Posted on Jun 17, 2016
Is working for the VA rewarding or simply a typical government job full of bureaucracy and hierarchy?
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I am currently considering a healthcare administration career with the VA in order to work in an intrinsically motivating job that will allow me to help my fellow veterans. However, I am fully aware of the issues and leadership problems that the Veterans Administration is currently battling and the stigma that working in government carries. Would anyone working for the VA provide insight?
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Government Administration
Career Advice
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 56
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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.
You can be one of those administrators who can affect change.
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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.
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CPL Daniel Schwinge
I wish they would "clean house" fire all management that are not prior service. Then and only then will the culture change.
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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!!
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!!
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CPT Jason Mitchell, MBA
SrA Sarah Dauback - Great examples of both types of situations working for the VA. I'm in New Orleans now, so the new VA Healthcare office should be opening the beginning of next year. Hopefully, due to the massive amount of investment in the facility and new workforce, the leadership here will have the motivation to weed out the low-performing current employees. The only thing I can do is cross my fingers, network with current VA employees locally, and apply to the right roles for me. Any suggestions on applying? I've taken some of the online courses for veterans applying to federal jobs, but input from current employees/past employees is always welcome.
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SrA Sarah Dauback
CPT MITCHELL: The best piece of advice I can give you is read every job description thoroughly and study the KSAs listed for each position. Then, look at your resume and ensure that if you have the experience they want, you have it described on your resume using similar words to what is in the KSAs. You may have to slightly adjust your resume for each position you apply to to, but make sure your skills are described as closely as possible to what VA wants. HR will not attempt to determine whether what you've listed on your resume is the same thing as a KSA listed in the announcement. Make sure you submit ALL documentation required in the listing or you will be excluded from consideration.
And don't be surprised if there's a wait even for a position for which you've received an interview invitation. From the closing date on the position I applied for to the time I interviewed was about two months, then another couple of months before I received a job offer, so it could be months. Hurry up and wait at it's best!!
I hope you get your dream job with VA, Cap! When a VA facility is great, it's a phenomenal place to work. Got my my fingers crossed for ya. Nothing beats the feeling at the end of every workday like knowing you've helped fellow veterans. Even the days where everything that could go wrong did, there is still a huge sense of peace because you were allowed to make a difference in someone's life.
And don't be surprised if there's a wait even for a position for which you've received an interview invitation. From the closing date on the position I applied for to the time I interviewed was about two months, then another couple of months before I received a job offer, so it could be months. Hurry up and wait at it's best!!
I hope you get your dream job with VA, Cap! When a VA facility is great, it's a phenomenal place to work. Got my my fingers crossed for ya. Nothing beats the feeling at the end of every workday like knowing you've helped fellow veterans. Even the days where everything that could go wrong did, there is still a huge sense of peace because you were allowed to make a difference in someone's life.
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