Vet to Vet

Liz Ladow's Story

2012-01-17T12:47:00.000-05:00

In 1992 I was honorably discharged from the US Navy for medical conditions. A wonderful veteran name John Ciecko assisted me in securing my Veteran's Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits. I was able to obtain both my bachelor's degree and master's degree (in just 4 years) while enrolled in that program.

My experience with the Federal Employment Process began with my initial application for employment for the position of Secretary to the Director of the VARO 315 Huntington, WV. I found VBA to be very responsive to hiring veterans. My initial interview, job offering and hiring was a very swift process once selected. I worked very closely with Senior Management staff in that position for a brief period of time when the Acting Director and HR Manager began exploring additional employment opportunities with me at this station. I was appointed as a VA Fiduciary Field Examiner after only three months with the agency. This process was an amazing opportunity and I am thankful to have had such wonderful mentors for such a very short period of time. Their continued support and confidence in my abilities has me currently in a position performing a job with veteran's that is extremely rewarding to me on a very personal basis. My long term goal after obtaining my Master's degree has always been to put myself in a position where I can assist other veteran's in improving their quality of life just as a fellow veteran had done for me when I separated from the military. I am very pleased to say that I have obtained that goal with my current position!

A little more about my job: I represent the Department of Veteran Affairs and the Secretary in carrying out assigned responsibilities in the Fiduciary Unit. I make on-site decisions and unilateral initiation of action to protect the rights of VA beneficiaries and the Federal Government. I am responsible for determining capacity of beneficiaries to handle benefit payments and determining qualifying potential fiduciary appointees. I appoint and instruct Fiduciary on how to properly marshal VA benefits which includes developing facts and taking necessary actions on matters of verifying custody of minor Beneficiary, fund usage, Beneficiary’s welfare, needs of the dependents and other benefits Beneficiary or dependents may be entitled. I am also responsible for ensuring proper use of funds and welfare of Beneficiaries; investigating allegations of misuse; conducting onsite interviews; investigating non-fiduciary matters and making judgments regarding evidence; and administering oaths.

I LOVE MY JOB!!! My position with the federal government affords me the opportunity to help other veterans just as a veteran helped me.

