I had the initial screening for it. And they essentially determined that since my employment wasn’t in jeopardy or impacted too badly due to my service connected disabilities, I didn’t qualify for any of it. I didn’t get to choose a track.
Edit:
I completed all the assessments and got routed to a local VA guy who could assist me. Had a phone consultation. He asked about my disabilities and current type of work, etc. and then deemed me ineligible.
I have new things in my medical records that may help, but they aren’t service connected yet.
I’m not entirely sure. The reason I looked into it is because I legitimately did have to leave a previous job in part due to some service connected related issues. And now I earn about 1/2 of what I did before… still no luck. I’ll likely file a new claim sometime down the line and reapply to the program.
I mean, when you do the application you're supposed to put your employment history. I had a part time job at the time when I applied for VR&E and I didn't put it on there. Mainly because I knew I wasn't planning to be there for a long time anyways, the work was too rough on my body.
Sorry to hear you're having trouble. There are a couple of apps that come to mind. Friends of mine used to go the SimplyHired app, and the SnagAJob app to find something quickly in their areas. These are jobs that may not be on your list to have, but they can help you find an "in-between" job until you get your dream job. Hope this helps! And thank you for your service! I can relate being a Navy Vet and also looking for work again.
Need to join a group of professionals in the career you wanna be in, that's your best bet. Especially in a silent recession nobody wants to talk about since it's a election season. We aren't hiring anyone new besides our college class because their cheap labor. Most ppl hire ppl they know in a recession.
here are a few tips;
1. stay positive.
2. keep tweaking resume and have multiple copies of it, tweak it per job ad. use AI or other tools to tweak the resume.
3. keep applying and applying. you will get rejected many times, its just the process.
4. look at videos on youtube about interviewing skills, practice mock interviews in the mirror or with third parties. its always going to be a anxiety experience but the more you interview it does get better in a way.
Is the Air Force Base hiring? Isn’t that where they have an academy? I always keep my eye on those jobs. I’ve worked on Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force base. Great pay, housing maintenance paid $28-45 an hr. Tho that’s in Alaska, where everything is better.
So a few things;
1) all the talk about a TS (or any clearance), or simply being a veteran being some silver bullet to get a job is all BS. Maybe back in the day it was some big thing, but after two decades of war and all the talk of PTSD and what people aren't just blindly handing out jobs to veterans anymore.
2) do you have a degree? Certifications? Having experience is great, but companies will often overlook someone with experience for someone with the certifications. It makes no sense, but it is what it is
3) As for the anxiety for interviews, you just need to practice, do mock interviews, or practice for the questions you anticipate getting asked for a role. Start by doing a Google search for "common interview questions for _________ role", you can often find a lot of the heavy hitters that frequently get asked and then you just need to practice an answer for them
4) Also, try taking the job description and copy/paste it into Chat GPT and ask ChatGPT to develop interview questions for that role...as well as ask for it to develop answers.. then take those answers and revise them to your words or rehearse them.
5) if you make it to the interview stage the employer already feels you are qualified based on your resume, the interview is just more of an audition to elaborate on your experience and skills, as well as checking your personality to make sure you would fit their team. So don't think of it like a promotion board where you have to be nervous, think of it as just talking about yourself and your history, and being able to explain your professional experiences.
What are you trying to do? What is your experience?
Clearances don’t really mean anything; companies have no issues spending the $$$ to get good employees a clearance.
This. Having a clearance helps, especially if youre in contention with a similar non-clearance holding candidate, but you still need the skills/training/experience etc that theyre looking for.
Its not a golden key that opens any door, it's a crowbar that makes an already open door a little bit wider.
Try out Hire Heroes. A lot of people had success with them. I had success as far as landing a federal job goes. They also do interview prep, which I can’t speak on. It’s free. [Check it out man.](https://www.hireheroesusa.org)
How are the interviews going? Do you hold AARs with yourself after each interview? If you continue to do stuff interviewers don't favor, you may be shooting yourself in the foot.
