Government jobs in VA Policies and Procedures Forum

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Government jobs

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trigger101	Government jobs		Lead	[-]
Posts: 73 Aug 6 12 4:49 AM	I have now applied for 60 federal jobs based on have a service connected disability greater than 30%. I think the 10 point preference really does not help. Having applied for so many and not receiving any feedback, except for 1, I believe the presidents promise to hire vets was just talk. I have been found eligible for about 15 of the 60, but I guess I have not gotten further consideration from the hiring authority. I am very disappointed. Most federal jobs listed on the usajobs.gov website allows for VRA, VEOA and those at 30 percent, but the agency is hiring from within, leaving us out in the cold. Is that fair?? I don't know, but it does dampen the spirits of us who want to work. Once a job vacancy closes, does anyone know the waiting period to hear anything definitive on a position once you have been found eligible? Seems 2 months is rather long. Any suggestions from those with experience getting hired by the government on what to say in your resumes to at least get a call back? Please give me some guidance! Depressed
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mazboy		#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 740 Aug 6 12 8:24 AM	here is part of the federal jobs website that you may not be aware of. http://www.usajobs.gov/veterans/ it has good information. don't be disappointed just keep digging at it....and, i hope you are looking at state employment and the private sector too, don't rely only on the federal government. good luck
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chicagobob25726		#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 3092 Aug 6 12 11:56 AM	I got 4 jobs at the DOJ over the years ending up retiring as a GS12..The 10 point helping me.. FIGURE every job could have 1000 applicants or so especially now a days.. THE hiring process with the Government is a maze and takes time 2 months ain't that long. CALL BACKS what is that..THey will call you back IF THEY HAVE 'A JOB offer'. Have you applied with DOJ/ DHS, ICE, TSA, Border PAtrol they are alway hiring I thought!! DONT give up... "The NAVY CHIEF IS ALWAYS RIGHT" CPO "INITIATED AND PROUD" 100% I.U/P&T/Combined 80% 70% G.A.D/MAJOR DEPRESSION 30% Headaches 10% Back 10% Knee
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Donna	Have to agree, "What call backs?"	#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 3324 Aug 6 12 1:12 PM	I know your frustrations, I lost count of the number of jobs that I applied for and never once heard back from them. They say it is all about the resume and having the key words, well I learned that trick too and that did not work either. Was I qualified, sure was, and in some cases, overly qualified. Did I have the 10 pt preference, sure did. Do I have a solution for you, sorry to say that I do not. Just wanted to let you know that at one time, I felt your pain and frustration. Donna
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rearnold		#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 418 Aug 7 12 11:26 AM	When I retired from the Army< I applied for several job in the federal level. No reponse. Then I meet a older vet, that told me to just pick one agency and look at the jobs that were announced to outside consideration. Then try to get to apply for a job that is below you level of work. I chose the Department of Transportation, In this area I applied for a Gs 4 job as a file clerk. Stayed there 6 mos, let my boss see the work that I could do, and did a little networking. Then I applies for a in angency just as a Airtraffic asst. GS-7/9. Stayed there again for one year, Then again apply for a new job in the Flight Service area. This when from GS9/12. I want to be a supervisor so I took a down grade to GS-10 and when to Alaska. Stayed in Alaska 8 Years, went from GS-10 to Gs-13. I took a job in DC at GS-14, retired as GS-15. That the background. The points. Don't use the shot gun approach. Take what ever job you can get. Get in the door. Once in start to network and talk to your boss about your goals. It their recommendations that will get you the next job. Once in you may have to go back down in order to go up. As a supervisor and manager I hired a few. I would get a list of the best qualified, they were not ranked, just listed. If I interview one I had to interview all on the list and File my notes, when I made the selection. Sometimes I would just call the supervisor and have a little talk. A lot of times I would get a call from a supervisor/manager that I knew and that would help me make my choice. Once or twice, I got a call from my boss, and that would be my choice. I hope this help you understand some of the hiring process. One other thing sometime an agency will announce a job opening,waitng to get the money to fill that job. Then the new budget come out and no job. Bob 100% IU P&T