I would and do encourage veterans interested in Federal Employment to make their application and use resources such as the VA Vocational Rehabilitation staff to secure employment. Although not necessary to obtain employment, VA Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors are very quick to assist veterans both in the program and not with seeking employment. They make themselves and their resources available and they are very willing to educate veterans on how to prepare their KSA's if necessary. Another good resource for veteran's seeking Federal Employment is to simply talk to those of us already employed -- we are all open to helping veteran's improve their quality of life.

~~~ Veterans Helping Veterans

Charles Jones's Story

2011-11-21T13:54:00.000-05:00

After working my way up from an enlisted Navy Cryptologic Technician to a Navy Information Warfare officer and then retiring from active duty, I had a difficult time finding an employer that appreciated the work ethic and team work I came to expect in the military.

My current job duties and responsibilities allow me to provide IT field support to the Law Enforcement Support Center with the mission to provide information on the status of foreign nationals to law enforcement officers and investigators working at the local, state and federal levels.

My military background gave me the ability to provide outstanding support to law enforcement operations nationwide, and I'm once again serving my country, this time out of uniform but with just as an important mission. I'm once again working in an environment where the values of integrity, honesty, and team work are appreciated.

My greatest take-away from my employment with the Federal Government as a Civilian employee is that my employer makes me feel valued and welcome. There are unlimited opportunities for people who are hard chargers and value public service. My organization has camaraderie, purpose, and service. My service to DHS has further drawn attention to the fact that my long term goal is to work in senior federal cyber security positions to provide critically needed cyber defense of government networks.

Veterans bring skills such as loyalty, leadership ability, reliability, commitment and teamwork that are valued by the federal workforce. Make sure your skills are translated to civilian terms and your resume is tailored to each job in which you apply. Attention to detail is critical when applying to federal jobs.

Veterans Success Stories - Mitch

2011-09-30T12:40:09.593-04:00

Hear from service members who have left the uniform behind but still serve as Federal Government employees. “I’m Mitchell Brown, I’m a veteran of the Army, and I’m a hazmat investigator.” Mitchell sought Federal employment because he likes to serve and wants to serve the American people. As a soldier, he learned to adhere to set values. The Army did a great job of preparing him for life and his skills transferred over easily. “If you want to continue to serve the U.S., then enter Federal service.” Hear more about Mitchell Brown’s transition from U.S. Army soldier to Hazardous Materials Investigator, U.S. Department of Transportation.

Veterans Success Stories - Ross

2011-08-29T10:25:17.557-04:00

Service members who have left the uniform behind but who still serve as Federal Government employees - Hear Ross Schumaker's story on his transition from the U.S. Marine Corps to a Firefighter with the USDA.

Marilyn A. James' Story

2011-08-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

Committment to Helping Others

I had been unemployed since 2008 and remained active both mentally and professionally through volunteering. I started my volunteer endeavors with the 230th Financial Management Company serving as the units Family Readiness Group Leader. The more I did for the unit and it’s families I realized that more could be done to help others, which is why I started volunteering with the RED CROSS and Army Community Services. I have served as a volunteer in many different roles, but enjoy most taking care of Soldiers and their families at the Soldier and Family Assistance Center (Supporting Wounded Warriors and families in transition).

Volunteering has been second nature to me since arriving to Fort Carson, CO. I have contributed and participated in events sponsored by the Goodwill and other organizations that assist our country’s Veterans on multiple occasions. I played an active part in the success of the first annual Wounded Warrior Games, as well as Operation Good Samaritan. While volunteering I have tallied more than 2500 volunteer hours towards helping Warriors and their families. I was selected in 2008 to represent Fort Carson and attended the National AUSA Family Readiness Symposium in Washington, DC; I have been fortunate to have been recognized by the Installation Commander in 2008 as a Volunteer of the Year; and again in 2009 receiving the Exemplary Volunteer Service Award on Fort Carson. In May 2011, I was awarded the Columbine Volunteer Award of Excellence by the Commanding General of the 4TH Infantry Division.

Military spouses are often not recognized for their contributions to the Warriors they support. As a military spouse, I believe the role is very important. We assist in maintaining households and ensuring that things run smoothly while our Warriors are training and are deployed abroad. Our professional and educational skills often go unrecognized and are often passed over for jobs because of a stigma “they are military and may not be here very long”! This makes finding employment very difficult. Though I have remained dedicated over the years through volunteering I often became discouraged due to the recent decline in today’s job market and lack of support for military spouses. The continuous support and reassurance from my husband, family and friends enabled me to remain hopeful.

Finally!!! Through the resources and outreach provided by OPM, I became aware of an Internship that could assist military spouses in their employment endeavors. The OPM Veterans Services Representative at Fort Carson (Ms. Shelley Anderson) was extremely helpful and provided guidance throughout the entire process. She was very supportive and always willing to assist. After years of helping others, I was delighted that someone was willing to help me. She provided knowledge and guidance through the entire process. Her optimism gave me hope, I applied, and today I am a federal employee of the US. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)!

Kudos: to OPM for pushing this initiative and to the Human Capital Division at DHHS for hiring one of the first military spouses under this special hiring authority. I am blessed and extremely excited to have been selected to serve in a federal position. This program works and assistance is there…Remain Hopeful and Preserve!

Hear Our Stories

2011-08-09T12:18:27.203-04:00

Many of you submitted your stories to Feds Hire Vets; we have selected 4 of you in this new video series. See how these Veterans are continuing their service to our Nation as Federal Employees.

LaShonne Williams' Story

2011-08-02T09:57:27.893-04:00

A Young Scared Soldier: Now a Successful High Level Federal Employee

Started at the Bottom of the Scales

My military experience as a young soldier led me to become a successful high level career employee in the Federal Government.

