Getting a Federal Government Job: You Have A Competitive Edge

Your military experience gives you an advantage in seeking federal employment because the skills, training, and experience you have gained in the military are highly sought after by federal employers.

Those most valued by employers, including employers within the federal government, include proven leadership ability, project management experience, and technical systems skills. They also appreciate that you are highly flexible, easily adaptable, and well-trained, and have gained some important qualities such as commitment, discipline, loyalty, respect, and resourcefulness.

Another advantage you might bring is a security clearance. Some jobs in government require a security clearance, and getting a clearance is easier not only if you have had a security clearance while in the military, but if you have had military experience in general.

Perhaps the biggest advantage you bring in looking for federal jobs is simply the fact that you have served in the military, which in itself qualifies you for veteran’s preference and other special appointment considerations.

Let’s take a look at some of the special considerations veterans receive when applying for federal employment.

Veteran’s Preference

Veteran’s preference was created to ensure that veterans seeking federal employment were not penalized for time served in the military. The intention of veteran’s preference was to give eligible veterans extra assistance in getting a job with the government and keeping it in the event of a reduction in force.

It also recognizes the economic loss that service members suffer by serving their country, and restores veterans to a more comparable position for obtaining government employment.

Veteran’s preference also provides a way of acknowledging the profound losses of disabled veterans. Veterans who are disabled are entitled to preference over others in hiring from competitive lists of eligible applicants and also in retention during reductions in force. 

Veteran’s preference applies in hiring from civil service exams by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and other agencies under delegated examining authority for most competitive and excepted services jobs, temporary, term and overseas limited appointments, but does not apply to promotion, reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer or reinstatement.

When applying for a civil service job within the federal government, all applicants receive an “earned rating” which is dependent upon a number of factors, such as education, experience, and scores on civil service examinations.

Where veteran’s preference enters into the process is by allowing qualified veterans to earn additional points on their total earned rating. Once qualified as preference eligible, the veteran is entitled to an additional five or ten points added on their earned rating in a competitive civil service exam.

However, veteran’s preference doesn’t guarantee a veteran a job and you are only given preference over equally qualified candidates who do not have veteran’s preference.

To qualify for veteran’s preference a veteran must have been separated from active duty in the Armed Forces with an honorable or general discharge.

Those military retirees at the rank of major, lieutenant commander, or higher are not eligible for preference unless they are disabled veterans, and Guard and Reserve active duty for training purposes doesn’t qualify for veteran’s preference.

Five points are added to the passing examination score or rating of a veteran who served: 

Ten points are added to the passing examination score or rating of: 

Remember when applying for federal employment, that you should indicate on your resume and/or application that you are claming veteran’s preference. If you want to claim five-point preference, you need to supply a copy of the DD-214/Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other proof of eligibility. To claim ten-point preference, applicants need to complete a form SF-15 when receiving a job offer.

Veteran’s Recruitment Appointment (VRA) Authority

Formerly known as Veteran’s Readjustment Appointments, a Veteran’s Recruitment Appointment allows eligible veterans to be noncompetitively appointed in the competitive service.

The VRA was authorized under a law enacted in November 2002 called the “Jobs for Veterans Act.” The act revised the eligibility requirements for a Veteran’s Readjustment Appointment and redesignated it as a Veteran’s Recruitment Appointment.

The new regulations under the Act still permit agencies to make VRAs but they must comply with provisions of the Act.

Essentially, a VRA is a special authority that allows agencies to appoint eligible veterans without competition to positions at any grade level through the General Schedule (GS) 11 or equivalent. After two years of satisfactory service, these appointments may lead to conversion to career or career-conditional employment.

VRA appointees are hired under excepted appointments to positions that are otherwise in the competitive service. 

If you are interested in a VRA appointment you should apply directly to the agency you want to work for.

Please note that a veteran who is eligible for a VRA appointment is not automatically eligible for Veteran’s preference. 

Veteran’s Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA)

Under the Veteran’s Employment Opportunities Act, eligible veterans who are honorably discharged from the armed forces after three or more years of active service can compete for vacant positions if the hiring agency is accepting applications from individuals outside its own workforce under merit promotion procedures that are closed to others not in the federal service.

Veterans are rated and ranked with other merit promotion eligibles and those who are best qualified may be selected. However, veteran’s preference is not a factor under this type of hiring authority.

Where to Get Help

If you are interested in finding a federal government job, you need to contact the personnel office of the federal agency you are interested in working for. The best place to find this is through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

The OPM is your best source for information about federal employment. There is a link on its website providing veterans information for those interested in looking for federal employment. There is a Veteran’s Guide that you can download from the site that provides extensive information on federal employment.

You can also find information specifically for veterans at the Department of Labor’s website. For example, many civilian jobs require a license or certificate and you can find out what the exact requirements are at this site on the site’s special veteran’s page.

Lastly, for a listing of all federal jobs in all agencies, go to the USA Jobs page where you can get job descriptions, application information, and links for more information about current federal job vacancies.

For More Information:

Office of Personnel Management Website, Veteran’s Information Page
www.opm.gov/veterans

Department of Labor, Veterans Employment and Training Services
www.dol.gov/vets/welcome.html

USA Jobs/Federal Jobs Page
www.usajobs.opm.gov