Get your foot in the door at VA with these strategies

Getting your foot in the door in a new career can often challenge both your patience and perseverance. Between unanswered applications and the ongoing effort to customize your resume for each position, sometimes finding a new job can feel like a full-time job all on its own.

At VA, we want you to find your way onto our team, and there are a few tips we can offer that might open the door a little wider and help you step on through to your new VA career.

The social network

The face of recruiting and job hunting has changed over the years, and every industry leader has some sort of presence on social media, including VA.

Our networks on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Glassdoor are active communities, filled with recruiters, executives, new hires and even people just like you, looking for their first shot at a VA career. Joining these communities can help you get in touch with people who know the ins and outs of the hiring process, and their advice is invaluable.

While you’re there, don’t forget to add our LinkedIn account, as well. Each week, we host a broadcast on LinkedIn Live, “Talk About It Tuesday,” where we share information about careers, opportunities and navigating the hiring process. Come join our audience and get to know a little more about VA.

The human factor

While the way to find most job opportunities will be online, you can’t discount the benefit of talking to someone face-to-face.

Our VA recruiters attend numerous in-person and virtual events throughout the year. Take a look at our events calendar to see if we’re going to pop up in your neighborhood sometime soon, or see if there are any virtual events scheduled that will give you a chance to talk with our team.

Also, look to see if your local VA Medical Center is having a hiring event near you. With numerous openings across the country, chances are there’s a position in your neck of the woods just waiting for a qualified applicant like you.

Apply, apply, apply

Federal jobs, like those at VA, require that we follow a number of rules and regulations governing the recruitment process. One of those rules establishes fair opportunities to apply for job announcements.

So, unless you qualify for a special hiring authority or are a health care professional who can be hired outside the traditional competitive hiring process, you have to get your application in front of us before we can do anything with it.

Follow the application process and get your name into the system. If you’ve done the networking as we’ve discussed above, you’ve already put a face to the name, and now our hiring managers will be able to connect that name to a list of skills and experience that can translate to a job.

The stepping stone

Almost no one lands their dream job right out of the gate. It’s critical to accept that your first, second or even third role on our team might not be exactly where you planned to be.

However, many members of our team can attest that where they started out at VA isn’t where they ended up. Some move to different facilities, while others change divisions entirely. Still others have taken advantage of the training and education support to become leaders in their chosen field.

Even if it’s not what you were looking for initially, don’t hesitate to take a position that lays a strong foundation for your career, a job that takes you in the right direction and that allow you to learn the VA way. Keep an open mind, and you might be surprised at the opportunities that open up in front of you.

Work at VA

Whether you’re transitioning out of the military to your first civilian career or hunting for a new challenge, getting your foot in the door at VA can open up all sorts of possibilities.

• READ more advice about careers and applications.
• SEE which events our team is attending.
• WATCH one of our recruiting specialists talk about the application process.
• APPLY for an open VA position at VACareers.va.gov.