Is working for the VA rewarding or simply a typical government job full of bureaucracy and hierarchy?

I love my work at the VA. Yes, there some typical government drones just collecting a government paycheck, but more that truly care about the patients. As a Combat Vet & medical provider, I see the change in their eye when we first meet and they see I am also a vet. They feel I am someone who can relate to the and will do my best to help them.

You can be one of those administrators who can affect change.

I honestly couldn't see myself doing anything else. You will find that there are many great leaders within the administration who can do amazing things with very limited resources. You will definitely find it challenging but also very rewarding. In my opinion, the more service members the VA can get in leadership positions the better.

CPT MITCHELL: There is a saying in VA that if you've worked at one VA, you've worked at one VA. In my experience, that is absolutely true.

I initially started working in one Regional Office which is outstanding. Most of the people in that office were veterans and we all did everything possible to get the job done right. There were a couple of lazies, but they didn't impede progress. The biggest issue in that office was a lot of BS that came down from Central Office (CO), which was beyond the control of local management. The biggest BS that came down was in 2013 when CO received a grant from Congress, I believe, earmarked for additional training that had to be used by fiscal year end. CO apparently just pulled names out of a hat, sent out lists of names of people who were allegedly not making production and those people were ordered to go to a two or three week punitive training camp for rehabilitation somewhere in...Virginia, I think. Problem was about half of the people on the hit list were not only making production but exceeding it and local management couldn't replicate the production numbers CO came up with. Local management submitted objections to those people and were essentially told it didn't matter if they were doing their jobs or not, the money had to be used. However, that punitive training camp went into permanent personnel files. The first folks to go had about two weeks to prepare for the training camp which caused hardship for some. Caused a lot of heartache.

I transferred to a second Regional Office on a hardship and thought I had dropped into hell itself. Lazy people, incompetent people, Union had their favorites whom they would not allow to be punished regardless of what they were doing. Incompetent management who had their favorites and intentionally pitted employees against one another. It was, hands down, the most toxic place I've ever worked. I lasted just about 18 months and threw in the towel. Veterans were not being served. Period. There were some great people there, but the bad far outweighed the number of good.

If you decide to go for it, I sincerely hope you get in one of the great VA hospitals or Regional Offices. All the best!!

Any job/position could be good, bad or indifferent in any one day! I say go for it & make a difference. Our Vets need more Vets not just civilians 'taking care of them'. The NY Harbor VA is a 5 Star VA system, I speak as an RN Executive, patient & ret. Colonel! Aim High!

One of the reason I chose to work at the VA was the fact that I could work with other veterans in a aspect. One of things that I hear from other veterans that visit the VA or a veteran I see outside of the VA is that why won't you give me what I earned. Then explaining that you do not control any of that. I'm not going to go into detail but there are issues and leadership problems within the VA. The only thing I concern myself with working there is that I give 110% when helping a fellow vet, if you worry about all the politics it will eat you up. At some point I would like to be in a better position in order to help out even further than what I can now.

Cpt Mitchell. I am both a retired USAR 04 and medically retired Gs13 law enforcement agent from USDHS. I am 60% disabled and get 100% medical care from VA here in Denver. Screw the nonsense BS you hear over and over about Gov Service and go for it! VA is a huge organization (health/benefits-ed/cemeteries). Are there loud and authentic complaints, yes. But I think overwhelming majority of clients / patients love their service, especially from dedicated professionals. My own feeling is that the badmouthing comes from those who expect to have their hand held. The quailty of care is on par with mil and civ counterparts. I know Im cared for. Cheers.

RUN!!! RUN FROM IT! If you are use to the miltary and you step in to most of the VA's, you are going to try to jump off a bridge. I have seen civilian employees use the union as a battering ram against the management. The Teamsters have nothing on VA Union employees.

YES! To BOTH Questions.
But wth enough VETERANS, I believe it can be changed. We need to get rid of (You're FIRED!) many of the TRUE civilians who have NEVER been there, done that, CARE about what they DO and the people they are RESPONSIBLE FOR, are REALLY responsible 'ADULT' Professionals, and look out for OUR OWN who have given some or all and ONLY ask for what they were PROMISED and DESERVE!!
There are TOO many career politicians, bureaucrats, AND CIVILIANS who SIMPLY can NOT understand the following:
"A VETERAN is someone who, at some point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for 'an amount up to and including their LIFE'. THAT is HONOR, and there are WAY too many people in THIS COUNTRY who no longer understand it."
A PRIME example........WHEN was the LAST time you heard the term "Hero" used which WASN'T in regards to somebody in SPORTS?, Such as FOR a Military Member, Veteran, Police Officer, Fireman, Emergency Medical Personnel, etc.??
"It is a SAD state of affairs when somebody wearing a HELMET defending a FOOTBALL earns SIGNIFICANTLY MORE than someone wearing a HELMET defending their COUNTRY with their LIFE."
I remember Sean Connery, in one of his movies (Hunt for Red October?) said "A Little Revolution is GOOD sometimes". Maybe it's time for some non-violent REVOLUTION, like KICKING all POLITICIANS out of Office and out of DC??
HOW does a Junior Senator whom NO ONE ever HEARD OF, who had problems managing his two interns, and severely mismanaged a little local community organization, become PRESIDENT and LEADER of what USED TO BE the GREATEST NATION in the WORLD???
The U.S.A. is OUT OF CONTROL!!!

Any job is what you want to make of it ---- that was my approach in the Navy and my dad's as well. My best experiences with medical care at the VA have been with Physicians Assistants and Nurse Practitioners who were ex-military or reservists. Even the clerks who are ex-military seem to have a better attitude when it comes to dealing with and helping veterans at least here in Dallas.

I am coming late to this conversation, but have worked for the VA for about 5 years now. I have been in two branches of the VA, NCA (Cemeteries) and VHA (Hospitals). Both are rewarding and full of wonderful people who do their utmost to assist Veterans. Do we have the occasional dud - yes, it would not be a true system without the bell curve. I have been blessed to work in Minneapolis and NYC. NYC has a world class reputation with Drs and Nurses being shared between NY University, Bellevue, and the Manhattan VA system. As a Veteran I receive my care here on a routine basis and have not found any of the popularized "news-worthy" issues. In Minnesota, the doctors literally saved my life. If you are looking at a career with the VA, please note there is no higher calling - Veterans taking care of Veterans, except for possibly Military service. Are there days when I am frustrated - heck yes! But as leaders of change we are employed to handle the issues when problems hit the fan, not when everything is fine. So my recommendation is put on your waders, look for places you can get into trouble and solve problems and remember you are in it to win it for your fellow Veterans! Good luck and hope to see you on the team soon!