Tough time finding a job?

[DougVelting]

Ive stayed in contact with several of the people i met in Louisiana, and after coming home more than half of us have had the same problem. It has taken an unusually long time to find a job. None of us have heard back anything on our full time applications for FEMA, even with the "scramble to fill 2,500" positions. It took me almost 2 months of searching for a job in fields i had worked in before with good references, before the bank account couldn't match the mortgage payment and i had no choice but to go back to working for an uncle of mine.

I got lucky with my uncle constantly offering me my old job back, but i was wondering how many of us have had similar situations?

[PENNDEL]

Same here, I have been out of work since I have been back and haven't heard anything back from FEMA yet. Hopefully something will open up in my neck of the woods.

[Diane E]

Did you apply via FEMA's site or something along the lines of USA Jobs? I've heard that you should be applying via the direct FEMA site.

http://www.fema.gov/career/publicSea...DB?action=Init

Either way, it takes a while to hear back from any gov't application.

[StillLearning]

I hope nobody gave up a full-time job to work for FEMA, it was a temporary thing. Few if any firefighters have been called back since January, there are a few remaining workers but not many. FEMA DAE's have been deployed to the non-gulf disaster sites, some I worked with in Florida are now in northern California and Nevada. There will not be another firefighter program like last year unless something very major happens. Those being deployed are the regular DAE's, local hires have filled many positions, and the temp hires. I've found out that the FEMA regulars are filling many of the one year or term positions.

I was fortunate, but never planned on FEMA being a long term deal regardless of what me might have been told or were led to beleive. Unfortunately FEMA didn't track what firefighters did a good job or a bad job, or what they did for the most part. Fact is, we were hired temorary help.

[Diane E]

From the website noted above in my first post. Some have approaching app. deadlines.

Hurricane Katrina Related Vacancies

Your search has located 27 current vacancies, which are displayed below. Please make note of the closing date for each vacancy (shown in bold text). Click on the job title to see the complete announcement for a vacancy. Be sure to follow the instructions provided within each announcement as procedures will vary concerning how and where to submit your application package.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT ASSISTANT, GS-0303-06
KAT-06-OER-189-JES
All Sources
Random U.S. Locations in Any State or Territory
04/05/2006

Accountant, GS-510-09/11
KAT-06-FAM-186-JES
Eligible Candidates - All
Virginia (Round Hill)
09/22/2006

Accounting Technician, GS-525-6/7
KAT-06-FM-022-CMG
Eligible Candidates - All
Virginia (Round Hill)
06/30/2006

Accounting Technician, GS-525-5/6
KAT-06-FM-027-CMG
Eligible Candidates - All
Virginia (Round Hill)
06/30/2006

Certification Technician, GS-503-5/6/7
KAT-05-FM-018-CMG
Eligible Candidates - All
Virginia (Round Hill)
06/30/2006

Civil Rights Specialist, GS-0160-9/11
KAT-06-OER-123-JES
All Sources
Louisiana (Baton Rouge), Mississippi (Biloxi)
03/31/2006

Emergency Management Specialist, GS-0301-09/11/12
KAT-06-MD-159-TJC
All Sources
Washington, DC
04/04/2006

Environmental Program Specialist, GS-301-11/12
KAT-06-EPS-157-TJC
All Sources
Texas (Denton)
03/29/2006

Environmental Program Specialist, GS-301-11/12
KAT-06-MD-160-TJC
All Sources
Washington, DC
04/04/2006

Equal Employment Specialist, GS-0260-9/11
KAT-06-OER-137-JES
All Sources
Random U.S. Locations in Any State or Territory
03/31/2006

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST, GS-501-7/9
KAT-06-FAM-187-JES
All Sources
Virginia (Round Hill)
09/22/2006

Information Technology Specialist, GS-2210-9/11
KAT-06-RD-194-VLH
All Sources
Virginia (Round Hill)
04/04/2006

Logistics Management Specialist, GS-346-11/12
KAT-06-RD-193-VLH
All Sources
Washington, DC
04/01/2006

Material Handler CDL, WG-6907-08
KAT-06-RD-192-VLH
All Sources
Maryland (Frederick)
03/31/2006

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST, GS-301-12
KAT-06-NIMS-201-CMG
All Sources
Washington, DC
04/04/2006

Physical Security Specialist, GS-080-12
KAT-06-OS-196-VLH
All Sources
Washington, DC
04/05/2006

Program Analyst, GS-343-11/12
KAT-06-RD-195-VLH
All Sources
Washington, DC
04/04/2006

Program Analyst (Technical Monitor), GS-340-12
KAT-06-RC-158-TJC
All Sources
Alabama (Montgomery), Louisiana (Baton Rouge), Mississippi (Biloxi), Texas (Austin)
12/31/2006

Program Specialist (HMTAP), GS-301-12
KAT-06-MD-161-TJC
All Sources
Washington, DC
04/05/2006


Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035-12
KAT-06-OPA-181-JES
All Sources
Washington, DC
03/31/2006

Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035-12
KAT-06-OPA-184-JES
All Sources
Texas (Denton), Washington, DC
03/31/2006

Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035-11
KAT-06-OPA-185-JES
All Sources
Washington, DC
03/31/2006

Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035-09
KAT-06-OPA-188-JES
All Sources
Random U.S. Locations in Any State or Territory
04/05/2006

Public Affairs Specialist (Lead), GS-1035-13
KAT-06-OPA-183-JES
All Sources
Louisiana (Baton Rouge), Mississippi (Biloxi)
03/31/2006

Public Affairs Specialist (Newsdesk), GS-1035-12
KAT-06-OPA-182-JES
All Sources
Random U.S. Locations in Any State or Territory
03/31/2006

Supervisory Logistics Management Specialist, GS-346-12
KAT-06-RD-191-VLH
All Sources
Washington, DC
03/30/2006

TRAINING SPECIALIST, GS-301-11/12
KAT-06-EMI-202-CMG
All Sources
Maryland (Emmitsburg)
04/04/2006

[DougVelting]

No i definately didn't leave any permanent job for FEMA. I was trying to switch gears after i got home and not go back to the "same ol' thing" and try to get into the emergency management area.

As far as working for FEMA, a lot of us got DAE application packets sent to our homes, which did me no good in Louisiana. Then we got it worked out that some were sent to the JFO in baton rouge.

Either way, I along with several other people i worked with, sent in their applications but none of us have heard anything at all.

I wen't back to working for my Uncle, and things are beginning to work themselves out, i was just curious how many of us have hit some speed bumps with looking for a job.

[mtwaites]

Yeah, they are just temporary through the year, but I guess that sometimes they will be call on other times of the year if there is a serious disaster that happens that requires them to attend during the other time of the year.