Behavioural Interview Questions

Question for the original poster (or anyone that interviewed): besides the four standard questions, did they ask or talk about anything else? The interviewer only asked (including the four questions) me which technology I'd be interested in, when I can start, have you worked at the USPTO before and talk very briefly about the position. The interviewed lasted only 20 minutes, and the interviewer didn't really sell me the job. They didn't ask me about my exoerience on my resume at all. I already have bad feelings.

Anon314159 - my interviewer said this week is for interviews, HR starts reviewing next week, and sends out offers when they are done. So I am thinking it will be Dec 13th-19th for a decision. As far as other questions - my interviewer was very laid back and let me dictate the flow of the conversation. So I highlighted some of my past, my knowledge of the PTO, and asked him what the strangest invention he had come across in his 10 years as an examiner (funny topic and went over well). He also let me ask questions about the training program and GS system near the end. No offense, but I don't think it's his job to sell you the position...

Some Guy, I worded my statement wrong about the interviewer not selling me the job. What I meant is that they didn't explain the responsibilities of a patent examiner like I read on other interviews. Maybe because they know on my resume I have several years of work experience at a patent firm and I assume that I know what an examiner does or they are not interested in me. Did they talk about the experience on your resume at all?

Some Guy, may I ask which office(s) did you apply to? The interviewer told me they'll get back to me next week. Did you apply to Alexandria only? I applied to both Denver and Alexandria. So the Denver decision might be faster. I forgot but thanks for your response above BTW.

Anon - I applied for the Denver office. Hopefully you're right, but I'm keeping my expectations on the slower side. He said to email him if I hadn't heard back by the 20th... Good luck! Maybe I'll see ya in training lol

My interviewer said that the training program for Alexandria begins in January, while the Denver program begins in February. So I'd expect to hear back from Alexandria first.

Any biomedical engineers interview on 11/29 for the Alexandria location?

I applied three offices this time, had one interview on 30th, I really hope I could get an offer before the holidays.

BME, I’m a BME and interviewed on 11/28 for the Alexandria location!

Did you also interview with a "non- BME"? lol I found that very odd. However, I am just curious how many other BME's interviewed for that location and how many they will hire since the posting only says many. I have my Master's with little experience, so I wanted to know about other's education/ experiences and about your interview details. I had the same basic questions, and when I elaborated on my projects they seemed very lost/ uninterested, but I hope it doesn't affect my ratings. Good luck, hopefully we will get an offer soon and see each other at training too!

BME here. I interviewed on Nov 28 and got the same exact 4 or 5 behavioural questions others have mentioned here. I have a BS and an MS in BME + 3 years of post-grad work experience at big-name research institutions. My interviewer also seemed disinterested in my technical projects/previous projects. I think it's because their technical background was completely different from mine. I was told by my interviewer that the potential start date would be in late Jan and that I should hear back from HR in 4 to 5 weeks. I know people on the inside at the PTO and I was told that they are hiring examiners to start at the PTA (Patent Training Academy) on Jan 22. I was also told by this person that you either have to have a stellar background/resume or know someone on the inside willing to talk to other SPEs and convince one of them to pull your application assuming you get through all the hurtles (USAJobs, HR qualifications, interview, etc). Hope this helps. Good luck everyone!

I forgot to mention, I also interviewed for a position at the Alexandria office.

AnonBME: I am not sure how factual that is relating to the hiring process, as even those who have not completed undergraduate coursework/ degrees are still eligible for the position as well. Also, based on the point system, several other factors are considered and can give you an advantage/ preference regardless of : who you may or may not know, your industry experience, and extensive/ elaborate resume'. No background knowledge is required, and you will receive all of your training from the USPTO. So, it may to better to select those who do not have an already preset and conformed way of thinking due to backgrounds when it comes to the role. I do assume that several BMEs will be hired, however, because the job posting states it is vacant for MANY, and I believe there is a need for more BMEs. I hope decisions will be made on merit/ ability to do the job well, and I wish everyone the best of luck!!! :)

