Vetpro and VA hiring process

[Sbct172]

I have a question for anyone that has been hired with the VA. I am concerned about the hiring process regarding previous employment. I have heard that Vetpro goes back 10 years and I have unfortunately had many jobs in that time frame. I had trouble finding something that I wanted to stick with and I'm afraid that if I submit all of these various jobs, that it will look terrible and they won't hire me. I have never been fired and every employer I had, always thought I did a good job, but I know it looks bad to "jump" jobs. My most recent position I loved and I was going to stay, but my husband got a job promotion, which forced us to relocate. I have always wanted to work for the VA and I finally have the opportunity and I would just like to know if anyone knows if multiple jobs in the past on Vetpro will affect that? As far as the other background checks, I have no issues. Just concerned about the amount of jobs I've had. I want to be completely honest, but some of the dates from long ago, I'm not even sure of. I would greatly appreciate any input. Thank you!

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

When I did VetPro, it literally took me three days to complete it. This system requires you to list any gaps in employment from the time you graduated from nursing school until TODAY. If that goes back 10 years or 30 years, they’ll know because you had to submit transcripts and you’ll need to explain it.

Put the jobs in there. It’ll determine what grade/step you receive as your starting salary. If you manage to circumvent this somehow, don’t be disappointed when your offer reflects this. Will it be used against you? That depends on the hiring manager. My work history became a little shaky after I became RN 10 years ago. As a lifelong (aka more mature ;-)) learner of an aging parent with dementia, the majority of my employment variations was out of duty to care for my mom. To the dismay of one nurse manager, the department director was not understanding AT ALL, even though I sacrificed my personal life to do this so that my veteran brothers could continue serving this country. Imagine that!! A (VA) nurse holding it against a colleague for being forced home to care for an ailing parent of military children... How ironic and hypocritical!

Anyway, I was able to land a position in another VA even closer to my home than the first one. So go ahead; put ALL of your experience in there. The beauty is that VetPro saves it, and if you should ever leave and return, (I would highly recommend transferring in lieu of resigning), you only need to update the new work experiences just as you would a resumé. And most of all, if you are hired, your experiences will aid in determining your pay. Good luck!