I'd say the best bet is to have experience & make an application that makes people want to read it without wasting their time.
That's 90% of the reason I don't read most of someone's app, since most of it is just pointless words that add nothing to the app.
What I look for when I review apps:
- History, is it good with lots of Jr or Sr CL4 experience? Is it bad with dozens of warnings?
- Formatting, does it HURT MY EYES. Good examples of bad formats are pure-black text or bright yellow/pale colors that make it hard to read.
- Fluff, is it lean, is it just a lot of fat? What parts matter, and what doesn't?
- Perception, would accepting you give us(whatever dpt. you're applying for) a bad look? How active are you in reference to other candidates?
If someone has better quality attributes, and more of them, I would lean to them instead. Sometimes you just are not ready for a CL4 role, or the department needs someone more competent in the role. Lets say IA or DEA was in a rough patch, with low activity, low professionalism, etc., introducing a new Manager might not be what the department needs at the time. As a result, the position should remain empty until someone comes along that can fix or help repair the department's integrity / stability.