ANON: That is somewhat true. While having completed undergraduate coursework/degrees are not required to be considered eligible for this position, candidates that have completed undergraduate coursework/degrees in BME or any other related field of engineering are stronger candidates and are more likely to be considered for the position based on the point system. I am not insinuating that knowing someone at the USPTO guarantees that you will be hired regardless of your merit and ability to do the job, but it definitely helps. Merit and ability are necessary for initial career success, but I have learned that networking is equally important for long-term success. The USPTO trains new hires on the examination process during the first 4 months of training at the PTA for GS-7 and GS-9 examiners; but as a new hire, you are solely responsible for developing the background knowledge necessary to become a subject matter expert in the specific field that your TC (Technical Center) specializes in. That's one of the reasons why they ask about your ability to perform extensive research independently during the interview. The number of people the USPTO hires is based on the need for resources amongst the various TCs. SPEs looking to hire new examiners within their art unit will select candidates from the pool of applicants HR has interviewed that have skills/background knowledge that is most similar to the artwork that is reviewed in their unit. I also believe there is a significant need for BMEs at the USPTO because the medical device industry is one of the most rapidly growing sectors of our economy. Again, I wish everyone that interviewed the best of luck. Hopefully, we will be receiving offers sometime next week.

Thanks anonbme! Your response definitely makes me feel a bit better about the wait! haha I truly appreciate your insight and feedback! hopefully, I will get to meet you very soon...

I too interviewed on November 29th. I applied for Alexandria and San Diego . Same 4-5 Behavioral questions. I am skeptic about the work as the guy didn't explain at all. I wanted to ask, if this job is worth taking for an entry level as there is lack of engineering ?

I was wondering if anyone had heard back from any of the offices? Its been a couple of weeks now

Nothing yet. I believe we may begin to hear back from HR sometime between tomorrow and next Tuesday.

nobody really knows, we can all guess i suppose....

Anon BSME, This really is not an engineering job. If you want to design things, or go on to do R&D somewhere I don't think that starting out as a patent examiner is the way to go. If you want to work a stable job - in the office, rather than out in the field - with great benefits and decent pay, using some of your engineering skills, and setting yourself up to go into IP law later; then this is a great job. The info session that was sent to you prior to the interview explained the position, that wasn't the interviewer's job.

^ rude... they already clarified u could have kept your thoughts to urself

Anyone hear anything?

According to the USPTO timeline, weeks 9 and 10 are when offers are extended. Week 9 begins next week. I was hoping HR would expedite the decisions because the job posting expires on Sunday, which means that they would need to know by then how many remaining openings they have when considering those who applied after October 23rd.

I saw that the people who interviewed on 9/21/16 heard back on 10/6/16. I interviewed on 11/29, so I was thinking we'd hear something today or tomorrow. However, I really don't know. The interviewer only answered my question with a "soon"

I called HR in Alexandria yesterday. I was told that SPEs are still making their selections and should be sending their selections to HR by the end of this week so that HR can vet those selections. Then sometime early next week, they should be sending out selection notices.

From my past experience I’m pretty confident we’ll hear between today and next week Tuesday.

I truly hope BME and BS are right!

Spoke with HR this afternoon. Word from my rep was that they received all the SPE selections today and will be updating USA Jobs status tomorrow and getting all official emails out by, hopefully, COB Monday. I'm surprised that she stated they will update the status first before emails go out, but that was what she passed on. So hopefully, we'll all know more tomorrow at some point, or if not, by COB Monday at the latest.

Dear Denver Hopeful, You've done your good deed for the day. I really appreciate your input. Good luck to you!

Received email NOT SELECTED for CE. Also checked my status on usajob, found out Not selected for CE but still Received status for EE. Good luck everyone

Got email NOT SELECTED and when I check usajobs says NOT HIRED. Anyone knows difference between NOT SELECTED and NOT HIRED.

Still nothing from Denver, for me. Can we please say what office our results are from when we get them? Good luck everyone!

Got an email asking to fill out an Declaration For Federal Employment Form (OF-306). Wording on the email said I was a "potential hiring candidate" for the Alexandria office.

Alexandria office

Any BMEs here anything from the Alexandria office? Still no update on my end.

