I worked at  the Office of Fellowships, SI for two years.  I was a federal 
employee.  You must fill out an sf-171 form for all federally funded SI 
jobs.  The office of human resources does initiall y screen jobs, but they 
do send the ones they pick out of the pool to the proper dept.  This is a 
huge impersonal machine.  Make some initial contacts within the dept you 
want to work in.  Most people there are kind and helpful.  Good luck!

>From: Patricia McDougall <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: help with smithsonian applications
>Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2005 16:25:10 -0500
>
>Also, HR does not do the primary screening of applications, that is 
>contracted out.  The first two people to read your application doesn't have 
>any experience in the job that you are applying for.  Just write your 
>application (do not send a resume) as if you were trying to convince a 
>monkey that you are qualified for the job.
>
>Unless your application gets all the way to the selecting official(the 
>person who will be the supervisor for the job), there is very little chance 
>that you will hear from SI.
>
>Trish
>current SI employee
>
>
>>Dear Cecelia,
>>
>>A couple of years ago I talked to a contact in the Smithsonian about 
>>applying for jobs after years of my own frustration trying to get a job 
>>there. Numerous times, here in the DC area, I have heard SI referred to as 
>>the Black Hole in to which applications disappear because acknowledgement 
>>of their receipt is rarely made.
>>
>>The important points she made were:  First of all, primary screening of 
>>the application is made not by the department within SI seeking 
>>applicants, but by the front office of all powerful bureaucrats who will 
>>disqualify the application for any inadequacy they interpret in the 
>>application.  She related how often she has had to argue for a particular 
>>applicant with HR over too strict interpretations of the job announcement 
>>requirements.  But the good thing here is that if the particular dept 
>>knows you are applying, they apparently will fight for you if they really 
>>want you.  That means, somehow, making contact with the dept and letting 
>>them know who you are and that you are applying.
>>
>>Secondly, she underlined the necessity to stay on point when answering the 
>>questions under Selective Factors.  Address the mandatory requirements 
>>clearly and directly and do not wonder off into tangential discussions.  
>>I’m guessing that HR does not have the special subject background that 
>>each hiring dept in SI would, and also they probably have to deal with 
>>many hundreds of applications, so they most likely employ a cold and quick 
>>approach in eliminating those who seem not to be right on target in their 
>>applications.
>>
>>I wonder what kinds of experiences others have had with SI.
>>
>>Rich Vidutis
>>============================================================
>>From: Cecelia Ottenweller <[log in to unmask]>
>>Date: 2005/01/14 Fri PM 05:04:18 EST
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: help with smithsonian applications
>>
>>Hello All,
>>
>>I'm interested in applying for a few positions within the Smithsonian and 
>>am concerned that I will
>>botch the job because of not knowing the proper protocal for presenting my 
>>resume. Is there anyone
>>out there who could help me with this?
>>
>>Thank you,
>>
>>Cecelia Ottenweller
>>
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