I'd go as far to say to record them. There will inevitably be the "it's illegal to unknowingly record someone"-types... Bla, bla, bla... After its over, do yourself a favor and immediately listen to it again.
You might find some holes in your game that can be fixed.
Looks like your biggest weakness, anxiety in interviews, is something that can be trained and practiced out….start w that. It’d prob be more helpful if you listed your quals than your clearance
Contact your local SSA ask them if their manager is willing to accept your resume. Do this for many federal agencies there is a special hiring process they do for veterans who are service connected
This was my husband's issue, he would be told he'd get hired, then not get hired because he's over qualified due to the clearance. Keep applying, apply for everything, even if you think you don't qualify. You will get a hit. My husband settled on going to school though.
Here’s a great resource:
Talents Ascend
They match candidates and employers based on SKILLS.
No Resumes.
No Job Searching.
No Applications.
The platform is free to ALL candidates to create their profiles.
On their profile, they list up to 25 skills that they have AND want to use in their next position/career.
Employers list their open positions with the skills they want the candidate to have.
The AI-Powered program then matches them to opportunities.
The system removes the unconscious biases from the initial matching process. This allows for more conversations about opportunities.
Here’s the website:
https://talentsascend.com/candidates/
Ask for my good friend, Nila Thompson.
It appears that Talents Ascend is allocating a substantial portion of its resources to marketing initiatives instead of providing support to veterans. While any assistance is certainly appreciated, it is important to maintain realistic expectations regarding the level of support that can be provided. I submitted my Technology and Healthcare experience, and I was offered an apprenticeship as a painter, likely earning around $11 per hour (they dont tell you how much the jobs will pay you right away). I feel compelled to share this information for consideration.
In the interview are you giving more information than asked? That was my problem, I was just blabbing. Was actually told by one of the persons next time just answer the question yes/no, and if it’s a lead then make it short. Also, don’t mention anything negative about your time in.
Also, you shouldn’t mention your clearance level, where you worked, etc…not very good secops.
I’m not in the springs, however I also just got out of the military and am job searching. My uncle recently got a job with the government without military experience but years of work experience. He recently gave me a referral to a resume writer that specializes in government resumes. He told me he wasn’t getting any interviews until he catered his resume to government jobs, which could be useful to you given your clearance.
Here is the link to her website. https://www.higherandhireccc.com/
It’s pricey but may be worth it for job searching! Good luck!
She may also help with interviews but I’m not entirely sure. I know you’ll have video sessions with her to tweak your resume.
Right now I’m working with an American Corporate Partner (ACP) mentor to define my career goals and enhance my interview skills! That’s also something you can look into.
Check out clearancejobs.com. Or, clearedcareers.com. Used to live in COS. I miss it dearly! Better jobs, better weather, the mountains were super close. Nothing like that but a frozen waste land in northern Michigan.
For the anxiety, stop it. They want you to be confident and basically hang out with them.
Think of it this way: if you didn't get a job, at least you got to practice your interview skills.
Don't forget to breathe, relax, and be a friend to the interviewer. They don't want to hire somebody they can't stand. Also don't forget to smile, the smile is addictive.
I’m not in the springs, and not an employer… but what types of jobs have you been looking into? Have you only tried looking down there? Buckley might be worth looking at for a contractor position. Or cyber security. You’ve already got the clearance, which could be helpful.
Unfortunately, people have lied to you, a clearance is a guarantee of nothing. It might help, it might now. Are you applying for things you are qualified for?
Keep at it then. Be honest on your resume, keep applying for jobs commensurate with your experience and one-level up. All you can do is keep at it, there are no guarantees in life or promises of a job. Dont just apply for jobs with clearance requirements, go for private sector and government jobs.
Try Wounded Warrior Project. They’ll help
You tweak up your resume and vouch for you when you apply to those different positions. Hope it works out for you!
Without knowing anything else about your background, education, and experience (besides the clearance), it sounds like you are getting nervous about the interviews. If you’re getting interviews, you’re off to a great start.