NOT SELECTED email received from BME Alexandria office. Still shows as RECEIVED on USAJOBS for all: BME Alexandria, ME Alexandria, ME Denver, ME San Jose

BME Alexandria on USAJOBS updated 30mins after email to NOT HIRED

Anyone hear from San Jose? (I'm still waiting to hear)

I got a NOT selected email for Alexandria, but it only said for grade 09. On USAJobs it says "You were not selected for this position." for grade 09 but hasnt updated anything for grade 07. I was wondering if that was the same with anyone else? Also still waiting to hear from San Jose and Denver

Got an email saying not selected for VA Office. USAjob updated to NOT HIRED.

ME. No change in status for three offices.

Did any EE applicant receive any update regarding the status of their application? The above comments indicates otherwise.

Just got the selected email (Denver ME) and my USA Jobs status was updated to "Reviewed" and then when expanded says "You have been selected - will contact you shortly".

Congrats!!

Denver Hopeful, Was that for GS09, GS07, or bof?

I also received an offer for ME (GS07) in Denver. See ya there, Denver Hopeful! (P.S. I didn't apply for GS09)

I received an email stating that I was selected for the GS-7 position at the Alexandria site from HR. I checked my USAjobs status and it was updated to “Selected” for GS-7 and “Not selected” for GS-9.

Well, it's 5:00PM EST, and I haven't receive a decision. They might be done for the day. I'm not sure which order do they send out the decisions in: by most qualified candidates, by alphabetical order or randomly. They may work over time today since the people that got accepted will have the weekend to think over about accepting the offer. FWIW I applied for ME at Denver and Alexandria for both GS 7 and 9. For those that still waiting, GL e1.

I applied for ME at three locations, still have not received a decision as well.

Just got "referred not selected".

To the comment above, for which location and which job announcement

Denver, GS07, ME

I just got a rejection email for ME GS07 in Denver around 5:40PM EST and another rejection email for ME GS09 in Denver also ten minutes later. The USAJobs status was updated accordingly. I have not receive a decision for Alexandria office yet, and I'm feeling pessimistic. Just to give you a comparison. I have a few years of work experience in patent. My interview was less than 20 minutes, and I didn't feel like I connected with the interviewer well. I answered the questions based on my experience and tried to convey that I have relevant experience to be successful that this job. However, I didn't convey that I was interested in this job. Good luck everyone!

Hang in there Anon 314159, there’s still hope! For those who got selected, do you know why?

Any MEs heard anything from VA office?

So I'm seeing that many are getting selected/not selected notifications. I got an email requesting to fill out Declaration For Federal Employment Form (OF-306). Has anyone else got this email? Did anyone else remember filling out this form already in the application process?

To Alexendria IE, when did you get the email? Looks like you are selected

Has anyone heard back from San Jose and Alexandria for EE ??

Has anyone heard back from San Jose for ME?

Has anyone heard back from San Jose for ME?

Looks like ME recruitment for Denver is pretty much done, any MEs heard back from VA and San Jose?

I am EE, and applied for both Alexandria and St Jose, but didn't hear back. That means we will back on Monday.

I received a 306 form yesterday but no offer yet. For those that received a rejection today, did you receive a 306 form today or yesterday? Also, for those that received an offer today, did you receive a 306 form?

To DenverEE, No, I did not receive form 306, and I was rejected.

I received a selection email that says i will be contacted shortly with an official job offer. No OF 306 yet.

Sounds like noone heard anything from San Jose today. I guess I'll repeat the process on Monday of checking Usajobs.gov and my email every 10 minutes!

I got an email yest asking to fill out OF 306. I applied for EE at Alexandria.

I did receive a 306 or any other paperwork today. HR rep stated in a follow up email that tentative offer and other paperwork would be on the way Monday.

*Did Not receive a 306. Autocorrect.

