How I Got My Job: Department of Veterans Affairs

Originally posted by Erica Pierson on the Unleash the Monster blog

At Unleash the Monster, we are always interested in how job seekers find employment in the
federal government and how federal agencies use new ways of thinking to
recruit new talent. While we anxiously wait for the Presidential mandate
to reduce time-to-hire
to bring relief to the process, we continue to keep our eyes open for
hiring success stories that feature innovative tactics from both seekers
and federal recruiters.

That’s why the story of Jessica Gabriel caught our attention. This weekend, Gabriel, a 22-year-old veteran service representative with the
Department of Veteran Affairs, was featured in The Minneapolis Star Tribune
in a “How I Got That Job” feature. Surprisingly, Gabriel didn’t go
through the usual process that most people go through when applying for a
government job. In fact, she didn’t apply at all. She obtained the
job when the agency contacted her after seeing her résumé on a
university jobseekers’ data base.

When asked about the best part of the job, Gabriel said, “There are tangible results from every step that I take. A veteran is getting a
letter, getting results that are going to help him get money so that he
can pay for medicine or take care of his sick wife. Coming into this job
and seeing all of the hard work that our military personnel do is
pretty overwhelming. It’s pretty satisfying to know that what I do can
help pay them back.”

What about for new graduates who are ready to look for a job in government? Gabriel stresses that time is of the essence, “start looking
for a job before you graduate! I would also recommend that people see
if their school has something like [job boards]. It got me my job.”

Although Gabriel’s story is encouraging, it is even more positive to see an agency take proactive steps to identify the right candidate for
the job. It demonstrates that the VA is changing the way they are
thinking about recruiting.

Here at Monster, we embrace this new way of thinking and can help. Using Power Resume Search, agencies like the VA and others can reach qualified candidates not only
at universities but within all levels of experience, to fill open
positions. Agencies can reach out to candidates whose resumes display
the appropriate skills and invite them to apply while still following
the standard federal hiring process.

So while the current process still seems cumbersome, there are tools out there designed to alleviate some of the issues and allow agencies to
spread the word about new openings to qualified candidates. We salute
the Department of Veterans Affairs being proactive and thank Jessica for
her dedication to public service!

Do you have a story to share? If you have secured a position with the federal government and want to discuss the process or if you
are a federal recruiter that has used new methods to find qualified
candidates, post a comment below.