May/June Graduation

[fish_]

Kaelinth,

what SF are you with? did you work for them last summer?

[Kaelinth]

Public Health Command, and yes, I did intern with them last year.

[fish_]

@Kaelinth

they contacted my daughter recently to tell her that they may not be able to bring her on board after all. but then said that if they could hire her, they would like her to start work two weeks earlier than planned because they were short-handed. :/
i think somebody at OPM needs to make a decision because each of the services aren't sure what to do.

[Kaelinth]

Ugh, bummer.

And I agree, someone needs to come out to say something, because the uncertainty is not good. My husband and I are planning a move because of this, and at this point, we can't stop, because of his job situation. So we may be moving across the country for no reason.

[Guest071]

@Kaelinth

I am at Warner Robins AFB in GA. While the bill that created SMART gives them hiring authority, I'm not sure what the circumstances (any installation-wide standing orders and the like) are as to whether or not they can use that hiring authority at other SF's.

[fish_]

@Kaelinth

look at the bottom of page 2 of this Army policy for the hiring freeze
http://cpol.army.mil/library/general/20 ... idance.pdf

"13. Scholarship Program Graduates. DoD and Army have various scholarship
programs that lead to the employment of graduates who have incurred a service
agreement. Examples of these scholarship programs are National Security Education
Program (NSEP) and Information Assurance Scholarship Program (IASP). To the
extent that a mission critical need and funding exists, candidates who are graduates of
a scholarship program may be hired without an exception."

looks like a small chance for you if there is a critical need, and if there is funding.

[Kaelinth]

@Kaelinth

look at the bottom of page 2 of this Army policy for the hiring freeze
http://cpol.army.mil/library/general/20 ... idance.pdf

"13. Scholarship Program Graduates. DoD and Army have various scholarship
programs that lead to the employment of graduates who have incurred a service
agreement. Examples of these scholarship programs are National Security Education
Program (NSEP) and Information Assurance Scholarship Program (IASP). To the
extent that a mission critical need and funding exists, candidates who are graduates of
a scholarship program may be hired without an exception."

looks like a small chance for you if there is a critical need, and if there is funding.

Small but hopeful, thank you!

[madashell]

Has been given a job offer ? May is getting close and I have not heard anything from my SF.

They still do not know what is going to happen.

Let us know if anyone gets a job offer please.

[Nunya]

So, though a conversation with our SF SMART poc about other things it came up that they are definitely able to hire current awardees under a special authorization from up on high. If you are still getting the shoulder shrug from your SF make sure you're talking to the actual SMART contact. Not your mentor, not your supervisor, not even some generic person in HR. There is a specific person that handles the SMART details within HR, and that is who you need to be talking to. FYI this might fall under the "student program" specialist.

[Guest]

So, though a conversation with our SF SMART poc about other things it came up that they are definitely able to hire current awardees under a special authorization from up on high. If you are still getting the shoulder shrug from your SF make sure you're talking to the actual SMART contact. Not your mentor, not your supervisor, not even some generic person in HR. There is a specific person that handles the SMART details within HR, and that is who you need to be talking to. FYI this might fall under the "student program" specialist.

My facility had a student program HR specialist, but she gave me the shoulder shrug like you wouldn't believe when it came time to hire me. She also shoulder shrugged some students in other DoD programs, too.

Probably why you can no longer find my SF on the available SFs list....

[fish_]

NSWC Dahlgren sent job offer letter last week, so they are bringing SMART participants on board.

[Kaelinth]

NSWC Dahlgren sent job offer letter last week, so they are bringing SMART participants on board.

This is awesome to hear! Hopefully I'll be hearing something soon from my SF. Did anything special have to get done?

[fish_]

@ Kaelinth,

we didn't do anything special, the SF just sent the offer

[Guest]

Section 16 of the handbook states an offer letter is required within 2 weeks of graduation. For those still waiting, I'm curious about the implications of missing this deadline, if it is beyond our control. Could this be considered a breach of contract and grounds for withdrawal from the program?

[Guest]

Section 16 of the handbook states an offer letter is required within 2 weeks of graduation. For those still waiting, I'm curious about the implications of missing this deadline, if it is beyond our control. Could this be considered a breach of contract and grounds for withdrawal from the program?

I wish. However, considering that what we signed isn't a contract, but a one-sided agreement, I doubt it. I am talking to my school lawyer tomorrow to see if I can at least pressure them into either hiring or releasing me by 2 weeks before graduation. I'll post my results.

[Guest]

I wish. However, considering that what we signed isn't a contract, but a one-sided agreement, I doubt it. I am talking to my school lawyer tomorrow to see if I can at least pressure them into either hiring or releasing me by 2 weeks before graduation. I'll post my results.

FYI - they plan on paying you the stipend 30 days after graduation. After that, I believe policy is to stop stipend payments (you should verify).