For those that receive a selection, do you mind elaborating about how you got selected? You don't have to give out exact details, but I'm just looking for the general guidelines. There are a handful of former employees at the firm I work at whom left to work at the USPTO, and there are also several former examiners working at the firm. With my experience of working on 200+ cases for some years, I figured I'd have a very good shot at getting this job. So I didn't really put much effort into the interview besides preparing for the four questions. I thought my answers were very relevant about me having patent research and writing experience and let my resume speaks for itself. However, my interview was rather bland socially; I didn't really think the interview would matter much, and it's just a formality. If I were to make a list of my mistakes, it would be: * I didn't show much interest for the job during the interview. I figured that the interviewer would know that I'm just pretending. * I din't give demanding technologies (art units) when the interviewer ask which field would I be interested in working. My list was like: consumer products such as containers, bottles, etc. I should have said some thing like: automobiles, prosthetics, oil & gas, etc. My reason for listing consumer products was because I know these are easy cases to work on. * I only asked one simple question at the end of interview. This kind of go along with not showing my enthusiasm for the job. * I did not apply for biomedical fields. I have worked on biomedical cases before, and they often have long and a lot of claims; I mean like the independent claim(s) would be an entire page, and the case would have 40+ claims; some cases would have 100+ claims. To give a perspective, an average case has 20 claims, and its independent claim is about one paragraph long. These biomedical cases can be nightmares. * I didn't apply at the San Jose office. To be fair, it's too expensive to live there anyways. * Overall, I was definitely a bit too cocky. Since I got rejected at the Denver office, I don't feel too good about my chance at the Alexandria office either. Additionally, I don't really want to live in the DC area since I know it's quite expensive there as well. I'm not sure how many they are hiring at each office, and I hope that they hire at Alexandria office a lot more than Denver office. If I (or you) don't get an offer, they're hiring again at the Dallas office in the spring (see Twitter @USPTOJobs on 17 October 2017) and probably hire at the HQ also; I'm not exactly sure when they'll make the job announcement though, but last year the training class starts around Mid-2016. So I expect they'll make an announcement(s) again sometime in February/March 2018. Lastly, sorry if you come here expecting to see a status update and see this non-sense instead. Good luck everyone else still waiting for the decision(s).

There were a couple important take aways from the video they sent with the interview notice. One, they mentioned you enjoying the work multiple times, two, they had a slide dedicated to the traits an examiner needs. I tailored my responses to those traits and ensured I relayed how much I enjoyed research and writing. I also have two good friends that are examiners and passed my answers to the 4 common questions by them to ensure I was on the right track. Having friends that are examiners that can pass your resume around and talk you up is invaluable. Know the TC's well, as in the exact numbers of the areas you have experience in and want to work, I.E. the 3640's for mechanical/aerospace. Good luck.

I'm still waiting to hear from San Jose. This is my 3rd time applying. If I get in, I'll assume that it's due to: (1) having better prepared answers to the 4 interview questions, (2) knowing the numbers of the TCs where I hope to work, (3) expressing an enthusiasm and willingness to work at the USPTO, (4) asking a few questions at the end, and (5) having improved my resume since the first interview in 2015 by filing more patent applications and taking some specific classes related to patent filing and researching. If I don't get in, I'm not really sure what I could have done better, and I'll assume that there were too many applicants and not enough openings.

Any updates from other BMEs for Alexandria?

Interviewed 11/29 for BME positions in the Alexandria Office. Received two emails on Friday, one advising me to complete a federal form and return via fax in 24 hours, and the following shortly thereafter: Thank you for your interest in employment with the United States Patent & Trademark Office! Your application for CP-2017-0014, Patent Examiner (Biomedical Engineering), Grade(s) 07 located in Alexandria, VA, US was referred to the selecting official, and you were selected for this position! You will be contacted shortly by a Human Resources representative with an official job offer and any other information needed to move forward. We look forward to offering you this position and hope you'll join the exciting team at the United States Patent and Trademark Office! Again, congratulations! It's Monday, December, 18 at 12:53 p.m. EST. I am still waiting to receive to be contacted by HR to receive a final offer, though.

Hmmm. I received the same e-mail about being selected but no e-mail about completing a form.

I received an email from HR this morning requesting I fill out and return the OF306. Nothing else so far today though.

Has anyone heard anything from San Jose?

I received an OF-306 email last Friday 12/15. Received a selection email today 12/18 and received a phone call from HR about an hour after the selection email with tentative offer.

