Tops of 2022: Apply these tips in your search for a VA career

To help you on your journey to a job at VA, we always want to share the best career advice to help you get your foot in the door at VA and make the most of the benefits we offer. So, as we enjoy the holidays and turn the page from one year to the next, take a look back at the tips we offered in 2022 and put them to work for you.

Getting started

Most paths to a VA career begin with the application process, so it never hurts to look at just what you can expect when you take the next step and apply at VA. Check out “From opportunity to offer: Examining the VA application timeline” and learn what you can expect over the course of your job journey.

You can also “‘C’ what VA recruiters can do for you with these three steps” and consider the best ways to make first contact with our team (particularly if you’re a skilled professional in a high-demand career).

Perfecting your paperwork

Once you know what to expect from the application process, it’s time to get your paperwork in order. As any job seeker knows, you can’t discount the impact your resume and cover letter will have on your application.

With your resume, your goal is to tell us why you’re a good fit for a job. “Exploring the do’s and don’ts of prepping your resume” provides great tips for putting your best foot forward with the hiring manager and making sure the information you share is framed in the best way possible to get you noticed.

Similarly, a little extra effort to “Avoid these words and phrases when writing your cover letter” will make the most of the few short paragraphs you have to make a good first impression on a hiring manager.

In both documents, there are a few important things you can highlight and make your application stand out. In “The three E’s: How to get your VA application to rise to the top,” we explore (another “E” word) the things that can help show the hiring manager you’re the best fit for the position.

Interviews and more

We’ve all experienced those interview questions that throw us off our game and leave us feeling completely unprepared, but  to make sure we had the best of the worst, we asked our “Talk About It Tuesday” audience to share their least favorite interview questions and tackled the top three with “Your least favorite interview questions… and how to answer them!”

And after a successful interview, “Find the time to follow up: How and when to reach out to a VA recruiter” is here to offer you some advice on reaching back out to your hiring manager professionally and purposefully.

Special circumstances

The lifetime of your career can take many twists and turns, so you might find you need more specialized advice. For our friends in the Armed Services, “The top tips for transitioning military personnel from Veterans just like you” is an excellent resource for exploring what making the jump to civilian life will entail.

For those of us who have been around the block a few times, “Experience matters: Four tips for professionals starting a new job search” takes a look at what someone with hard-earned expertise should consider when searching for a new career.

Regardless of your previous experience, though, VA has more than 8,000 jobs available right now. As the country’s largest integrated health care system, with locations across the U.S. and some of its territories, there are opportunities at all levels.

Work at VA

As we close this chapter and look ahead to the coming year, we hope these tips will help you find your way onto our team in 2023.

• READ more career advice on VA News.
• WATCH our weekly “Talk About It Tuesday” broadcasts for more tips.
• JOIN our communities on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Glassdoor to stay up to date on VA events and information.
• SEARCH for your new VA career at VAcareers.va.gov.