USAJobs is not an actual job site. I have known a lot of people, including myself who have applied to dozens of jobs, even applying to jobs we are overqualified for to see if there was any actual merit to the site existing. None of us have ever so much as gotten a response of any kind, let alone an interview.
That is only in certain area and actually a pretty small piece of the island. As an MA level therapist there is no way I could afford to live on Oahu. The only people in my position I know who live on other islands other than the Big Island have spouses that make most of the money coming into the household. I'm in this by my lonesome.
I've used USAJobs to apply for multiple positions and, having also worked in VA and been involved in hiring to a small extent, can say it is very much a functioning job site. The issue is that depending on the VA, HR usually receives and screens the applications first before ever sending them along to the particular service (e.g., Mental Health) that posted the ad. Thus, HR may screen out applications because, in their minds, a candidate does not meet requirements when, if the service had seen the application, it would be clear the applicant is qualified. HR may also screen out applications that they deem to be incomplete for whatever reason. And there can also be significant lag times between when a site receives an application and when they communicate with applicants/setup interviews; for example, I've heard of folks being contacted 6 months after applying. There's often an email address listed in the job postings (sometimes an HR person and sometimes not), and it can be worthwhile emailing that person to see if materials have been received, where they are in the process, etc. I'd probably wait at least a few weeks after applying before doing so, though.
I have never and don't know anyone who has applied through USA jobs for a position in Hawaii. Pretty much every other state and with all sorts of agencies. They are tell the same story I do-it's not a functioning job site. If it actually is according to you, an actual job site, it is the least functional such site I have ever heard of and is not attracting the best candidates as they all know not to even bother.
I can't speak for Hawaii specifically, but I know USAJobs is the primary means of receiving applications in multiple states elsewhere, and it would be unusual (although not unheard of) for VA to use a system everywhere but one state. But you could always potentially ask folks who actually work there, if you haven't already, and see if they applied for and/or got their jobs through the site. Maybe because positions in Hawaii are so sought after, they're able to direct hire for pretty much everything, which could then possibly allow them to circumvent USAJobs.
Yeah, sounds like in Hawaii specifically, the positions may never make it to USAJobs in most cases, and when they do, they may still already have someone in mind for the position (or it goes to an internal hire). And yes, sometimes they're required to post positions even if they do already have someone specific in mind.