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The Old Medic		#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 6031 Aug 7 12 12:33 PM	Just because you are a S/C veteran, does not automatically qualify you for ANY job. You get extra credit, but you still have to meet the basic qualifications of the position. A lot of people (veterans included) use the "shotgun approach", applying for anything and everything. That is NOT helpful, and in fact it can hurt your chances of getting any particular job. You MUST meet the basic qualifications that are listed for that position. If the work demands physical labor, you have to be able to do labor at that level. If it requires training or experience, you have to meet the training standards, or the minimal experience levels for that specific position. US Army 1959-1969; Germany 1960-63; Medic 1964-69 SFC E-7 MOS: 55G10 (60-63) , 91B40, 91C40, 91F40 (64-69) Registered Nurse, 1968-2005 (Licensed, not practicing after 1975) Ed.D in Rehabilitation Counseling, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Retired, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Independent Social Security Contract Vocational Expert 1983-2005, Contract Medical Expert 1987-2005 60% Service Connected Disabled; Life Member of the DAV since 1980
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cruiser		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 17425 Aug 7 12 2:22 PM	trigger101 wrote: the agency is hiring from within, leaving us out in the cold. Is that fair?? I don't know, but it does dampen the spirits of us who want to work. How do you know that the folks who are being promoted from within aren't veterans also? During my civil service career I saw an awful lot of people take much lower level jobs than they qualified for in an effort to get their foot in the door and work their way up from within. For example, I saw folks with Masters Degrees and veterans preference take GS-4 clerk jobs with the hope that they could eventually work their way into one of the GS 5-7-9 VSR (then called Claims Examiners) jobs. These may well be the type of people that are being promoted from within. Having said that, when I graduated from college in 1974 I went looking for a job with my college degree and a 10 point veterans preference. It took me a year and a half and Lord knows how many interviews with different agencies before I got the job at VA. It wasn't because they weren't hiring veterans. In most cases, especially with VA jobs, I was competing with other veterans for the openings. Some of the jobs that I interviewed for and didn't get included Army Budget Analyst, DEA Compliance Officer, IRS Revenue Officer, Social Security Claims Specialist, and Corps of Engineers Public Affairs Specialist. You just gotta keep plugging away at it. Cruiser
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trigger101	Thanks for all the feedback	#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 73 Aug 9 12 10:30 PM	I am sticking with it, plugging away. I have taken the shotgun approach, maybe that is not the way to go. Will stay positive and continue my education while hoping to land a govt job. Thanks to all that replied, will take your suggestions to heart. Thanks again! Trigger
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chicagobob25726		#8	[url]	[-]
Posts: 3092 Aug 10 12 12:46 AM	KEEP TRYING!! WHEN I retired from the NAVY I did not even know what OPM/FERS/CRCS/GS/WG/etc etc were.... I just kept applying!! SOMETIMES you just have to get your foot in the door at some agency and work your way up that way by applying for new positions as they come available... That's how I went up the ladder at DOJ... The worse thing about civil service was it was real hard to fire someone.. I never put in for a supervisor position because I would have tried to fire 50% or more of everyone I could.. "The NAVY CHIEF IS ALWAYS RIGHT" CPO "INITIATED AND PROUD" 100% I.U/P&T/Combined 80% 70% G.A.D/MAJOR DEPRESSION 30% Headaches 10% Back 10% Knee
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TRex2012	Some additional tips....	#9	[url]	[-]
Posts: 11 Aug 12 12 10:49 AM	I too have applied for over 200 federal positions since retirement (28 yrs AD, E-8, USAF) last June and managed to land 6 interviews to no avail. I am still currently waiting for my disability rating, so only qualify as a 5 pt vs. 10 pt. I score 100/100 on my resume and receive additional 5 veteran pref points. I get referred to the hiring official approximately 75% of the time too. I have a BS, 2 AA, Master's Certificate, and just finished the requirements for my Master's degree too and working on 2 other Master Certificates in Proj Mgmt and Six Sigma using my post 911 GI Bill. Due to the economy, it's very competitive for these positions, but I will provide you some tips that might enhance your chances. 1. Draft a 1-page summary of qualifications and if using USAjobs, attach this as your Cover Letter. Many HR individuals prefer to read this one page letter and assess how you answered the questions as opposed to reading your 10-15 page federal resume. 2. Almost everyone is answering "expert" on the questionnaires. Unless it is something really technical or you have no experience, follow the trend when answering the questions. 3. Have a hard hitting resume with results, numbers, statistics, include leadership or management bullets. Get rid of the flowery statements because they are worthless. It took me several months of tweaking my resume until I scored a consistent perfect 100 on my resume and questions. 3. Here is a URL to the various Veteran Employment Program Office representatives responsible for promoting veteran's recruitment. This web site provides phone numbers and email addresses. Many of them are prior military too. http://www.fedshirevets.gov/AgencyDirectory/index.aspx 4. Do your research on the specific agency, history, challenges, etc. So if you get the interview you can impress the hiring board. 