Ready to transition to a civilian career? Think VA!

MSG Darren Sherrard — Fri, 24 May 2019 09:45:52 -0400

If you are in military healthcare now or are thinking about going into healthcare, here’s what I say: Think about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for your career.

VA Careers has a Transitioning Military Personnel (TMP) Initiative designed to raise awareness about civilian careers for former service members at the nation’s largest integrated healthcare organization.

This is a program that highlights the stories of former military personnel who have moved into new careers at VA. TMP puts the focus on the thousands of Veterans serving other Veterans as health technicians, Intermediate Care Technicians (ICTs), mental health providers, nurses, physicians and support staff.

VA has preference programs to hire Veterans, including service-disabled Veterans, quickly. We invest in your education through tuition assistance for current employees and loan repayment through the Education Debt Reduction Program. Once hired, we help you advance your skills through continuous learning and leadership training.

VA careers pay well and comes with great benefits such as 36 to 49 days off, paid vacation that accrues right away and the option to participate in a 401(k)-type Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with up to 5% in matching contributions. You can also apply earned military service time to the Federal Employees Retirement System and, if you remain in the reserves or National Guard, receive paid time off to fulfill service duties. Work anywhere at VA’s more than 1,250 sites of care.

But the best part of working at VA is that you’re supported by so many co-workers with stories similar to your own — the 123,608 Veterans who have VA careers. We Veterans are more than 30% of VA’s workforce.

You’ll work with people like Kristina Snell who started as a VA ICT in 2013, and is now the national field coordinator working out of the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. She’s a fierce advocate for this uniquely VA profession, which is a career pathway specifically for Veterans and now boasts 120 hires … and growing.

ICT positions are filled by former combat medic specialists, basic hospital corpsmen, basic health services technicians and other transitioning members of the military with certain Military Occupation Specialties. They support the delivery of acute patient care for VA units or clinics by performing complex technician-level diagnostic and treatment procedures and providing intermediate/advanced paramedic-level care.

Other eligible service members come to VA through the Military Transition and Training Advancement Course (MTTAC). Successful completion of this training within three to six months of separation opens up access to noncompetitive employment as Medical Support Assistants, who keep VA medical facilities running smoothly.

In these and other VA positions, you can take what you learned in the military to serve nearly 9 million Veterans enrolled in VA care. A VA career can help you reduce uncertainty and financial stress knowing that an exciting job is ready for you after separation.

Are you ready to think VA? Check us out at https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/category/va-careers.

Darren Sherrard is an Army Veteran who served for two decades and now puts his skills to work for VA as Associate Director for Recruitment Marketing. Darren leads the VA Careers Program, which is designed to attract high-quality healthcare personnel to work at VA.

VA Careers Archives - VAntage Point

Response by CW4 Craig Urban made May 24 at 2019 9:55 AM

CW4 Craig Urban — Fri, 24 May 2019 09:55:13 -0400

No good old boy network

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made May 24 at 2019 2:27 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 24 May 2019 14:27:04 -0400

Thanks for helping.

Response by SSgt Boyd Herrst made May 25 at 2019 3:51 PM

SSgt Boyd Herrst — Sat, 25 May 2019 15:51:13 -0400

I could have gone dietary/nutrition.. 4 mo. Before I exited I had part time job working either NCO club or O club. I had earned my Culinary/Rest. Mgt Degree at Comm Col and had my certification as a Chef so I had that and degree.. The degree gave me more chance of getting a good job in catering and Kitchem Mgt.
(Diff. Rest. Acc’ting courses and other hotel Rest mgt. courses gave a good edge. My Leadership capability from AF helped when we had some probs at the club’s.. some of civ workers panicked over some breakdown.. just needed to be calm and collected .. don’t let them see ya sweat ! I got work’g for Marriot and transferred when I had enough points to Detrout Metro Airport just about 5 mi from home. I was earn’g $ 25 hr. and med and other benefits .. I would of dropped to $10 hr sure some benefits, driving to Ann Arbor Mi
E’day.. I had my service. Connection comp at 50%.. So no Surcharges .. on pension would of taken a bite.. ..