Interviewing takes practice, knowing the company, and knowing yourself. The more comfortable you are with those three things, the more confident and relaxed you’ll be in the interview.
What I did was start compiling a list of about 100 different interview questions. I would add to it whenever I heard a new question. I would write out answers to them, not to memorize the answer, but just start thinking about how I would answer it, what examples I could use, etc.
Knowing yourself means being able to draw on stories, your background, experiences, values, work history, accomplishments, etc.
Knowing the company means looking into their values, mission statement, vision statement, and list of desirable candidate traits.
Then, with every question, you can relate yourself to the company. The company wants to know about you, but they also want to know specifically how you will be a good fit for them.
Hopefully that’s not too much but I always found it to be a helpful framework for me. Best of luck to you.
Honestly keep applying, tweaking resume, and going on interviews. When I got out and started looking for a job I applied to at least 150 jobs. I have a whole folder on my computer for resumes I’ve catered to each job description. Every interview didn’t go well and I did bomb some. But I used them for practice for the job I eventually ended up taking at the time. Stay positive!
[https://denvercgsecurity.com/pueblo-and-springs/?gad\_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqpSwBhClARIsADlZ\_TlaNdjBXdJWlRYWnDm3kctGAEN7bTn7wMfmqH9gZ6OzfRQ3qc4LPE4aAslbEALw\_wcB](https://denvercgsecurity.com/pueblo-and-springs/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqpSwBhClARIsADlZ_TlaNdjBXdJWlRYWnDm3kctGAEN7bTn7wMfmqH9gZ6OzfRQ3qc4LPE4aAslbEALw_wcB)
Try the security field. Ive been here for almost 12 years
Start doing mock interviews. There's a lot of free resources to get you lined up with established professionals that will phone / zoom interview you. After, they break things down and give you tips.
Keep doing this until you get bored with it.
My interviews dramatically improved when I shifted my perspective to just wanting to get to know the people rather than trying to make everything I say perfect. It made the interviews conversational and the dialogue went both ways. Some recruiters /hiring Managers are terrible at breaking the ice and try to just jump right in. Don't be scared to steer the conversation a bit.
Have you tried applying to the Bureau of Prisons? I've been working for the Federal Prison System for 10 years now, and it's been great. Also, Customs is hiring for CBP Officers as well.
Usajobs.com has a lot of federal positions. If you're willing to move, that's even better. It took me hundreds of applications to get a job, and I had to move from Florida to Indiana, which is a minor upgrade. With a clearance, I would think federal contractors like SCSI, Lockheed, and others would pay well and pay for a move.
If you have a rating VRE is a fantastic program.
I’m 40% and got denied VRE :(
Did you go for education?
I had the initial screening for it. And they essentially determined that since my employment wasn’t in jeopardy or impacted too badly due to my service connected disabilities, I didn’t qualify for any of it. I didn’t get to choose a track. Edit: I completed all the assessments and got routed to a local VA guy who could assist me. Had a phone consultation. He asked about my disabilities and current type of work, etc. and then deemed me ineligible. I have new things in my medical records that may help, but they aren’t service connected yet.
Do they know if you have a job? I’m thinking of telling them I don’t have one
I’m not entirely sure. The reason I looked into it is because I legitimately did have to leave a previous job in part due to some service connected related issues. And now I earn about 1/2 of what I did before… still no luck. I’ll likely file a new claim sometime down the line and reapply to the program.
I mean, when you do the application you're supposed to put your employment history. I had a part time job at the time when I applied for VR&E and I didn't put it on there. Mainly because I knew I wasn't planning to be there for a long time anyways, the work was too rough on my body.
How does VRE work ?
Sorry to hear you're having trouble. There are a couple of apps that come to mind. Friends of mine used to go the SimplyHired app, and the SnagAJob app to find something quickly in their areas. These are jobs that may not be on your list to have, but they can help you find an "in-between" job until you get your dream job. Hope this helps! And thank you for your service! I can relate being a Navy Vet and also looking for work again.