I applied for EE in San Jose, did not hear anything yet

I applied for ME in Alexandria. Have any ME's heard anything?

To anon123, did you read all the comments? Tldr some people received decisions for ME in Denver. I'm still waiting for my decision for ME in Alexandria also. I don't think anyone got a decision for ME in Alexandria yet...

I applied for ME in San Jose, but also did not hear anything. Has anyone heard anything from San Jose?

Not selected for ME at San Jose

Also not selected for ME San Jose. Still waiting for Alexandria.

Anon123, Best of Luck! The waiting is the hardest part

To anon123 and MSME, Did you get your decision today? Do you think they'll send out the Alexandria decision within this week? Also do you think it's worth it to live in San Jose even if they hire you? The reason I didn't apply there I s because it's ridiculously expensive to live there.

Still no word from Alexandria for ME. Does anyone know when the other disciplines (IE, BME) had different closing dates than 12/17 for Alexandria? They're obviously on a different schedule for ME.

Is there anyone hear from Alexandria for EE. Usajob shows received status change.

Heads-up. Faxed my OF-306 last Friday and followed-up with email to confirm receipt. My Alexandria USPTO contact was "out-of-office" until today and advised me office was having "problems" with fax and didn't receive mind, so I re-faxed today. My advice to those who have faxed OF-306 and waiting for a response...if you might want to email your USPTO contact to make sure they received your form. Probably, won't issue an offer letter without one.

Anon314159, Yes, I received an email today at 6am PST. I would think they'll send out the Alexandria decision this week, if it has a start date of late Jan. or early Feb. I currently live about 40 miles north of San Jose, so it is the only office I considered. Yes, it is expensive, and traffic is a mess. However, "Do you know the way to San Jose?" (1) You can currently take the Bart Subway to about 16 miles from San Jose, but a new extension should open just 3 miles away in June 2018. So, a Lyft, bike, or junker left at the Bart station could be an option. (2) Amtrak's Capital Cooridor has 2 trains a morning from Oakland to San Jose (about 1 mile from the USPto) (3) There is an ACE Rail train that can get you there from points to the east to San Jose. (I think this also gets you within a mile) Also, I hear the hours are flexible, and some work can be done from home. The San Francisco Bay Area is a nice place to live, despite the high prices. People like me, who live here, figure it's worth it.

(4) there’s a Caltrain that runs from cities south of San Jose to San Jose. It also runs to San Francisco, along the most expensive places to live on the peninsula. The cheapest area to live is probably in the east bay, north of Fremont and south of Oakland (e.g. Hayward)

Once re-faxed OF-306, received offer letter via email within 30 minutes for Alexandria HQ. Start date for Alexandria is January 22.

To MEs are also waiting for Alexandria, do you know if they hire a lot more than the satellite offices? I thought my background was solid, but no luck so far.

Dear Anonymous, I read somewhere that they're hiring more at the satellite offices since they're trying to fill those for establishing their reputations in the regions. I'm not sure if it's true though. Like you, I think my background is pretty solid too with several years of work experience in patents. However, I didn't interview great, and that may be why I didn't get an offer at Denver; I thought the interview doesn't have much weight since it's a position where you work independently under general supervision. I'm still waiting for my decision in Alexandria. My hypothesis is that they're already finished sending out decisions for the 10/23 cutoff dates and are incorporating the candidates that wasn't accepted into a bigger pool for next training class.

Received the call with the tentative offer last night and the email shortly after that. Start Date for Denver ME is 20FEB. The interview is probably as important, if not more important than past experience and your resume. Keep in mind they hire a lot of recent college graduates with zero work experience. You're rated on a scale of 1-5 (5 being best) by HR, based off of input from the person who interviews you (that's why the interviewer SPE was taking copious notes while you answered their questions). From there, we're all put into a database, and the SPE's who's TC's are hiring go in and select the candidates they like who's resume's match well with what their TC does. If you've networked, and gotten your name out there, that can obviously be a huge advantage when the SPE's go into the database to review the applicant pool and interview scores. One other thing to keep in mind is that all veterans have a leg up in the process (as they should), so for areas like DC, it can be more difficult as a civilian to get selected simply because of the large amount of veterans in the applicant pool for that area of the country.

