Federal Job Search Tips: Veteran’s Preference
The nation’s largest employer, the federal government, is expected to hire approximately 273,000 new workers over the course of the next three years to satisfy the new Administration’s initiatives and replace its rapidly retiring baby-boomer workforce. With this in mind, and given the current state of the economy, it’s no wonder that many job seekers with military experience look to MilitaryResumes.com for professional military federal resume writing services.
One of Military Resumes’ most frequently asked questions is, “how do I determine my veteran’s preference points?” This article aims to answer that question in summary. For the most comprehensive explanation and additional qualifiers, please visit the Office of Personnel Management’s website on veteran’s preference at http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/ei3.asp.
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 in appointments to federal jobs.
Each federal application package is rated and receives a numerical score based on qualification factors. A minimum score is required for consideration and referral. Let’s say that the minimum passing examination score or rating for a certain job is set at 60. A veteran with a score of 60 based on her examination or rating alone may not be as competitive as a civilian with a score of 65. However, because this veteran has 10 veteran’s preference points, she actually has a score of 70 and thus is more competitive than her civilian counterpart.
Here is how to determine your veteran’s preference points:
5-POINT PREFERENCE (TP)
5 points are added to the passing examination score or rating of a veteran who served:
-During a war.
-For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955 and before October 15, 1976.
-During the Gulf War from August 2, 1990 through January 2, 1992.
-For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning September 11, 2001 and ending on the date prescribed as the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
-In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized. Any Armed Forces Expeditionary medal or campaign badge, including El Salvador, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and Haiti, qualifies for preference.
10-POINT COMPENSABLE DISABILITY PREFERENCE (CP)
10 points are added to the passing examination score or rating of a veteran who served at anytime and who has a compensable service-connected disability rating of at least 10 percent but less than 30 percent.
10-POINT 30 PERCENT COMPENSABLE DISABILITY PREFERENCE (CPS)
10 points are added to the passing examination score or rating of a veteran who served at anytime and who has a compensable service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.
10-POINT DISABILITY PREFERENCE (XP)
10 points are added to the passing examination score or rating of a veteran who served at anytime and has a present service-connected disability or is receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension from the military or the Department of Veterans Affairs but does not qualify as a CP or CPS; or a veteran who received a Purple Heart.
FEDERAL HIRING PREFERENCE FOR MILITARY SPOUSES
Under guidelines recently issued by the Administration, an estimated 250,000 spouses per year will be eligible for streamlined application processes when applying to work at federal agencies that elect to use a new hiring authority that took effect this month. Spouses who are relocating because of their service member’s new assignment, some physically disabled military spouses, and unmarried survivors of service members killed in action will soon be able to bypass some of the red tape involved in applying for federal jobs.
Additional information on veteran’s preference is located at http://www.opm.gov/veterans/index.asp.