5. I look at USAjobs daily for any new positions being advertised. If a position is only being advertised for 3 days, majority of the time they have an internal candidate, but by law this is the minimal amount of time for advertisement, because a PPP still has the hirest priority and should be hired unless there is a great reason for not hiring them. Lately the trend is promoting internal candidates who are veterans. If you get hired federally, you would want the same opportunity. As for being overqualified, I can relate. I receive more rejection letters, not qualified for GS-7 and GS-9 positions, even though I claim to be able to do them blindfolded. So I stop applying for them and only submit for GS-11 - GS-14 positions. My first interview was for a GS-14 position with two other candidates. However, I lacked marketing skills for the GSA catalog and didn't make the cut. I am currently referred to the hiring official for 2 GS-11 positions, 2 GS-12 positions, and have an interview next week for another GS-12 position. It's very trying, similar to waiting for a decision to be made on your claim and update in Ebenefits. Don't give up hope and keep trying.
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Donna	Interesting Article on Federal Jobs	#10	[url]	[-]
Posts: 3324 Aug 13 12 6:39 AM	An article that was forwarded to me on knowing the process of a Federal Job Application http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/search/government-jobs/veterans-federal-application-process.html?goback=%2Egde_72021_member_145447502
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trigger101		#11	[url]	[-]
Posts: 73 Aug 14 12 4:54 AM	All good information. Since my initial post I have had one interview, this was with the US. Census Bureau, and I have another tomorrow with the VA. Keeping my fingers crossed. When they ask you what you consider a weakness of yours is, what is the proper response to such a question that can be answered without taking yourself out of the running for the position that you are applying for? As for answering expert on each questionnaire question, I thought of doing that, but always end up being rather honest. I just need to stay positive.....hopefully someone out there will take a chance on me! Trigger
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IGotBack		#12	[url]	[-]
Posts: 145 Aug 15 12 11:27 AM	trigger101 wrote: All good information. Since my initial post I have had one interview, this was with the US. Census Bureau, and I have another tomorrow with the VA. Keeping my fingers crossed. When they ask you what you consider a weakness of yours is, what is the proper response to such a question that can be answered without taking yourself out of the running for the position that you are applying for? As for answering expert on each questionnaire question, I thought of doing that, but always end up being rather honest. I just need to stay positive.....hopefully someone out there will take a chance on me! Trigger BEST ANSWER (and another reason it's so important to get a thorough description of your interviewer's needs before you answer questions): Assure the interviewer that you can think of nothing that would stand in the way of your performing in this position with excellence. Then, quickly review you strongest qualifications. Example: “Nobody's perfect, but based on what you've told me about this position, I believe I' d make an outstanding match. I know that when I hire people, I look for two things most of all. Do they have the qualifications to do the job well, and the motivation to do it well? Everything in my background shows I have both the qualifications and a strong desire to achieve excellence in whatever I take on. So I can say in all honesty that I see nothing that would cause you even a small concern about my ability or my strong desire to perform this job with excellence.” Alternate strategy (if you don't yet know enough about the position to talk about such a perfect fit): Instead of confessing a weakness, describe what you like most and like least, making sure that what you like most matches up with the most important qualification for success in the position, and what you like least is not essential.
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trigger101		#13	[url]	[-]
Posts: 73 Aug 16 12 7:28 AM	Good answer on how to reply to what is your weakness question. As for the interview with the VA, I got rather nervous and I probably blew it. It was a position working on helping the homeless vets. I stressed how much I wanted to be a part of helping the homeless, but when the question came up asking me when was the last time I worked with the homeless' I was honest and told them I have never worked with them. Did I shot myself in the foot. Another question asked is how I dealt with a conflict with a supervisor. My answer was to communicate the problem with a mediator. Good or bad answer. Another question asked was how I dealt with a situation in which I was dealing with an irate customer. I BS my way through that, or should I say stumbled my way around that one. I have never been in the customer service business. I am a navy guy. I think I screwed myself. Anyways, there is always food stamps and welfare! Trigger
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mazboy		#14	[url]	[-]
Posts: 740 Aug 16 12 9:14 PM	trigger101. don't get down. it isn't just a government job or food stamps. there are jobs out there, maybe not ideal positions but just get one and keep trying to get a governmental position sometime in the future.