I applied for EE in San Jose. Did not hear anythingyet? USA jobs status still shows "received" . Anybody in a similar situation?

I applied for San Jose and Alexandria for EE too but haven't received anything

Thank you SJEE. Did any EE's hear from the HR in any location?

I applied to all three locations for EE and I haven’t received any update yet. I think few EE applicants indicated that they received offers/rejections above. Maybe we are their backup plan in case some of the applicants who are being considered to be hired refuse the job offers? I am not sure.

I’m an EE and only applied to denver. I got a 306 form via email last thursday and no email offer yet. I called the OHR contact yesterday and asked her if this meant an offer is coming because i received the form, and she said yes. She added that denver and san jose applicants will receive offers by the end of the week because of the later start date, and they wanted to square away alexandria applicants first

USA Jobs status updated to "hired" this morning.

Dec 15, 2017- Received email that I was tentatively selected. I faxed the OF306 form Dec 19, 2017- Received tentative offer letter with a stating date of Jan 22, 2018. Need to give fingerprint in between. Also will receive further instructions to fill up SF-85P sometimes in future.

Have any MEs heard anything from Alexandria yet?

AlexandriaME, I interviewed for GS-9 at Alexandria but still not a word and no update on USAjobs.

EE in SJ here - no emails, no updates in USA jobs. I guess we will not hear anything until next working day Dec27th or later. Anybody in the same situtation, or has any other information?

EE Alexandria, I’ve no email, no updates in USAJOBS. I guess they finished sending offers. I’ve other three friends who applied EE Alexandria, they didn’t receive email and no status change on usajobs. Whoever received offers EE Alexandria please let us know. The waiting is painful.

Received Email on Friday 12/15 to complete 306 from. i completed and send it on Friday itself and got email back from HR on Tuesday for confirmation of 306. got call from HR on 12/27 Wednesday with offer on the telephone and later i received tentative offer which indicates start date will be 22nd of January. The email said to send OFFICIAL transcript to HR Alexandria and also to have fingerprint. The firm will be send by another email . Has anyone else got the same requirement? Has any one sent the Official Transcript/Degrees to HR.? Has any One received Final offer so far?

Is that EE for Alexandria? Would you give more info about the Position and the office location. Thanks

Its Computer engineering Alexandria office

It appears that no EEs heard from the HR. San Jose applicants of all disciplines seem to have not received any results yet. My interviewer had mentioned that I would hear back in less that two months. I thought it was odd that it would take so long. I am a EE applicant in SJ. No results yet.

Don’t worry hope for the best.. I think San Jose EE may take some while

I was notified that I was selected for gs7, rejected as gs9. I have a BE in EE and a JD. Does anyone know how that works? I thought JDs start at GS9? I also have multiple years a of IP experience, including as a licensed patent attorney

Due to the holidays, HR has fallen quite behind for the Alexandria office. They are hoping to be done with offers by the end of this week. They've also had numerous technical problems with their fax and new evaluation system that they are using to review Supervisor's feedback after interview. If you do not hear by tomorrow, I recommend you call your HR contact person to find out about the status of the application. Since they are so behind, they are more willing to inform you of the status by phone. I have also been informed that for those who applied after October 23rd, the evaluation of the resumes will not begin until all of the applications/interviews for those who applied before October 23rd are addressed, which again will be by the end of this week. The training for those who applied after October 23rd will begin in March and "yes" there will be openings for those who applied after that date.

Anyone got official offer yet?

I have not gotten an official offer yet (ME, GS7, Denver).

No official or firm offer yet. Sent transcripts to Alexandria HR last week and was told by HR to expect the firm/official offer soon. GS9 ME Denver

Please update if any one gets official offer

Got rejection email EE Alexandria today, 12/28/17. Good luck everyone!

Got official offer today

Anonymous, congrats! It's for CE in Alexandria, VA, right?

Ya CE GS-09 Alexandria, VA

Any MEs interviewed on 30th November for VA office heard anything back yet? This wait is killing me.

