Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Starless127]

Spoke with an SPE today, and "corps-wide" they're looking at a potential hiring freeze/slow-down.  This person said that they'll have a better idea of their employment plan by next week.

Anyone else get similar information?

[JD]

Can RIF's be far behind?

LOL

[mk1023]

Can RIF's be far behind?

LOL

I'd imagine overtime would be cut before any layoffs.

[JD]

I can dream, can't I?

[lhfan]

I heard that applications fell by 20% in Jan. and because they were expecting some growth, they need to cut back on new hires by a few hundred from 1200.

[horsechute]

The hiring freeze in 1990 lasted several years, but rumour had it that they were still actually hiring people for some of the hard to fill slots, like computer engineering. My feeling is that they will institute a freeze that will last a long time, as well as cut the law school tuition reimbursement program. If someone is a newly minted EE, they should be able to find a job both inside and outside the PTO; but if not, if I were in their shoes and I wanted to work for the PTO I would go ahead and apply, but obviously apply for other jobs as well. At worst, I would make the most of my time and apply to law school and consider just funding it with loans until a job came along (living off loans is obviously easier to do if you are young and single). The only catch is that I am sure other people have thought of that, as they always do in recessions, and competition for slots in law school will probably be much higher next year, so scoring high on the LSAT will be critical. But doing well on that test is nearly always possible simply by studying hard.

[chroniclychrissy]

I had an interview scheduled for March, I just called they said don't bother coming into town, we'll just do a phone interview.  I don't know if that means it will be harder to get in, or what.

[lazytortoise]

I had an interview scheduled for March, I just called they said don't bother coming into town, we'll just do a phone interview.  I don't know if that means it will be harder to get in, or what.

Was your interview for March 10th? Were you scheduled to be interviewed on-site? What is your background (if I may ask)- as in EE/Chemical etc?

Thanks.

[chroniclychrissy]

Sure, my background is materials engineering.

[cpastor7]

Yes there will most likely be a hiring slowdown, probably not a full blown freeze though. Also, law school tuition reimbursement will be cut as well as the cutting of overtime hours examiners will be able to work.

Spoke with an SPE today, and "corps-wide" they're looking at a potential hiring freeze/slow-down.  This person said that they'll have a better idea of their employment plan by next week.

Anyone else get similar information?

[lazytortoise]

Yes there will most likely be a hiring slowdown, probably not a full blown freeze though. Also, law school tuition reimbursement will be cut as well as the cutting of overtime hours examiners will be able to work.

Spoke with an SPE today, and "corps-wide" they're looking at a potential hiring freeze/slow-down.  This person said that they'll have a better idea of their employment plan by next week.

Anyone else get similar information?

Hmm, I think it may be more than a slowdown. I see on the USPTO website now doesn't list the 3 remaining career fairs that I had noticed last week (Feb 24, March 10 and one more after that). Cancelled or maybe they have enough candidates registered.

Chrissy,
Who did you call? Do you have number? I would be interested to know before I spend my miles traveling there...

Thanks.

[Isaac]

Why would there be a hiring slowdown ? Why would OT and law school be cut? A shortage of money ? I don't think money is a problem for the federal goverment.

The funding situation for the PTO differs from that of most other government agencies.   The PTO is funded using user fees.  Sometimes those fees are siphoned off and used for other government purposes.   If the user fees go down, or if Congress grabs off some of the money coming into the PTO, the PTO may have to scale back some operations.

[horsechute]

It would still be ashame if they cut overtime in some of the areas that have 4 or 5 year backlogs, like some of the communication arts. Better yet, why not have the do-barely-anything SPE's start examining some cases? I don't see how taking their feet of their desk to do a case or two a week would cause them any serious, permanent harm.

[JD]

"You might be equating the PTO to a private employer who needs to scale back in recessionary times. Not so for the federal goverment"

Please post again and tell all of us that you are not really as clueless as your previous post indicates.

Please.

[JD]

"Better yet, why not have the do-barely-anything SPE's start examining some cases?"

There are squadrons, divisions, brigades, even legions, of knownothingdonothinguselessdeadweightGS-15's at the PTO that should all be sent back to examining.

Imagine the impact on the backlog if everybody drawing a GS-15 salary had to do some GS-15 production.

You're way too kind describing them as "do-barely-anything."