From the previous posts I've read the VA hiring process is pretty long and drawn out. I've applied to two different VA sites. The VA an hour away from my home I can always get in contact with a nurse recruiter and my application status for two posting says "referred to selecting official." The VA closest to my home, I can't get through to the recruiter, she emailed me back once and the status of all the apps just says "application received." I do know a nurse practitioner that works at this VA site and she tried to give my resume to the recruiter, but I had to apply online.
For those of you that are familiar with the hiring process, any idea what the next step is. In all there are around 20 RN vacancies. The two systems have two completely different online application submissions, how will I know if I've completed the application process correctly, its a little confusing
I've been applying since I've graduated and earlier this year I found out that I was applying the wrong way so those positions don't count. These positions closed in September.
I got called for an interview several days or a week after the posted closing date.
I don't know how well the usajobs site keeps up with your status. Mine never made it to the "referred" status....but my first day of orientation is in a couple of weeks.
I would imagine that the process varies greatly among the different facilities.
i've tried to read through and find the answer... but i didn't see anything conclusive.
does anyone know if i am supposed to send my official transcripts to the va i have a tentative offer from?!?! or does the va itself take care of this? they have my unofficial. and i don't think anyone has asked for me to do this. but some people here on this post have said they have taken their transcripts to the va themselves. i'm out of state so this isn't possible. but the vet pro lady takes a few days to respond. and if it needs to be done i want to do it today rather than next week.
Specializes in interested in specializing in Peds or OR.
i've tried to read through and find the answer... but i didn't see anything conclusive.
does anyone know if i am supposed to send my official transcripts to the va i have a tentative offer from?!?! or does the va itself take care of this? they have my unofficial. and i don't think anyone has asked for me to do this. but some people here on this post have said they have taken their transcripts to the va themselves. i'm out of state so this isn't possible. but the vet pro lady takes a few days to respond. and if it needs to be done i want to do it today rather than next week.
HR asked me to send an official transcript to them because they use it for boarding and setting your pay.
the hr guy said that it wasn't required... and the vet pro lady said they were waiting on verification from my college, but that it didn't have to do with official transcripts. i just wish i knew what it was they needed or who they were trying to email so i could harass that person. and tell them to hurry up. :]]] meanwhile i also learned that the hr lady that had been working on my packet, had to take sick leave or something for the week. so the hr guy isn't able to verify if my physical and fingerprints are processed. also the director that approves my salary after i'm boarded will be gone for the next two weeks.. ugh!!
Is the HR guy a nurse recruiter? There are a few HR people involved in the whole hiring process. I had to get official transcripts and I think they had to be sealed. I had them all sent to me then took them as a group to my VA HR dept. If I were you, I would request them now and send them as a group if needed via Priority Mail with signature confirmation. They don't cost much and you will have them for another situation if you don't need them now.
Hi Jeckrn, I have an offer as a Caregiver Support RN at a VA in California. I have a BSN and got it in 2005. I've been working on my MHR (Masters of Human Relations) which I finish in the spring. They want to start me off as a Nurse I/III step 12. I am like "huh"? I don't know of any BSN nurses with that sort of experience/education starting out as a I. I asked them if the Board could see I have my BSN already...because something is really wrong with that offer! He said it is a final offer and can't be changed. In a year, he said if I did everything right, and passed my first year proficiency, I would be a II/step 7. What on earth is going on? What have I done wrong and is there a way to find out what they heck the board was looking at? Help! I am working in Germany as an RN and have been with the government for over 20 years. Thanks!
Are you speaking of GS-2 Step 7? For VA their pay scale is VN series. Register nurses don't get paid that low if your talking GS-2. That position they are offering doesn't sound like a nursing position.
I work in the government system so some of the things those folks are telling you are kind of weird.
Also the process to get these jobs may take months before you hear anything. OPM is where your applications and documents start after applying on USAjobs.gov. There are multiple steps taken before the VA hiring manager of the job you applied for even gets the cert list. Your app and questionnaire gets review as soon as you submit it to see if your app and questionnaire match with information, if so, it goes forth for another review by the next department that goes over every application to find the most qualified candidates to place on the cert list, once the cert list has been completed, they send that list to the hiring manager so that they can conduct interviews of the candidates with the most qualified being first to interview. Once they have finished the interviews they will offer the position to the person they chose and send denial letters to the remaining who were not chosen.
When you first apply, you will get an email acknowledging your application. If it goes further they will send you a letter of results giving you a rating number. If you make the cert list and it gets sent the hiring manager I which you will receive an email stating your application has been forwarded to the hiring manager for consideration but it is not a guarantee for hire. From there if the hiring managers for that position begins calls, you will hear from them and be set up for an interview. With the Government system you must have patience, not every agency will be quick with the process. But once your in, you are set. It is hard to get rid of a government employee unless you commit something very bad or can't get a security clearance.
To clarify, I already went through the process of the interview, VETPRO, Eqip, physical, etc etc. It's on the VN scale at the VA for Registered Nurses.
The pay levels in the VA for RNs are Level I/I, I/II, I/III, II, III (and IV and V, for top management positions). As a BSN with 10 years experience, they have "Boarded" me at a Nurse I/III, Step 12. I feel this is too low! Especially with the type of experience I have.
Last night I called him and said I had expected to get at least a Nurse II and was hoping it would be something like a II/10. I asked him why I wasn't a II, and he couldn't answer, except to say "The Board" came to that decision, and the Nursing Executive concurred.
He then said in 1 year, if everything went well, I'd go to Nurse II/Step 7. But he can't explain why I am not already a Nurse II. I am wondering if they somehow did not SEE my transcripts for BSN, nor the ones for my MHR which I'm just about done with.
He said the decision is final, but I am asking to make sure my degrees are in the packet! I started out with an ADN degree, THEN earned my BSN, and now almost my Masters.
Does that make more sense? It's with the Veterans Affairs, which is completely different from the GS system. Can I fight their decision? Or should I just take it and be happy? In a year I'll be on Nurse II.
Keep in mind that the government pays lower than the outside so expect to start lower than You would had you were working in the civilian sector.
Right now I am a police officer in the government. We get paid a lot less than city and sheriff. We start off here at 35,000 when the start for LAPD And other agencies are over 50,000.
Government will not start you off at high pay unless you were already in the system and transferred to that job. That's how the government works.
The way they are doing yours is a target position meaning you start at one level and the following year move up to the next pretty much automatically because you won't cause any trouble or be a problem. I would take it and move up. Get your foot in the door without rattling feathers because they are quick to change their mind and move on to someone who will take the position. Get in the door and work it for a year and apply for higher positions. If that position is what the board say it is currently then take it. You can always move around because you are already in the system which makes it easier.
That's my advice. I have been In the federal system 20 years. Half military and half government employee trust me, you want to get in the door without issues.
If you attached your degree to the application when you applied online then they are in the packet. The whole files gets forwarded. They are trying to not turn you away even though your already being persistent with them about paying you more than they are offering. Just take the position sweetie. Trust me.
Student Mom to Three
207 Posts
I got called for an interview several days or a week after the posted closing date.
I don't know how well the usajobs site keeps up with your status. Mine never made it to the "referred" status....but my first day of orientation is in a couple of weeks.
I would imagine that the process varies greatly among the different facilities.
Good luck!