I am a sad puppy because my AskMe has already floated beyond the fold with only two answers. Does anybody here have success stories about getting a job in the Federal govt. after VISTA or Peace Corps? How about interdepartmental promotions, how do those work? My situation might also be similar to getting out of the military, but minus the veteran's bonus points.

Thanks!

"do I have a little more leverage with the NCE status to send my resume and cover letter directly to the hiring manager and bypass all the keyword fiddling altogether?"

There's no law against it. I can't answer your question directly because when I got my job with the Feds, my future boss and his boss came to my college specifically to recruit me and one other guy. So, if they can come to you, no reason why you can't go to them. Get your foot in the door now because as soon as the Feds start hiring again, it is going to be one massive cattle call with a stampede in response.

At the Library of Congress, where I work, there's really not much you can do besides submit an application through their online utility. There was a big discrimination case a few years ago, and that was one of the results. It's highly regulated now. There's no opportunity to discuss the position with the hiring manager, even for internal applicants; even if I, like, pass her in the hall, we're not supposed to discuss it, and the interviews are highly structured. It's a mess, really.