Anonymous: Call your HR contact this morning. She should be able to tell you over the phone.

Any BMEs receive a final offer yet?

Anonymous-ME: Let us know if you hear something from HR. I'm also waiting for an official letter and a link to SF-85.

I got 2 emails from HR today saying they received my application for Alexandria from Dec 17 (EE), and will check my qualifications. I’m currently an EE working for the FAA. I’m not sure how a transfer would work, if they accept my application, and what the process would be.

Any San Jose applicants heard from HR yet?

received the final offer letter and the Day 1 Brochure this afternoon for Alexandria, VA.

have sent my official transcript and finger print today

Anon: did you send the transcript yourself or had your school send it directly?

I sent them directly

I am a EE applicant in San Jose. There was no email, no updates in USAJobs so far. I emailed the HR contact. They are able to give an update. I was not selected. So if you did not hear yet, don't wait, just email HR and you can find out the results.

Have any mechanical people heard from Alexandria?

I applied for ME in alexandria only. I wrote to HR two weeks ago this was the response. “You were not selected for (0012 or 0024) but you will be referred again for a second chance to be selected on (0012 ME). We’ll send you a notice once that happens”. Not sure what this means. USA jobs still shows application received.

fingerprints done at Alexandria HQ last week; received final offer few days ago; sent my transcript today; but still have not received a link to complete SF-85.

Fingerprints done, transcript sent and have completed SF-85P. Does anyone know what is the next step. I am planning for vacation for two weeks until 22nd January

Anon: when did you get your SF-85p email?

This week on Wednesday

I'm responding to Anonymous on January 4, 2018 that said "I applied for ME in alexandria only. I wrote to HR two weeks ago this was the response. “You were not selected for (0012 or 0024) but you will be referred again for a second chance to be selected on (0012 ME). We’ll send you a notice once that happens”. Not sure what this means. USA jobs still shows application received." Did you get the e-mail "Referred Not Selected"?

Got "Referred Not Selected" email for ME San Jose two weeks ago. USAjobs has not been updated. Any chance my app will be considered in the next round? Or will I have to apply?

Denver Hopeful, I still haven't gotten my official offer, I'm getting antsy and wondering if you're in the same boat?

Denver Hopeful, maybe you can contact HR? I already received the "referred not selected" emails.

Wrote on Jan 4 about not being selected- I did not get the email of referred not selected yet. So I am not sure what is happening. It was only a quick short email from HR about the status. My USA jobs status still shows received - ME Alexandria

Hey Jan 4 - Did you interview? It sounds nice that HR says you get a second chance. I only got the Referred Not Selected for the positions identified above emails. My USAjobs status says referred. I'm probably reading into/looking into things too much. Good luck.

Yes I interviewed on Nov 30. It’s very natural to be looking into things when we don’t have a clue of what is going on. Wish you good luck too and will post any update

Anon77, I called HR again today and was told all indications are that I'm good (my official offer email is apparently in the system and dated 2Jan, so they aren't sure why it hasn't actually been sent to me yet). Was told if its not in my inbox by COB tomorrow, to call back again. I need it for a mortgage as I'm headed out house hunting this weekend. Need to tell my current employer by the end of this week as well, so hopefully it shows up soon.

For Alexandria ME GS7, I didn't get accepted the first round, but I received an email saying I was referred again for a second round according to the HR contact. This was my first time hearing back from my interview back in November. My HR contact said I should hear back around Feb 5th or 6th with the final decision. I also had applied for Denver ME GS7, and was "referred not selected", back on Dec 15th.

This is Jan 4:)- I got an email from HR today saying I am referred to selecting official for GS7 and 9 for ME 0012 in Alexandria. Not sure if this is the second chance they mentioned before. Not sure if this means another new interview with a supervisor. Alexandria ME GS7 - did the HR mention you would be interviewed again?

I was selected for GS-7 in Alexandria but I also got a referred email for GS-9. HR will prob. use your previous interviews (if within last 6mo? or 1 year?) to make their decisions.

