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Becoming a VA Employee

Want to continue your federal service or just want to get a job helping Veterans? Consider becoming a VA employee.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is made up of three different administrations:

  1. Veterans Benefits Administration;

  2. Veterans Health Administration; and the

  3. National Cemetery Administration.

Each administration has their own specific missions to serve the nation's Veterans and their dependents.

Common Positions

Here are some common positions that pop up. If you do not see the position you want you can set up a reminder on the USAJOBS website that will send you an email when a position opens up.

Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)

  • Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representative) - (call center people)

  • Rating Veterans Service Representative (RVSR)

  • Veterans Service Representative (VSR)

  • Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Click HERE to see additional positions.

Veterans Health Administration (VHA)

  • Contact Representative (call center people)

  • Various health care roles

National Cemetery Administration (NCA)

  • Cemetery Administrator

  • Cemetery Administration Specialist

  • Cemetery Caretaker

Warrior Training Advancement Course (WARTAC)

For those who have 180 or less days of service remaining, the VBA has a special pipeline for hiring.

Click HERE to learn more.

Step One: Application

No matter which administration you want to work for you will need to apply for a position online.

ALL job posting are done via the USAJOBS website.

The website's internal search engine is very good and allows you to search for positions based upon:

  • Administration

  • Hiring paths (positions open to X groups of people)

  • GS Pay levels

  • Job title

  • Location

  • And many more filtering options

PRO TIPS:

  • Use the website's internal resume builder!

  • Write your resume for the position! You have a very low chance of success trying to use a one size fits all resume.

  • READ the job posting! Use it to craft your resume so the person reading it knows you are qualified! They CANNOT assume anything. If you do not state you have experience doing something then... you do NOT have experience!

  • If your resume is one page long - you are wrong. Remember, they cannot assume things, so you need to be sure to craft bullets that demonstrate how your current/previous jobs have prepared you and made you suitable for the position you are applying for.

  • Do NOT just copy and paste the job description and such into your resume... However, DO feel free to do so and then use it as a rough template to edit in your own experience and qualifications. That way you know you are hitting all the key points.

Step Two: Wait

Remember, these are federal jobs. So things can take awhile.

Step Three: Notice of Results

Eventually you will receive an email that tells you what Human Resources (HR) thought of your application.

If they found you qualified, the email will state what grade(s) you qualified for.

Your application will now be forwarded to the hiring manager for the position.

Step Four: The Interview

If the hiring manager likes your application you will be contacted to schedule an interview.

Pre-Interview Tips

1. Right Time, Right Place, and Right Uniform:

  • The military prepared you for this. Do an appropriate recon at least a day BEFORE the interview and get to know how to get to the building, the time it takes to get there, the parking situation, what you are going to wear (business casual), etc.

  • Don't forget, it is always better to show up 30 minutes early and have to wait than show up 30 minutes late!

  • If your interview is being conducted over the phone or through Microsoft Teams, be sure to find a place that is distraction free and to test your equipment the best you can BEFORE the interview. If you got a clunker of a laptop and it takes forever to get going, be sure you get that guy set up well in advance! You do not want to show up late or miss your interview!

2. The VA uses Performance Based Interviewing (PBI). Which boils down to you needing to structure your answers around PAR:

  • Problem - what did you overcome/what was the issue?

  • Action - what did you do?

  • Results - what was the outcome of your action(s)?

For more information on PBI and example questions click HERE.

3. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!

  • Mock interviews can help identify weaknesses and help you come off as a much more confident and put together applicant.

Interview Tips

1. Pay attention and take notes when questions are being asked!

  • They may ask you multiple part questions. BE SURE TO ANSWER ALL THE PARTS!

  • Your answers to questions need to be COMPLETE! Otherwise you could be beaten out by someone else who simply edged ahead of you by answering everything.

2. SPEAK UP!

  • Need clarification?

  • Did not catch everything they said?

  • Just need to buy a few seconds while you pull an answer out your ass?

SPEAK UP!

There is NO penalty for asking for clarification or for them to repeat the question. But you not answering the question asked WILL certainly hurt you!

Post-Interview Test

After the interview ends you may be sent a follow up email asking you to complete a scenario based written test.

This timed test will demonstrate your thought processes when making decisions. Again, it is important to ensure you are completely answering all parts of a question!

Step Five: The A-Waitin'ing - The Return of the Anxiety

Remember, this is a federal job so it could be awhile before you hear back. Hell you might be roped back in for a second round of interviews!

Step Six: Tentative Offer

If the hiring manager felt you made the cut they will have HR send you a tentative offer.

Congratulations! You are almost there!

Your tentative offer will arrive as an email and it will reiterate:

  • Vacancy Announcement Number

  • Position Name

  • Position Number

  • Division

  • Duty Location

  • Pay Plan, Series, Grade and Step

  • Annual Salary (including locality pay)

  • Hiring Authority

  • Probationary/Trial Period Expiration Date

  • Promotion Potential (Y/N)

It also has IMPORTANT information that you MUST pay attention to! Failure to follow the required on-boarding steps in this email such as filling out on-boarding paperwork and doing fingerprints will result in your offer being taken away!

REMEMBER, tentative offers are NOT final. So do not go running around prematurely telling your current boss how you really feel about them, getting a new place to live, etc. just yet.

Step Seven: Official Offer

CONGRATULATIONS! You made it!

Follow the link in the email and accept the offer.

The email will state your first day of work and include information such as who your future supervisor might be, etc.

The Process

Closing Pro Tips

  • Do yourself a favor and seriously check to make sure your contact information is correct on your resume! REALLY hard to get a job if they cannot reach you!

  • Regularly check your email and answer unfamiliar phone numbers.

  • Do NOT be the one to find out you missed a deadline/interview scheduling attempt and lost the job because of it! While the VA expects you to wait forever and a day, they do not provide you the same courtesy. Some deadlines for responses can be as short as a couple of days.

Frequently Asked Questions

    • Yes, reach out to the HR rep(s) mentioned in the Notice of Results email.

    • Ask HR if you can have a later start date. They can oftentimes be fairly flexible.

Additional Resources