In the early 1980’s, I remember being very nervous about venturing out into a different type of environment—the civilian world. I was a teenager when I boldly signed up to serve in the U.S. Army. I started with no rank and at the end of my term, I received an honorable discharge as an E-5, Sergeant. My military MOS were 71L and 71G, two different types of administrative occupations. And, I served in a field unit which is where a lot of my time was spent.

In my very early twenties after the military, I began looking for a job in the Federal Government. I really had no idea as to what my real interests were. I was a young person primarily looking for employment. With very little career guidance, I took one small step at a time to learn my way into the Federal Government. My mother taught me early on to wear a navy blue suit whenever I interviewed for a job. I owned one navy blue suit and wore it to every interview. (LOL) After the second interview, I received the call of my dream. The Federal Government hired me as a GS-2, Clerk-Typist. I was so excited about getting a desk with a telephone and learning to use a computer.

Although my military and civilian jobs were administrative, they actually seemed very different. I had to learn to adapt to a different environment where woman wore suits and dresses. So, I retired my battle dress uniforms (BDUs). Because I was always interested in learning what the staff was working on, I would ask if I could help them with their work. I had a strong hunger to learn.

One of the women who worked with me took the time to mentor and coach me. And, 7 months later, she encouraged me to advance to a new job at a different Federal agency. She taught me to not expect to know everything about all things and to meet as many people as I could. She told me that these would be the people that I would go to for guidance. I still follow that advice. My observation of the older women and men in the office helped me to learn how to present myself professionally in the workplace. Things did not always go smooth and easy, but I always remembered… No Pain No Gain.

At the next dream job, I continued to meet more people which opened up more opportunities to learn. This is when I decided to seriously focus on a specific interest, and this became the beginning of my long career in the Federal Government. With every small step, I began to notice that I had started taking larger steps in my career, and then my career blossomed. I began to share the same mentorship experiences that were shared with me with others to help them learn and develop. As a result of my hard work and my pursuit to improve my personal and career development, I earned promotions.

As I remember back some 20 plus years ago, my transition from military service to public service within the Federal Government was very scary but worth it. It has not been easy along the way, but there have been many life lessons learned that have molded me to who I am today in my career and as a human being. The military taught me to identify a target and aim for it. The civilian world taught me to set goals and then work hard to achieve those goals. I clearly remember thinking about how to take the knowledge and skills as a young soldier and use it within the Federal Government. I really wasn’t sure what to do, but it all fell into place. As a young soldier back then, I learned a lot that I still demonstrate today which are: team work and support, ability to demonstrate leadership, willingness to listen and share knowledge, and respect for the position of authority. These key things gave me the confidence to "Go All The Way" as we would say back in the early 80's.

Vet to Vet: Prepare Yourself

2010-03-03T17:24:00.000-05:00

The journey transitioning into civil service is just beginning. Find out what steps veterans Hakeem Basheerud-Deen, Alvin Shell, and Jason Burr took to prepare themselves for federal employment from resume formatting to learning about veterans’ hiring authorities. Check out this video to find out more.

Veterans need to prepare themselves for getting that federal civilian job.

Jason Burr's Story

2010-01-19T15:17:37.173-05:00

Each wounded service member has his or her own story. The stories include what they have done in their civilian and military lives before their life changing injury, and then each confronts and conquers unique challenges. In my experience, most confront degrees of the following: realizing their preferred military service is over; adapting to the change that occurred to their bodies no matter what the injury; realizing life is not over, but you must now do things differently. And the most dramatic - realizing you don't know what you want to do, and to be willing to accept the guidance and professional opinions of others to help you succeed in your changed world. All of this happened to me.

Probably the most difficult change for me was confronting the fact my injuries ended my military career in special operations, and not knowing how I would provide for my family. During my recovery, I had the good fortune to meet the Inspector General for the Department of Defense on an airplane. He knew I had no direct experience in his field, but assumed I could learn what I needed for the transition. He considered my military training a plus. He asked if I would like to work for them; I promptly said yes. I was hired under a Veterans Readjustment Act (VRA) appointment. Accepting this offer was one of the best choices I ever made. My new supervisors and co-workers understood my combat experience and extensive training gave me the tools I needed to perform in the roles of team leadership, management and fellowship. While I had no direct experience in program evaluation, my supervisor and co-workers showed me how my ability to elicit, collect, and analyze combat and insurgent intelligence would help me interview people and collect and evaluate program data, skills essential to achieving job success. They let me demonstrate my ability to do the job.

My new teammates help me understand how the organization worked, and clarified what I needed to do to fulfill my part of the agency's mission. It definitely took time, effort and energy not only on their part but mine as well. In the end, we learned from each other and succeeded. I also had the opportunity to participate in the Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation Program which offers wounded and disabled veterans the opportunity to attend college to enhance their job qualifications. With my employer's assistance and support, I earned a Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice from Park University, and I am now only five classes away from receiving a Masters in Global Security Studies from Johns Hopkins University.

I made the transition and I experienced it all first hand. If not for the opportunity offered to me by that one person who was willing to give me a chance, I don't know where I'd be today. It only took one person to start the chain of events that helped me transition to a new career and a new life. To that person and the people of that organization, I will be forever grateful.

If you have a position in your organization, I strongly encourage you to invest in a wounded Vet. If your organization does not use the VRA hiring authority to provide an opportunity for a wounded veteran, I hope that after reading this you will. It worked for me and my organization, and I'm confident it will work for you.