When did you get the selected email? I interviewed on Nov 30 - hope they can use the same

I interviewed around the same time as you and received the selected email on 2nd week of December. (~ 2 weeks after my interview)

Yeah this is the second chance they were talking about. If you already did the interview back in November, you do not have to do another interview. The only thing to do now is wait for the final decision :(

My timeline for Denver ME was: Applied for October 23rd deadline (Referred October 15th) Invited to interview November 20th Interviewed November 28th Selected email December 16th Tentative Offer December 19th Official Letter January 9th

Thank you very much for your insight and the time line greatly helps. Yes the wait again is tough. I understand the first cohort starts on Jan 22. Does any one have any idea when the next cohort would be?

Also- ( Jan 4 again) I just got off the phone trying to call HR, and the contact said that I will not be interviewed again. The selecting officials will have until Feb 5 to make their selections and the start date for next cohort is March 19. So I will have to wait until Feb 5 to see if some one picks me up at least the second time :)

Anon 77, Glad to see you got your official this morning as well. See you at orientation on the 20th!

Would anyone have info on how many days between the date of receiving the Referred email and date of the interview invite email? I talked with HR, who said that not everyone who is Referred gets invited for an interview. She also let me know that federal transfer don't make any difference for this position, everyone goes through the same selection process. I submitted my application by Dec. 17 and received the Referred email this morning. No invite for interview yet.

For me it was 4 days between getting the referred email and interview invite

Thank you!

For those receiving the Referred to Selecting Official email a second time, I'm confused as I don't see any job openings on usajobs.gov. I interviewed in November, I got Referred NOT Selected in December... Is there a possibility that I could get selected later without re-doing the entire application process?

In my opinion, the first cut off date was oct 23 and applications submitted until then were tackled until now for Jan 22 batch. The ultimate deadline was dec 17. So the applications submitted in oct 23- dec 17 period are now being tackled for March 19 batch. This is just my understanding.

...So it’s for the same job opening

So receiving the Referred NOT Selected in Dec basically means I won’t be considered in the next round

I thought everyone who was not selected from Oct 23 is automatically still in the referred list for Dec 17. I would think that only after all the spots for Dec 17 is filled that the "Not Selected" would be really final.

That reasoning makes sense and hope that is the case. And we are still being considered for the next round.

Well, it switched to NOT Hired. Maybe next time.

I'm sorry Anon456, I'll apply again next time too if I don't get it this time. Does anyone know of any first-time applicants who never got interviewed but got hired? I thought I saw a comment from the person who got hired without an interview either from glassdoor or somewhere on the internet...perhaps this only happens a long time ago.

Someone above mentioned that they contacted human resource, how did you get their phone number? Because I contacted the person who interviewed me but he didn’t answer the phone and he didn’t reply to my email.

The HR contact is listed in the job announcement near the bottom. The HR person for the Alexandria Dec 17 posting is Sonja Harris, whom I called.

I wonder if this potential govt shut down will affect the new hires starting in January 22nd.

I believe the USPTO is self-funded for operations, so it's not dependent on gov shutdown. And if they posted positions on USAjobs, it means they already have the money to hire. They wouldn't have posted if it's not a sure thing, like if they're under hiring freeze or not having the budget to hiring.

Anybody got selected for the March 19 cohort from the oct 23- dec 17 applicants?

I got the “Not Hired” status on usajobs just today.

Was it Mechanical that you received the not hired for?

Was it for mechanical, Alexandria location?

It was for Electrical Engineering (Alexandria).

Not selected for Mechanical Alexandria

I got hired/selected for EE, Alexandria location. I received a tentative offer which is contingent upon the OF 306 form and official transcripts.

Did you get hired at GS-7 or 9 for EE, alexandria ? Which art unit was it for ? Thanks.

Have any MEs for Alexandria heard anything (selected or not selected) for the second round?

Last week, HR said I am was not selected even for the second round for ME alexandria. But nothing updated yet on USA jobs

Did you call them or did they send you an email? And thanks. Sorry to hear you weren't selected.

I called them. Yes it’s frustrating not to be considered in second round too.

Just got status update of 'referred not selected' in email and on USAJobs.

Did anyone interview for the EE Patent Examiner positions in Dallas recently?