FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT
Spouse Employment Preference
is a preference for employment in DoD civilian positions for which the military
spouse is best qualified at Grade Levels GS-5 through GS/GM (or equivalent wage
system positions). Preference for NAFI positions is at Grade UA-8 and
below (and equivalent positions) and for those jobs paid at an hourly
rate. Depending on qualifications and experience, the spouse is
afforded serious consideration for competitive civil service
vacancies.
If the spouse has previous government work experience,
preference can be exercised up to the highest grade level ever
held. Spouses of active duty military personnel of the DoD with
personal civil service status (i.e., current career or career-conditional
employees, reinstatement eligibles) should apply with the Human Resource Office
for available positions. This office can explain in detail the
application process.
The following "Questions and Answers" on Military
Spouse Preference (as published in the HRO NEWS, Winter 1997 Issue, by HRO
Pensacola, FL) should clarify some things:
Who is eligible?
Military spouses who currently hold or have held a permanent position with the
Federal government.
How are they referred to jobs? Thirty days
prior to his/her spouse's reporting date to the new duty station, the military
spouse may register as a Preference Eligible and be referred for positions at
the new location for which he/she qualifies and which are no higher than those
he/she has held before.
What is meant by "Preference" in this
situation? The military spouses are classified as "Priority Placement
Program" eligibles, also known as the "Stopper List." That means that
they must be selected over candidates with no such preference when determined
fully qualified and referred. Of course, candidates with Priority 1
or 2 (generally speaking, those who are about to be or have been separated or
downgraded in a reduction in force) would have higher preference.
Where
does the spouse register for this program? He/she can register either
at the Human Resource Office at his/her current location or at the HRO at the
new location.
What are the program's advantages? The
advantages are twofold: First, the employer-DoD benefits because military
spouses, having had the opportunity to move from base to base and work in
different kinds of positions, often have a wealth of experience and valuable
skills to offer. Secondly, the benefit for the employee is obvious-it
greatly increases his/her chances of continued employment without a break in
Federal Service.
Another thought to keep in mind is that you do not have
to stay within the same Federal agency (i.e., Department of the
Navy). You can consider working for other Federal agencies sush as
the Internal Revenue Service, Customs, Border Patrol, Food and Drug
Administration, etc.
Some of you who may have been overseas may not not
know that the Federal government (all agencies) are
downsizing. Downsizing involves the reduction of both military and
civil service employees.
The climate in all Federal agencies
is shifting towards privatization, which may allow the government to better
control unexpected shifts in workload. Privatization is the concept
whereby work required by Federal agencies is performed via a contract bid/award
transaction.
Essentially this means that working for a
contract company who performs services to Federal agencies is now becoming a
viable source of employment to consider since you may experience severe pressure
in the government jobs.
SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
(S.E.A.P.)
POC: Cristoval
Perales
Location:
Fleet & Family Support
Center
Naval
Hospital Corpus
Christi
Bldg
H-100, 4th Deck
Telephone: DSN:
861-2861/2372
COMM: (361)
961-2861/2372
NAVY HUMAN RESOURCES
OFFICE
POC: Employment
Division
Location: Bldg
1730,
NAS
Telephone:
(361) 961-3744
ARMY HUMAN RESOURCES
OFFICE
POC:
Personnel
Office
Location: Bldg
1727,
NAS
Telephone:
(361) 961-2304
U. S.
CUSTOMS
POC: Bernice
Berry
Location: Bldg
50,
NAS
Telephone: (361)937-7171
Ext 123
U. S. POSTAL
SERVICE
POC: Human
Resources
Location:
809 Nueces Bay
Blvd
Corpus Christi, TX
78407
Telephone: (361)886-2281
Various
types of government employment exists in the South Texas Area, including federal
civil service (DOD and Non-DOD), state, county and city.
Federal Civilian
Employment - Available Federal Civil Service employment can be accessed through
computers in the Fleet & Family Support Center Employment Resource Room.