Veteran’s Preference Points – Guide

If you are a Veteran you have a couple of different tools that can give you an edge in getting a civil service (Federal) job: the Preference Points and Veteran’s Recruitment Appointment rule.

The following is a summary of these tools and how they can help:

• Preference Points Overview
• General Requirements for Preference
• Types of Preference
• How it Works
• Filing Applications After Examinations Have Closed
• Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA)

Veteran’s Employment Preference Points Overview

By law, veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during certain specified time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preference over non veterans both in hiring from competitive lists of eligibles and in retention during reductions in force.

The goal of the Veteran’s Preference is not to the place a veteran in every vacant Federal job. However, preference does provide a uniform method by which special consideration is given to qualified veterans seeking Federal employment.

Preference applies in hiring from civil service examinations, for most excepted service jobs, and when agencies make temporary appointments or use direct hire and delegated examining authorities from the U. S. Office of Personnel Management.

General Requirements for Preference

To be entitled to preference, a veteran must meet the eligibility requirements in section 2108 of title 5, United States Code. This means that:

• An honorable or general discharge is necessary.
• Military retirees at the rank of major, lieutenant commander, or higher are not eligible for preference unless they are disabled veterans.
• Guard and Reserve active duty for training purposes does not qualify for preference.
• When applying for Federal jobs, eligible veterans should claim preference on their application or resume. Applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete form SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference.

Read the Full Details at Military.com >>