After an unprecedented hiring surge last year at VA, we now have more than 400,000 employees for the first time in our history. We are better prepared than ever before to meet the needs of Veterans who rely on us for care.
Plans for the future
Alongside the bold strides we’ve taken to build our workforce, there have been concerns raised about future opportunities and how it may impact our mission to serve Veterans, which our senior leadership is addressing.
“We know that it’s extremely important for us to continue hiring, especially to keep up with attrition, and especially to keep up with Veteran demand,” said Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal, adding that VA will be undertaking efforts to reduce the hiring time of employees, as well.
“We are constantly communicating with local VA leaders to make sure that we have the staff we need to best serve our nation’s Veterans,” said VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes. “As such, leaders are empowered to make decisions at the local level about their ongoing hiring actions.”
Hayes added, “We are now primarily focused on increasing access to VA care that meets Veterans where they are.”
Consider a rural opportunity
Meeting Veterans where they are is especially important to the millions of Veterans who choose to make their homes in rural communities.
Almost a quarter of all Veterans in the United States—4.7 million—return from active military careers to reside in communities that are not located near major medical facilities. That’s why VA is committed to providing care closer to home and building a strong rural workforce.
For someone at the start of their career, our rural facilities offer an opportunity to learn and grow. Whether it’s through formalized development plans or informal peer support, you’ll find the chance to learn the ropes and advance your career when the time is right.
For those who might be farther along in their careers, VA’s rural locations offer a regular routine and smaller patient ratios that can be appealing. That can also be liberating for an experienced professional, because unlike a private health care system, the work we do is about doing what’s best for the Veterans we serve, without concern for cost.
Regardless of where you are in your professional career, taking advantage of the opportunities available in these rural facilities can offer personal benefits, as well. From big sky country to beach life, there’s likely a rural VA facility that suits your routine.
No matter where you choose to build your future at VA, beginning every day with a fresh commitment to making life better for the more than 9 million brave men and women who count on VA means you’ll be part of a mission that matters.
Persistence provides possibilities
As many of you know, competition for jobs at VA can be fierce. Job opportunities deliver hundreds, sometimes thousands, of applications to our hiring managers and human resources specialists.
However, it only takes one to get your foot in the door.
“Don’t stop applying,” said Kendra Wilson-Hudson, a national health care recruitment consultant here at VA and a guest host for our weekly “Talk About It Tuesday” broadcasts on LinkedIn. “Continue to apply. Continue to look for responses. Always look for opportunities to update and enhance your resume.”
Many members of our team applied multiple times before landing their VA career. However, rather than giving up when they weren’t selected, they redoubled their efforts and tried again. It’s this persistence that paves the way to a VA career.
Work at VA
Hiring opportunities at VA abound, which means plenty of opportunity to join a team with a mission that matters.
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- LEARN about rural jobs.
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