I am wondering if there are directories, liaison representatives or anything that could offer direct transition into the Federal Government for Veterans. Can it be department specific? For example I am interested in working for the Department of State.
Answers
Andy, Yes there are if you are qualified and motivated. The first thing to do is create an account on USAJobs and build a profile. Your representatives are listed in plain sight. http://www.fedshirevets.gov/AgencyDirectory/index.aspx Your contact for the Dept of State is: Denise Wright, (202) 663-2182, vets@state.gov. There are a few Direct Hire positions in the Federal, as well as State. If there is a position that is a priority, and not enough applicants, they can hire you walking through the door. (Doctor, Nurse, Radiological Tech, IT, Project Management, etc). There is a back door way in also. You apply for one of the 4 special positions for Veterans Only. Once in, you are a current Federal Employee with the ability to apply for any position for which you are qualified for. I know a GS-15 who came in this way, The usual position to apply for is Housekeeping Aid. You will have to check the Federal block to see the listings. Here is an example: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/373523400 You will notice that there are frequently 10 or more openings at one location. It is a freeway into Federal employment, and only one or two will stay around to do the job of Housekeeping Aid. You will notice that it pays pretty well, and you receive full benefits. Another option is to get accepted into Vocational Rehabilitation and get placement through your adviser, as part of your employability plan.
Dakota,
If you meet the criteria for a 5point veteran's preference as listed below, make sure you annotate that on your resume. Most post 9/11 veterans don't realize the impact a 5 point preference can have in securing a federal (GS/GG/etc) position. With a 5 point preference you are limited to a GS 11 (or equivalent) pay grade with experience in lieu of education. If, by chance, you are 30% disabled or can claim a 10 point veteran's preference there is no grade limit. This means you can apply to a GS 15 level position and if you qualify they hiring authority must review your resume. I've included a link at that breaks down the hiring authorities at the bottom of the response. Also, as cliche as it may sound, a referral from a GS 13 or above during the hiring process can play a major role in being considered for employment.
" [Served] For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning September 11, 2001 and ending on a future date prescribed by Presidential proclamation or law"
http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/#5point
Hiring Authorities:
http://www.fedshirevets.gov/JOB/SHAV/INDEX.ASPX
Best of luck,
Felipe
Andy,
Going to give you the same advice as I did in another post. I have only heard people being hired directly when already working within the Federal Government. There may be ways, but after 2 1/2 years in the Treasury, I have not heard any direct ways from the military to federal. You have to apply on usajobs.com. Put every thing in there, awards, recongition, all duty stations, any honorable mentions and all your schooling(The hiring manager here at Treasury really thought education was critical in her decision). This is not the time to hold back, this is the time to showcase your best stuff.
Also apply to all jobs you even think you are qualified for, don't hold back. I applied for 100 jobs after the Navy, went to 8 intereviews and got 1 job. If you are within a year of getting out, I would apply right away. Sometimes HR takes a long time. The hiring manager may have many qualified people, you want to be at the top of the list. Dont quit and keep applying, there are many people out there just like you looking, so any time you hear of anything opening up, try to jump on that. I really advise getting on Linkden(if you are not already).
Hope that helps,
Dave
Meet with your exit advisor from the Navy. They should be able to plug you into job fairs that cater to exiting vets. There are always points for veterans toward total scores for government jobs.
Thank you for your service Seaman Andrew. My only suggestion as a place to start is USAJOBS.GOV (not .com as one of the other respondents indicated). I'm not familiar with the strict criteria, but just about every federal job opening gets posted there. I just recently read that there will be some several thousands of jobs opening in Crystal City, VA for handling the illegal immigrants that are covered under the new Presidential Executive Order. I suspect these folks will be within Dept Homeland Security.
The best way to get into DOS is to find a career field that is almost if not the same as your urgent military job field. Knowing someone who already works for DOS will help you get in because they are able to refer you.
I would start with the website that lists all Federal jobs. I do not recall the site but it should be easy to locate with any search engine e.g. "federal government jobs".
While slightly less stable than a full-time job in one location, joining any of the veteran consulting firms, CACI, or Redstone GCI , etc will provide a good salary and broad exposure to federal, state and local government engagements and leverage your military experience. Travel may be an issue, because you travel where the work is and some need to be close to home for young children or caring for elder relatives. In 2-3 yrs you will be involved with projects to offer you some choices in narrowing your focus for that full time job. Good luck !!
