How to get a job at Veterans Affairs.

[amy9999]

How to get a job at Veterans Affairs.

Do you work at Veterans Affairs? How did you find the job? How did you get that first interview?

Any advice for someone trying to get in?

I am convinced that 99% of the jobs that are advertised are filled from within. I have tried for 6 months on a variety of fronts and most of the time, they either never respond or they find some minute red tape reason for accepting the application.

[Tony1790, BSN, MSN, NP]

Same here, I was VANEEP and no more funding, way too many applicants per job. Now they have this program where they are hiring new grads on a 1 year contract to orientate with no promise of a job afterwards, I think they call that program PBNR or some other acronym, jumping through all kinds of hoops, doing little improvement projects, making posters, working in various parts of the hospital, a year long interview, I can't imagine the stress, not knowing if you are going to be hired until the last few weeks of the contract. Here they won't let those of us in orientation take our own patient load w/o a preceptor until we have our official graduation ceremony, they even had us go back through new employee orientation, tour of the hospital, where to park, the whole shebang, weird.

[pfchang]

You know, when you hear about all the lack of orientation out there and nurses being thrown off the deep end to sink or swim, I'd be happy for the orientation period. Not knowing if you have a job or not does stink, but I wonder if it may be budgetary, as well as evaluating you for permanent positions. Some jobs are temporary bc they are not sure if they can keep the funding. That year of orientation has cost them big bucks and I would imagine, unless you were Crazy Terrible Unsafe Nurse, they would want to preserve their investment in you and keep you. But what do I know? Govt does lots of crazy things :)

[RNpearls1908]

I am a new grad and just got hired with the VA. I applied in June had a phone interview in July. Was offered the position first week of August. Tentative start date end of Sept. I feel extremely blessed, excited, and honored

[stunurse2015]

I work with the VA as a CNA (start nursing school in sept!) go to careers.wa(or whatever state you are in).gov you will have to create a profile(based on your certs/degrees). Then you can search jobs in your area! Hope this helps!