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 26 at 2019 8:12 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 May 2019 08:12:49 -0400

I wish more veterans would join the VA as providers.

Response by Sgt Kristina Snell made May 30 at 2019 9:08 AM

Sgt Kristina Snell — Thu, 30 May 2019 09:08:52 -0400

My VA Career Saved and Changed My Life!

Response by PO2 Thomas Defrancesco made May 30 at 2019 12:39 PM

PO2 Thomas Defrancesco — Thu, 30 May 2019 12:39:43 -0400

New to this page.. 100% DAV...for ptsd and a tbi... separated in 88 became symptomatic in 2012...just when you thought you were out they suck you back in again...

Response by CWO3 Bryan Luciani made Jun 23 at 2019 1:29 PM

CWO3 Bryan Luciani — Sun, 23 Jun 2019 13:29:19 -0400

I've applied to work for the VA at least 5 times in the past few years and never even got a call back. I have a MS in Project Management after 22 years active and retiring as a Navy W3. I applied for these jobs in the veteran benefits and assistance areas, not healthcare. Not a single person ever responded. There are lots of jobs on USAJobs for the VA in my area. When I visit my local VA, I find slow, rude, and borderline incompetent people working there that have been there for eons. The desire to help improve the VA and improve the services for my fellow veterans is clearly an after thought for these people. I see you're on the healthcare side so I may be venting in the wrong direction. I just hope you may see another side of the VA's hiring process. Cheers.

Response by SGT Bonnie B. made Jun 23 at 2019 8:40 PM

SGT Bonnie B. — Sun, 23 Jun 2019 20:40:30 -0400

MSG Darren Sherrad - Talk to me on this topic as I am a Veteran but do not any of my benefits long story still working on breaking down doors to try to figure it out but I am driven to work for my fellow troops and Soldier Suicide. I experienced my first encounter with suicide at the age of four when my mother took her life and I put that behind me and then after joining the military I lost my son's god-father to soldier suicide and we almost lost my son in law to it last year and it put me in a downward spiral of unimaginable depths to where I did not want to live.

I would love to do just that so if you can help me with information and resources I would love to serve my fellow troops

Response by SSgt Christopher Satterwhite made Jun 25 at 2019 8:21 PM

SSgt Christopher Satterwhite — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 20:21:51 -0400

I would rather lay in my own feces for several days than work at the VA. The VA is a legally authorized entity that can kill vets, destroy their lives & their families lives.

Response by SSgt Christopher Satterwhite made Jun 27 at 2019 1:25 AM

SSgt Christopher Satterwhite — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 01:25:32 -0400

What I say, is if you want a legal way to abuse vets, apply for a job at the VA. I’m surprised they are not recruiting members of ISIS & AQ.

Response by SSgt Christopher Satterwhite made Jun 27 at 2019 1:29 AM

SSgt Christopher Satterwhite — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 01:29:17 -0400

I wonder who has killed more Americans in the last 5 years, ISIS or the VA. I would go with the VA.

Response by SSgt Christopher Satterwhite made Jul 3 at 2019 1:28 AM

SSgt Christopher Satterwhite — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 01:28:03 -0400

Hey Darren, do you have any insight to help? I’m fighting a harder fight than all my combat deployments combined, help is very appreciated, thanks.

Response by SFC Melvin Brandenburg made Jul 3 at 2019 3:02 AM

SFC Melvin Brandenburg — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 03:02:46 -0400

I have considered the VA

Response by 1SG James Kelly made Jul 13 at 2019 8:50 AM

1SG James Kelly — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 08:50:05 -0400

Not on a bet.

Response by SGT Delia Carrasquillo made Jul 17 at 2019 11:24 PM

SGT Delia Carrasquillo — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 23:24:52 -0400

If you are recruiting Vets, I would highly recommend announcements to open for vets to apply more often than internal hires, as most are.