VA Hiring Process

Specialties Government

Published

You are reading page 9 of VA Hiring Process

elprup, BSN, RN

1,005 Posts

Thank you so much Marshall. I called the Nursing Director and no phone call back yet. In the meantime I am applying to the county for a public health position. It pays less, but would still work for me. Ill let you know....and if I do get into the VA, I will save everything. I am pretty OCD like that anyway, but so good to know! Take care

elprup, BSN, RN

1,005 Posts

Arrg, still no phone call. So I emailed Director and HR a bit ago. We shall see.

Marshall1

991 Posts

I hope by now you have heard something...this is why so many people give up on getting hired by the VA..it took one person I work with 6 years to even get an interview - and he is prior military w/medical experience! Keep us posted!

bjorklover

56 Posts

Ok guys help me please. On may 7th I received a notification email statingThis:We have reviewed your application and found you qualified for the position listed above. *Your name has been referred to the employing agency for consideration.Now, aprox. How long Willie take to receive a call for a interview?

msrn1204

30 Posts

Hello to all, I wanted to let everyone know of my journey through the VA hiring process. I applied for a RN position in the ER on 3/16/12. I had an interview on 4/3/12. I received a tentative offer on 4/12/12. My physical was scheduled for 5/8/12 and my Vetpro was to be completed by 4/27 and e-qip complete by 4/30. I then received a phoone call asking if I can come in earlier for my physical, so my physical/math test was completed on 4/25. I had completed my VetPro 4/14. All of my references had sent in there letters by the time I went for physical on 4/26. I received the E-qip info and my boarding package info that day. I completed E-qip the very next day on 4/27. I had everything turned in for my boarding package by 5/4/12 and my file went to the board today 5/8/12, so now I am anxiously awaiting. I have no idea on the hourly wage they are going to offer me, I am an ADN with 7 years of ER nursing. In the job announcement was the offer to pay back student loans under the EDRP program, can anyone shed some light on this, whats the qualifications and requirements for this? The Director who hired me had mentioned a sign on bonus but that was not listed in the job announcement so I do not know about this. I know the VA have some very good benefits but I heard they are low paying as far as hourly wage go. My experience with HR has been very pleasant and fast paced, so if my file went to the board today. I expect to hear something from HR by Monday, I will keep everyone posted.

Marshall1

991 Posts

There is no way to tell..one person I work w/now did not hear for 3 months after she applied, I was called about a week after I applied, interviewed about 10 days after that but it was 3 wks before I knew I was going to be offered the position & a little over 3 months before I started. You can wait about 2 wks and if you hear nothing contact HR & ask them where your application stands. One thing you are going to have to have is a LOT of patience in getting hired w/the VA & for some of us, even afterwards. Read the posting about the VA hiring process, VETPRO and EQUIP - you will get a good idea of how involved & labor intensive getting hired w/them is. It is NOT like the public sector.

elprup, BSN, RN

1,005 Posts

HR emailed me today - she has been out and will check on my boarding application and get back to me...... I am debating whethe to start an online class or not. Guess i will wait a few more days, but I so need to do something constructive!

Marshall1

991 Posts

elprup ~ I highly recommend taking the online class or moving forward with whatever else you need/want to do while keeping this on the periphery. You will find that the VA "I'll get back to you" is much different than an HR at a hospital etc. You may hear something today - next week - next month or have to contact them again. I am NOT trying to be negative to any posters here who are trying to get on w/the VA - I just want to share what myself & others went through - & continue to go through - after being hired. It's like pulling teeth to get answers & 50 different people end up involved. You are still a ways out from getting started so w/an online class its still doable. The job itself & where I work I like a lot but its been a rough few months trying to get the kinks worked out, still trying to get travel mileage & meals for the orientation reimbursed(which they said they would do & are now trying to back out of that). It takes a lot more to get something taken care of then any other job I've ever worked. A call or two & the problem was solved..not here, people, especially in the HR dept, take off a LOT, it's rare, in any dept, someone answers the phone or email -it usually takes multiple times or going up the chain. My advice is to wait until Friday then email AND call HR back. May not hurt to contact the person you interviewed with & let them know you are trying to get w/someone in HR for an update but have been unsuccessful. In the meantime, don't put other opportunities on hold. You can always readjust later.

elprup, BSN, RN

1,005 Posts

Thanks Marshall, I agree and decided to take my class. So nice to have some inside advice/guidance on the whole VA thing. I'll email HR and my interviewer Friday too.Thanks again. So glad your job is going well...even though there are kinks.

elprup, BSN, RN

1,005 Posts

After everything...looks like I am NOT getting the job at VA. i have not gotten the official letter, but grapevine doesnt think I am qualified??? So then why did I go through the entire process??? So past my limit. Thank you for letting me vent.

Marshall1

991 Posts

Oh no! I hope before you give up and if you are still interested in working for the VA that you will contact directly the person you interviewed with and let him/her know what you are hearing. I have found in my very short time w/the VA that there are a LOT of grapevine talkers and that creates unnecessary problems for some employees. I have also found to NOT give up on something if you are promised it - I have, literally weekly, been in touch w/2 people re: some additional, one time pay I am due. I have been at this since March but finally, part of it will be coming through this week.

You have to get around the person in HR most of the time as well...I have found they don't seem to really care or respond. I can't imagine the hiring manager would've spent this time on you if not interested...the only thing I can think of is they found or think they found something in the VETPRO part or one of the references didn't turn out. Again, before you give up, try to speak directly to the person who hired you, be direct and honest, that you are waiting but have heard they are not going to hire you and you would like an update. Please come back and post and let us know how things go. I hope whomever telling you this is wrong because you sound like you would be a great asset to the VA.

elprup, BSN, RN

1,005 Posts

Thanks Marshall. I did contact Nursing Director yesterday, who interviewed me. She could not tell me anything, "I do not have any input on who they say yes to, I only present who I think is best. It is their decision". She did say she is pretty upset they have not made a decision. Oh and the problem that has gotten SF VA all fired up is that my previous employer hired me as a medical assistant (yes cheap bast##ds, but utilized me as a new grad registered nurse. Which I told them at my interview and on my application, etc etc and they all seemed to understand my reasons. I only took the job bevause I needed experience and there was nothing else in my rural area, and I refused to moved my teenagers for a third time!) Then, i left the clinic because I was tired of being taken adavatage of as a registered nurse at an MA wage and being responsible for everything on the floor and in Triage since we did not have a nurse manager or even a medical director. I did many many RN duties. Well get this, my former employe refuses to tell VA that yes I was hired as an MA, but utilized as an floor RN and Triage Nurse. They told VA i was an RN with MA duties. I truly cannot believe they are lying!! Anyway, I found one of my HRSA Federal Nursing Scholarship verifications my prev employer signed, and it states I was employed as an RN and signed by the very person who is telling VA I was an RN with MA duties. I hope VA believes me and contacts HRSA to verify what I am saying is true. I cannot believe all the crud my prev employer has put me througn. It is like I have been branded with a scarlet letter because I left their hell hole. And if VA job does not work out, my next interview is with the county and I am betting the same situations regarding my prev employer are going to occur all over again. ill let you know. Just really kind of bummed, but not giving up. Ill let you know. Oh, and my HR contact at VA has been replaced. Joy to the world. :)

+ Add a Comment