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trigger101		#15	[url]	[-]
Posts: 73 Aug 17 12 9:43 PM	What really gets me down is that I lowered my standards and applied for a position as a housekeeping aid supervisor. I received notice that I did not meet the qualifications. What a shot in the arm that was. I know most members of the site have at some point in their career, performed and or supervised someone in housekeeping duties. I know I have seen my share, both as a laborer and then supervising beautification tasks while spending 20 yrs in service. Beats me, I think my experience warrants better compensation than 20 dollars an hour, but the VA thinks differently. I am willing to take anything to get my foot in the door. I have begun to apply for state jobs but as of yet, no nibbles. I have also applied under various civilian jobs. I.E Costco, Walmart, SAMs club, AT&T, home depot. They ll have some type of military to civilian jobs where they train former military for management positions, but as of yet, no job prospects. Trying to stay positive, but it gets harder with each passing day. For those of us who want to work, it sucks and rather depressing. Can I get unemployment benefits? I am probably past the timeframe on qualifying for any type of unemployment benefits. Are soup kitchens still open?
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wrenchturner		#16	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1600 Aug 22 12 8:24 AM	Trigger, Effective August 1, 2012 you can get $2,450 a month for a housing allowance if you as a Veteran attend College on Guam. http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15736:veterans-affairs-to-revise-post-911-gi-bill-policy-will-benifit-guam-veterns-seeking-college-degrees&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156 Plus your other Federal Aid, Disability pay....why work when you can make money going to school instead? If you look really hard you can find places to stay for $800 and pocket the rest of the money.....I think....the new VA policy just went into effect a few weeks ago. Haven't heard if people are really pocketing @$2500 month from the VA for housing allowance while attending college.
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Cranky		#17	[url]	[-]
Posts: 117 Sep 9 12 11:57 PM	I applied for a job in May, got an email in June stating they were going to find candidates another way. Thought it was over, got a call about a month ago for an interview. Last week got offered the job, start on the 23rd. Edited 1 time by Cranky Sep 10 12 12:00 AM.
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Cranky		#18	[url]	[-]
Posts: 117 Sep 10 12 12:01 AM	Found this link for questions you may get asked. http://www.va.gov/PBI/questions.asp Helped me out.
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rotwein.c130herculeshea...		#19	[url]	[-]
Posts: 11 Sep 10 12 2:59 PM	I applied for quite a few federal jobs before I was advised to tailor the application for each specific job. I had to write specific applications and was hired. I retired as a GS-12. Make sure you do not lie oabout anything. My interview was very intense and I was questioned about many areas in which I claimed experience.
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Vet2112		#20	[url]	[-]
Posts: 2259 Sep 11 12 11:51 AM	Trigger101, Also keep in mind that alot of agencies are under a current hiring freeze. We have interviewed 20 folks for 2 positions at the GS-5/7/9 target level. One has already been selected, but we can't hire until after the fiscal year (Oct 1) and only if approved again by OPM. Additionally, the amount of paperwork and hurdles that HR has to cross just to hire a new employee takes alot of time. Every step of the hiring process from the agency having to demonstrate the need for the position(s), to the target employees (either from within via Merit Promotion, or from all groups), to the assignment of the position to the proper series, and description all have to be approved and verified to be done in accordance with OPM regs. And once one is selected, then the background checks have to be completed. That alone can take up to a year depending the level required and agency. I already had over 20 years of federal service when I interviewed for my current position. From the date I applied, to the start date took 19 months. Hang in there hoss... there ain't nuthin' happenin within the gov quickly. Let your VA c&p claim be a good example.
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Government jobs

Government jobs

An article that was forwarded to me on knowing the process of a Federal Job Application

http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/search/government-jobs/veterans-federal-application-process.html?goback=%2Egde_72021_member_145447502

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