Uncle Sam Does Not Want You!
31 Comments Published February 26th, 2009 in Ridiculing Stupidity, Web PagesI've been looking through a wide variety of government jobs via USA Jobs, and I am noticing trends. Most of the posts are to generate pools for positions that may or may not open. These pools are typically listed for every location on the planet, so, even if you're lucky and a position opens, it might be for Minot AFB or some other "less than desirable" location. Another major problem (that seems most common with the Navy job dump) is that the descriptions are generic and the requirements are too. I had to do a bit of research just to find out what some of these jobs are really about because I'd rather not apply based on an inaccurate impression (which was good for me, since one of the education-related jobs I was looking at was for working with young children, and that definitely isn't for me). I found one that sounded particularly interesting, so I thought I would give it a try. "INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH / OPERATIONS SPECIALIST," sounds cool, right?
Unfortunately, it's a Navy job that you can't apply for directly through the USA Jobs site, so I went to the Navy site to create an account there and apply. I submit my details to create an account and...
Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server error '80040e31'
Timeout expired
/includes/clsAccount.asp, line 871
Awesome. I waited a while and got the same thing. I waited even longer and eventually successfully made an account. Next step: actually applying. I put in the job number and click the result. Then I come to a screen with two chunks of checkboxes. The first is titled "IA0132" and has choices for "02" and "03." The second makes more sense and is a ten-mile-long listing of potential job locations. So I find some that don't start with "IRAQ" and click them. I go back up to the cryptic "IA0132" and determine that the two boxes are referring to pay grade, so I select both. I click submit.
Please select a pay grade.
It's a JavaScript notification. I disable JavaScript and click submit. Nothing. Great, it's a submit button that uses JavaScript (for those who don't know what that means, just groan and say, "Man, who the hell did that?"). I check the source and see a simple chunk of code for the submit button. Basically, I believe the JS is written for either Internet Explorer or an imaginary browser. It looks like this:
-
if (document.forms("frmPG").item("chkPyGrd" + d).checked == true)
I believe it should be this (though it's been a while and is rather late, so I might make mistakes too!):
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if (document.forms["frmPg"].elements["chkPyGrd" + d].checked == true)
No worries though, right? I mean, they threw it in a try... catch statement, so that any errors would be caught and properly handled. Check out how the errors are dealt with:
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catch(e)
-
{
-
}
Yeah, the errors are ignored. And this particular error means the form can't be submitted (at least, not in Firefox). No problem, I'll just manually trigger the script that should be run on success and... it's undefined, yay.
At this point, I am frustrated, so I get a bowl of ice cream to reinforce my determination. I added a standard submit button. Success! Except that I was logged out at this point due to inactivity. Well, that's what I assume happened. There was no warning, no notice; I just found myself on the login screen instead of the next page of the application. I log back in, fill that page out again, add a proper submit button, and submit. Oh, I don't have a resume on file, so I can't start a job application. Why didn't they tell me that before I filled out that page? If I can't fill out a job application without a resume completed, why let me start an application? It makes no sense!
Not quite at the point of committing seppuku, I start working on a resume. Don't worry, I won't go into detail about all the problems I encountered there. I have to end this blog post while my keyboard still works. I will mention one interesting thing... one of the three required fields for the employment section is the end date. What do you do if you are still working there? Leave it blank according to the directions, but it's a required field. You can't write "present" or anything like that, because it has to be a date in a specific format (I think their server sends some robot assassins at you if you use hyphens instead of slashes).
After all this, I decide I need to get to bed before I start showing signs of my irritation in the way I am filling things out. I decide to just leave the employment section blank, so I click Save and Exit.
No Information provided. If you want to continue working on your resume without completing this section at this time, then click the Skip Step 4 link to skip this section.
But I don't want to continue working on my resume. I clicked the exit button for a reason!.
And what was at the end of the journey when I clicked "skip step" a few times? A bad URL with 294 commas in it. Sadly, I am not kidding.
Ian,
The young lady who waited on me at lunch Monday said that her birthday was the next day. I said, where were you born. Minot, North Dakota. Military family. But she claims Oregon as home.
All this application process sounds about right, that is, wrong but the way things usually are.
My friend wanted to put in an application to the National Endowment for the Arts. Of course they wanted all sorts of IDs and luckily he had them but there was a place where the computer just didn’t want to go any further. He got on the telephone and talked with someone in Washington where they were both looking at the same screen — or at least they were supposed to be looking at the same screen.
After weeks I believe his application finally got through. But just an ordinary citizen without a specialist in submitting grants has little chance of even being considered.
I enjoyed reading this post.
Robert
Wow! See, if this was a private company they would probably not be able to afford to have a job application site broken that badly.
Maybe this is a test to find only the most stubborn and persistent candidates who won’t be deterred by a barrage of bugs, errors, and a horrible interface design.
I found this blog by actually typing in “IA0132.” A week plus after your post it appears the issue is still unresolved. I called up their hotline and apparently they are aware of issues with the website. What the hell kind of operation are they running?! It takes them that long to fix an IT problem? We’re not asking them to evacuate from Iraq!
@Robert: Oregon is a nice place, much better than Minot!
@Luke: Yeah, that’s one problem with government: no motivation to do things right. Companies worry about the bottom line (or follow the trends and beg the government for money), but the government has an entirely different way of operating (or not operating).
@Isamov: Wow, it’s pretty bad that they still haven’t fixed the problem. I’m glad you called them and that they’re aware though; maybe they will get around to fixing it one of these days….
I found this blog by typing in “IA0132″ as well.
I was trying to fill in the same thing but the issue is still there and it wasn’t until I hit the “submit” button that I came across the error and remembered it was the same one I had received last June when I was searching for jobs. Frankly, I don’t think this issue is one that is going to be fixed anytime soon.