So, putting an arbitrary 2-week timeframe seems pretty baseless, and I'm guessing your school lawyer will agree.

Now, after 30 days when they presumably cut you off, you may have a case for why you are no longer beholden to the original agreement.

[Guest222]

Section 16 of the handbook states an offer letter is required within 2 weeks of graduation. For those still waiting, I'm curious about the implications of missing this deadline, if it is beyond our control. Could this be considered a breach of contract and grounds for withdrawal from the program?

To my understanding, missing the 2 weeks 'deadline' is not a breach of contract. It's not really even a deadline, so much a motivational tool to make sure you're on top of things and disincentivize you backpacking through Europe for 3 months following graduation. Do you really think they're in the business of shelling out $100k+, and letting you out of your service commitment on a technicality? That said, I'm still waiting on my offer as well, and getting a bit nervous.

I spoke with my CA about the '2 weeks prior to graduation' bit, and this was her reply (reworded):

"SF's might take longer than expected to work through the hiring process, and SMART understands this. Submission of an offer letter two weeks prior to graduation is a general rule in the handbook, but there is no official deadline. Continue communication with your SF, and when your firm job offer letter is received, please forward it to me."

The most important thing I've been able to do to expedite the process thus far is putting my SF's HR rep in contact with the service liaison and my SF POC (who is on the opposite coast from my SF). You would expect that these folks would already be in contact, but if you're your SF's first SMART Scholar, you might need to help them through the process.

[concerned_SMART]

Does anyone know if when SMART finds out an alternative job has been accepted, if they stop your payments/tuition as soon as this is found out?

[Guest]

In my experience, I took a job that started 45 days after my graduation. I notified SMART 3 days after my start date (48 days after graduation). I received my stipend the week before my start date (30 days after graduation) but not the stipend 3 weeks after my start date (60 days after graduation). SMART had not yet found me a job at that time. I asked why the stipend stopped: was it due to me having another job or some other reason. I was told SMART policy is to stop the stipend 30 days after graduation date. I was released from SMART about 6 months after I had started my new job.


I don't know if that was a convenient excuse for not paying me while I was working somewhere else, or if they would really leave SMART scholars out to dry like that. I can only imagine being a SMART student who has not yet been hired by his/her SF, yet passes 30 days after graduation with no job prospects.

[concerned_SMART]

Just wanted to update everyone,

SMART recently accepted my withdrawal form. I could not wait until after graduation to apply for an offer from the SF so I withdrew from the program. I will keep everyone up to date if I hear anything further from the program on any front.

[upsetSMART]

Just wanted to update everyone,

SMART recently accepted my withdrawal form. I could not wait until after graduation to apply for an offer from the SF so I withdrew from the program. I will keep everyone up to date if I hear anything further from the program on any front.

Any word on them sending you a bill yet? Thanks for your update.

[concerned_SMART]

Just wanted to update everyone,

SMART recently accepted my withdrawal form. I could not wait until after graduation to apply for an offer from the SF so I withdrew from the program. I will keep everyone up to date if I hear anything further from the program on any front.

Any word on them sending you a bill yet? Thanks for your update.

No, they only just accepted the withdrawal within the last couple of weeks. I'm not sure exactly the term limits on something like this, but if anything changes I will be sure to post it so others can learn from the process.

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

I thought I would start a thread dedicated to anyone who is graduating in the May/June time frame and their saga associated with getting hired during these harsh times. I have been told by my SF that the hiring freeze is fully in place and that with furloughs being discussed, there isn't any word on whether they will be able to provide me an offer when I graduate. I told them that I was moving forward with applying to other jobs and he mentioned that as a good thing to continue doing.

I have emailed the SMART office on several occasions asking about the timeline for being released (if it comes to that) or how long I actually have to wait for an offer to be provided from the SF. Just like most people's experience with the SMART office, I have received no responses to any of my emails. (only one response and that was telling me to direct my question to another email address that did not respond)

I am frankly floored at how little communication is being provided to us about the payment delay, as well as the cuts and hiring freeze. Best of luck to everyone and I look forward to hearing everyone's experience with this and posting mine as things move forward.

Sorry this question comes so late, but would you mind sharing who it was you were directed to contact that never responded? I assume it was something other than smart@asee.org and smart@nps.edu. Was it a particular person? If so, in what function is the person supposed serving?

[concerned_SMART]

Just wanted to update everyone that I did receive another letter about my withdrawal.

"Instructions for refunding to the United States an appropriate amount as determined by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Section 2192a, Title 10) will be provided to you at a later date."

Anyone that withdrew from the program receive this as well?

[Agent99]

I've been circulating my resume since graduation. This is week 6 after graduation for me with no offer letter but SF's HR has been in touch "offering" a lower grade/pay position while I'm getting better hit. SF wants me to onboard July 1 (with furloughs starting July 8) with no relo or travel pay. If I accept SF's raw deal in the interim, is it problematic to bail when something better solidifies?