Thoughts on coming over from being an Army officer

[HCM]

So I've been talking to a few different guys on the federal side and it does sound like that would be a better fit for me. However, the length of the hiring process is concerning as timing that with ETS from the Army would likely be difficult. Assuming it takes 2-3 years to get picked up, what are the thoughts of working for a local or state agency in the meantime? I'm wondering if that's pretty common or if its a giant middle finger to the agency for jumping ship in such a short time.

The time the process takes will vary depending on the agency and if they have the funding and desire to hire. Often hiring in fed agencies is cyclic. They will hire like mad for a year or two then a trickle of even no new hires for a year or two (or a few).

If you “catch the wave” you could get in within 6 months to a year. Coming fresh out of the .Mil and /or having a current security clearance can help.

[JRB]

Another path to consider is transitioning from Active Duty to Guard/Reserve and going AGR, which will keep you on active duty orders and potentially get you to your 20. O3/O4+ AGR slots can be very competitive but it's a very chill gig compared to Active Duty. If you don't get AGR, there are Military Technician (Miltech) GS positions in USAR/ANG organizations in a variety of lanes that can make use of your 90A background. Those GS positions require you to be in a Reserve or Guard unit but they're an effective bridge to keep your existing clearances and keep you busy while you apply for other GS positions within other organizations. Once you're a GS employee, it's a lot easier to get into other GS positions even in totally different organizations.

Whatever you do, I would emphatically recommend staying on somehow until your 20 and retiring from there. Avoid a permanent profile and continue to pass an APFT and you'll be fine with current force reduction guidelines. If you do get RIF'd take the medical retirement if you can. MEB's take forever but with supporting documentation and LOD's you will walk away with something to show for it - not as much as the retirement in most cases, but something.

[psalms144.1]

Some agencies are 2-3 years, some hire on the spot. My agency is finalizing funding for a 50% (yes, FIFTY PERCENT) increase in agent billets over the next several years, so we'll be in a hire-palooza. My counterparts in DCIS hire at the SAC level, as does the civilian side of Army CID, so, whenever there's a vacancy, hiring is pretty streamlined.

Having said all that, START NOW. If you haven't already, create an account on USAJOBS, set up a daily search, and have a competent CIVILIAN review your resume. Then apply for EVERYTHING that catches your eye. I was hired straight out of the Army into a GS13 job that I knew I wasn't "qualified" for, but the hiring agency disagreed. Let them tell you no...