My comments:
1. Getting into the Fed is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and being flexible in where to relocate. This is how I got my current position, even applying under the assumption that the time period from when you submit your application to if you get an interview could be several months. I expected at least nine month to hear anything back, but was really surprised when I got a phone interview not even two months after applying.
In short, in applying to the Fed, you put your best foot forward, click Submit, and then forget about it. If you don't make the first cut, you'll get a robo-mail saying that you didn't. Ditto for it you made the first cut. But, don't think that you're in the running until after you get notification that they want to call you for an interview. Again, Submit and forget about it. Then, start looking for jobs in the private sector.
2. Now, I'm willing to guess that, with sequestration and the fact that many old-timers are hanging on and waiting to reach the 30-year mark (when the full retirement package kicks in) before they get out, there are fewer job openings for outside hires. In general, getting into the Fed is the hardest part, because the hurdles to surmount are much more difficult than in the private sector, due in large part to a huge thicket of regulations in the Fed hiring process. Once you're in, though, and have put in some time, it's a little easier to move around. But, also remember that how much money is allocated for positions, as well as competence in allocating the money, will determine what positions are open. For example, my team has a very productive intern that the agency wanted to bring on board, but "forgot" to allocate money for. So, if this guy ever gets hired full-time, he'll have to wait until next fiscal year to try again. Maybe he'll get lucky and they won't "forget" to allocate the funds.
3. When you look at Fed job ads, pay close attention to the time period in which they're open. The law requires every Fed agency to publicly post open positions that aren't filled internally -- yet there are some times when the agency has no intention of doing an outside hire. I've seen this most commonly with Army and Navy civilian jobs. The job ads are open for only two weeks vs. a more typical four-week window for other Fed jobs. Two weeks often means that the agency already has someone in mind, but, as I said, the law requires them to publicly post the opening. The agency can also choose to do an internal hire even if they seem to be actively seeking outside hires. It's a crap shoot, unfortunately.
4. Keep in mind that the lion's share of Fed jobs are in the metro Washington, DC area, to include Baltimore. If you're not willing to relocate to the area for at least a few years, then you're severely restricting yourself. If you do decide to come, then do as much research as you can on how to live a good quality of life in a very expensive urban area. A full-time Fed salary of, say, $80,000/yr.. though nothing to sneeze at, won't be sufficient in a city where average rents for studios in good areas are running at least $2000/mth., and prices for eating out are higher than average.
There are few telecommuting opportunities with the Fed because of certain sectors (e.g. defense and intelligence) and stubborn mindsets of sitting your butt in an office because that's what management requires. If you live close to the office, or have a short commute, that's great. But, for those that live far out in the burbs and have to commute into the city every day, it sucks big time.
5. Probably a better way to get into the Fed is to work for a contracting firm and then, at some point, jump over to the other side. It's not unheard of, especially if you work in IT or some other technical field where the agency really wants your expertise and will bring you on full-time on the Fed side. You might also find that you prefer working as a contractor, because of greater flexibility on work projects and better pay. Of course, how well you do will depend on what the contracts are like and how healthy the contracting sector is.
Consider reading or listening to the audio Rich Dad Poor Dad.
Get as much experience in the next 3-5 years, then reevaluate the read.
Total game changer for some.
Respectfully,
Pete Carruth - President
StratoCommunications.com
Dakota,
Several of the respondents mentioned USAJobs.gov. By all means, make sure to take advantage of it. If you want to work for the DOS, consider working with one of the contractors that work with the DOS. They have much more flexibility in hiring while the government can sometimes take quite a while. You'll also be able to learn about the DOS and get some valuable contacts. Hopefully the job market will improve in 2015. In the meantime, it would be worth your while to look into some of the other federal agencies. With your military experience, you might find a DoD career a good fit. Good luck!
Andy,
There are no direct employment paths, just preference during the hiring process for those announcements which specify Vets Preference. The Department of Justice is very veteran friendly. In most cases if a Vet applies for an entry level job, and they make the best qualified list, they have to write a letter to Congress addressing why they did not hire the veteran.
I work the DoD and my business partner works for DOJ. Feel free to message or email us anytime with additional questions.
Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kellywilliamsmaresca/
Thank you for your service. We are here to help!
Warmest Regards,
Kelly Williams
Career Strategist & President
Expert Resume Solutions
Business: (732) 686-6455
www.ExpertResumeSolutions.com
info@expertresumesolutions.com
Go Navy! You might have a skill set that you can offer the Federal government via contract opportunities. SBA and SCORE have fantastic resources for entrepreneurs if you are interested in setting up a business. You might surprise yourself in what you can do! Best wishes to you and thanks for your service.
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