Application

I applied online. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at US Forest Service (Boise, ID) in March 2009.

Interview

If you can jump through the Avue hoops to make the cert and then get offered an interview, good for you. The interview process is extremely subjective depending on who is allowed to interview you. I found out after I had the job that the person who interviewed me did not have any management experience and their HR experience was dated. The process is designed to stop you from speaking to anyone who is helpful so work your contacts and don't be afraid to call the listed poc's if you have questions prior to the interview. If you are able to find someone who is willing to be helpful make sure you're prepared so you don't waste their time and get the most bang for your buck off of one phone call. The hiring process can take an extremely long time, anywhere from 3 to 6 months, and it's highly bureaucratic. The process is entirely electronic until you get to an interview. My interview was about 20 minutes and seemed to be not well thought out which made it easy. Again, it depends on who is interviewing you.