on their specific priorities and constraints under the hiring freeze. For instance, the Acting Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs put out a memo regarding exemptions at the VA: f. If you are interested in working for specific agencies or departments, keep an eye out for forthcoming information.
What should I do now?
1. Don’t panic. As our Director of Training Amy Rossi explains, “I’ve been around for a long time, and there’s always change with a new administration, as well as ebbs and flows in the federal hiring outlook.”
2. Have a game plan for here and now, and for later down the line. If you are in a hurry to find employment, federal employment has never been the way to go. (For one, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2017 repealed the certain basis for appointment of a retired member of the armed forces to DoD position within 180 days of retirement, meaning that if you are a Veteran, you have to wait to be hired by the Department of Defense.) Research jobs in your area, work on building a targeted résumé, and reach out to us at CASY & MSCCN if you feel like you don’t know where to make your next move.
3. Keep applying. If the position is posted and you are interested, you should apply. At some point, some hiring will resume (and some positions may not stop hiring at all if they are under exemptions).
4. Stay informed. If you are interested in a Federal position, make sure that you stay abreast of developments so that you can jump on your potential dream job as soon as it becomes available.