Haha, yep. I’ve been trying to get through with that damn application, and put “please select a pay grade” in google, and here I am. Glad to know it wasn’t just me. (it’s still down).
Sent it through the snail mail but I fear that my application will be lost amongst the paperwork.
Ugh, I’m having the same problem, except my paygrades are different categories (GS, DG, DT). Should I just re-attempt in IE? I literally entered: Navy “Please select a pay grade” into Google and out comes this blog. Halp.
I figured that I’d tell my fellow suffering job applicants the solution. More specifically, the work around.
I had the multiple ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, URL error appear and the issue with the IA0132 selection.
If you’re using Firefox, like I do, you get the errors. Pull up Internet Explorer (as of 5/13/2009) and both of these problems will vanish. Perhaps we are too used to the tech sites that make their websites for IE and Firefox, but Uncle Sam apparently only checks for IE compatibility. Whenever I’ve hit a website snag in a federal job application, using IE seems to make things work.
Best of luck with future applications!
Thanks Charlotte, I’ll do that! …and yes, I found this via a search too. Thought I’d check online before risking the need to start completely over in IE.
Haha, I got here by entering “please select a pay grade” into google also. I guess I’ll quit for now until I get on my windows pc to use IE.
Wow, like the rest, I searched for IA0132 and found this blog, hilarious, I’ve had most all the same experience (without any of the code). FWIW I wrote to gripe and did get a well-written reply instructing me to use Internet Explorer only. May give that a try. Although from some of the other content, I’m not sure it’s worth the effort! I’m living in Scotland and figured a US-citizen only job might be a cool thing, maybe in Germany? Wish me luck.
Cheers.
HAHAHAHAHA I did the same thing!!! So frustrating!!! This is why no one wants to– scratch that– CAN work for the government. Apparently they don’t want us… *tear*.
P.S. Seth, when I use IE, it doesn’t even allow me to access the DON website… Firefox is the only browser that does. FML.
I too got here Googling “IA0132″. Frustrating? To say the LEAST! Using either Fire Fox (my preferred) or IE I, on going to the home page, recieve the warning, “There is a problem with this website’s security certificate.” Then using Fire Fox I get the same results noted by others. Then when switching to IE 8, I get past the check boxes but recieve an “Page Error” when I attempt to “go to my resume”. I can’t get past it and using Fire Fox I can’t get to it. Further, using Fire Fox, I could view my profile and update most of my resume but once I chose to “Update Additional Data”, it errors out on me – and I had to switch to IE (again).
So, should I use an older version of IE???????
Guys, all you have to do it us windows explorers. that should fix the problem
Cheers!
To solve this problem, start at the login page https://chart.donhr.navy.mil/
* Lookup job ID, and click “Apply for Job”, it will complain that you have not filled out resume, this is OK!
* Go To “Build My Resume” and fill out ALL the fields.
* Then Click “Submit My Resume”
Ta-Da! You now have a fully submitted application for job you were applying for.
Regards,
Robert I. (Not associated with any other Bob or Rob or Robert Above, guess “Roberts” just like apply for Navy jobs
Oops! Forgot to mention, do all above steps in IE 8
I thought i was going crazy! Thanks so much for sharing your pain!
Apparently this is where you end up if you don’t know what IA0132 is. I had all the same problems. I don’t have all the same computer skills so after trying Safari, Firefox, Omni Web and Camino, I finally tracked down an old version of IE for OSX. What a pain.
I still don’t know what IA0132 is, and neither does my wife, who is in the Navy!
So it has been nearly 11 months, and it still has the same problem. Simply amazing.
i was using firefox in linux, and i cam across this site, i switched to ie in windows and i still have the same problem. i think im just going to send the application in the mail.
I had the same problem.
Didn’t work in Firefox OR Safari.
Worked perfectly in Internet Explorer
Pretty sure the IA is just short for Intel Analyst and 0132 is the Intel designator. Other Federal jobs just use GS-0132-XX with XX being the pay grade but the Navy probably made it IA because they are weird like that with the whole rates and ratings thing.
It’s 23 March 2010 and it STILL won’t work with Firefox (at least for me).
Ugh.
Wow, I’m glad i googled IA0132 and found this site before I tried to apply for the same position… Well, thanks for saving me the hassle.
For Mac users: You can download Internet Explorer 5.2 and the website will work perfectly…just click yes when it asks you about security and what not when you visit the Navy site..
LOL. I found you after googling “keeps saying please select a pay grade”. Although mine is for “DON1320-HQ” so its not just for your department either.
My gast is flabbered. I JUST WANT TO BE A CHEMIST! C’MON!
I have been getting the error for me to “Please select a pay grade” for years using Firefox. It just doesn’t work, so I have to find another computer that has IE installed when I want to apply at the Navy website. It really is a pain, and I don’t understand why they won’t fix this. There has to be a very good reason for this.
Yep, still the same problems. And as an added bonus, the feedback form is screwed up too. I had to send in my complaints in small 1-2 sentence chunks to avoid a server error:
Server Error in ‘/’ Application.
String or binary data would be truncated.
The statement has been terminated.
now to find a printer…
Wow, this is incredible. Problem is still persistent with the 294 commas thats where I am stuck. It corresponds to the location array which includes all the locations you can apply for. I emailed them and they told me to use IE. Really? I am an IT coordinator, I have tried this site on four different computers, three different network, and five different browsers – two versions of IE. no luck with the commas which is section 7, final page of the resume.
It’s been years since this original post and it seems the problems still persist. I tried to submit it in Firefox, IE, and Chrome. I think this is all a test to see how much you really want the job.