.
Types of Appointments

In most cases you are selected for a position with the Federal Government through several types of appointments: career-conditional, career, time-limited (temporary or term), or excepted. Most new employees are given career-conditional appointments. The type of appointment you hold determines your eligibility for reinstatement into the federal service if you should decide to leave.

Career-Conditional Appointments: A career-conditional appointment is a permanent appointment that leads to career tenure after completion of 3 years of continuous service.

Career-conditional employees are eligible for promotions and within-grade increases (WGIs) and benefits. Under a career-conditional appointment, you must complete a 1-year probationary period. Generally, career-conditional employees may not be promoted, reassigned, or transferred until 3 months after their initial appointment.

Employees who do not have veterans' preference or who did not complete 3 years of continuous service, and who leave their government jobs while under career-conditional appointments have reinstatement eligibility for 3 years from their date of separation. Therefore, without competing with other candidates, they may be reemployed to a position for which they qualify, at the same grade, or with no more promotional potential up to that of a position the employee previously held on a permanent basis under a career-conditional appointment, even though the employee never reached the full performance level of the career ladder. Employees who have veterans' preference and serve any period of time under their career-conditional appointment have reinstatement eligibility for life.

Career Appointments: Employees who have completed 3 years without a break in service under career-conditional appointments acquire career tenure and are converted to career appointments. If they leave the federal service as career employees, they have reinstatement eligibility for life.

Temporary Appointments: Temporary appointments are used to fill short-term employment needs of an organization. Temporary appointments are made for periods not to exceed 1 year but may be extended for one additional year. Temporary appointments may be terminated at any time upon written notice. General Service (GS) temporary employees are not eligible for promotions or within-grade increases. Wage Grade (WG) temporary employees are eligible for within-grade increases. Service under a temporary appointment does not confer eligibility for reinstatement.

Term Appointments: Term appointments are normally used to fill temporary employment needs for a project. Term appointments are made for a period of more than 1 year and may be extended up to 4 years. The appointment may be terminated at any time upon written notice.

Term employees are not eligible for promotions but are eligible for within-grade increases, retirement coverage, and health and life insurance. Service under a term appointment does not confer eligibility for reinstatement.

Excepted Appointments: Excepted appointments are used to fill positions that are exempt by law from the competitive system. Examples of employees under excepted appointments are Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP), Student Career Experience Program (SCEP), people with disabilities, and positions filled by veterans under the Veterans Readjustment Authority (VRA). Excepted appointments can be either permanent or temporary. Excepted employees under permanent appointments must complete a 1-year trial period.

Probationary Period   [Top of Page]

Upon your initial appointment you may be required to serve a probationary or trial period during your first year of service. This period lets you demonstrate successful job performance. During this period your supervisor can assess your conduct and performance.

An employee who does not meet acceptable standards of conduct and performance may be removed during the probationary/trial period. If you are separated during the probationary period for unsatisfactory conduct or performance, you do not have the right to appeal the decision. But if you believe the separation action is discriminatory, you have the right to file a discrimination complaint through the EEO Complaint Processing System.

Merit Promotion Program   [Top of Page]

When a vacancy occurs within BLM, the selecting official may fill the position through the Merit Promotion Program or other means within Office of Personnel Management and BLM regulations. Under the Merit Promotion Program, vacancy announcements are published and you as an interested employee may submit an application. Vacancy announcements give the job title, series, and grade; describe the duties; outline the qualification requirements; state other knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are required for the job; and give application procedures. Candidates who have been found to be "basically qualified" by a human resource specialist may then be evaluated by one or more subject matter experts (SME) who have knowledge and experience in that field. For example, SMEs evaluating an accountant position would include people with accounting and finance backgrounds. Candidates who are determined to be the best qualified are then referred to the selecting official for consideration. Selections for jobs are determined by merit without any discrimination such as race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or non-disqualifying handicap.

Qualification requirements for federal positions are described in the OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions are available at www.opm.gov.