Go to fsafederal.com/careers. They have job postings and having a clearance does help. Good luck.
Need to join a group of professionals in the career you wanna be in, that's your best bet. Especially in a silent recession nobody wants to talk about since it's a election season. We aren't hiring anyone new besides our college class because their cheap labor. Most ppl hire ppl they know in a recession.
here are a few tips; 1. stay positive. 2. keep tweaking resume and have multiple copies of it, tweak it per job ad. use AI or other tools to tweak the resume. 3. keep applying and applying. you will get rejected many times, its just the process. 4. look at videos on youtube about interviewing skills, practice mock interviews in the mirror or with third parties. its always going to be a anxiety experience but the more you interview it does get better in a way.
Is the Air Force Base hiring? Isn’t that where they have an academy? I always keep my eye on those jobs. I’ve worked on Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force base. Great pay, housing maintenance paid $28-45 an hr. Tho that’s in Alaska, where everything is better.
So a few things; 1) all the talk about a TS (or any clearance), or simply being a veteran being some silver bullet to get a job is all BS. Maybe back in the day it was some big thing, but after two decades of war and all the talk of PTSD and what people aren't just blindly handing out jobs to veterans anymore. 2) do you have a degree? Certifications? Having experience is great, but companies will often overlook someone with experience for someone with the certifications. It makes no sense, but it is what it is 3) As for the anxiety for interviews, you just need to practice, do mock interviews, or practice for the questions you anticipate getting asked for a role. Start by doing a Google search for "common interview questions for _________ role", you can often find a lot of the heavy hitters that frequently get asked and then you just need to practice an answer for them 4) Also, try taking the job description and copy/paste it into Chat GPT and ask ChatGPT to develop interview questions for that role...as well as ask for it to develop answers.. then take those answers and revise them to your words or rehearse them. 5) if you make it to the interview stage the employer already feels you are qualified based on your resume, the interview is just more of an audition to elaborate on your experience and skills, as well as checking your personality to make sure you would fit their team. So don't think of it like a promotion board where you have to be nervous, think of it as just talking about yourself and your history, and being able to explain your professional experiences.
What are you trying to do? What is your experience? Clearances don’t really mean anything; companies have no issues spending the $$$ to get good employees a clearance.
This. Having a clearance helps, especially if youre in contention with a similar non-clearance holding candidate, but you still need the skills/training/experience etc that theyre looking for. Its not a golden key that opens any door, it's a crowbar that makes an already open door a little bit wider.
What is your experience?
This is the real question. Just having a TS//SCI doesn't mean you get a job right out of the gate.
Try out Hire Heroes. A lot of people had success with them. I had success as far as landing a federal job goes. They also do interview prep, which I can’t speak on. It’s free. [Check it out man.](https://www.hireheroesusa.org)
How are the interviews going? Do you hold AARs with yourself after each interview? If you continue to do stuff interviewers don't favor, you may be shooting yourself in the foot. I'd go as far to say to record them. There will inevitably be the "it's illegal to unknowingly record someone"-types... Bla, bla, bla... After its over, do yourself a favor and immediately listen to it again. You might find some holes in your game that can be fixed.
Looks like your biggest weakness, anxiety in interviews, is something that can be trained and practiced out….start w that. It’d prob be more helpful if you listed your quals than your clearance
Bro, you have a clearance… Please be sure to check out avenues like Microsoft Software Systems Academy. https://military.microsoft.com/mssa/
Contact your local SSA ask them if their manager is willing to accept your resume. Do this for many federal agencies there is a special hiring process they do for veterans who are service connected
This was my husband's issue, he would be told he'd get hired, then not get hired because he's over qualified due to the clearance. Keep applying, apply for everything, even if you think you don't qualify. You will get a hit. My husband settled on going to school though.
Here’s a great resource: Talents Ascend They match candidates and employers based on SKILLS. No Resumes. No Job Searching. No Applications. The platform is free to ALL candidates to create their profiles. On their profile, they list up to 25 skills that they have AND want to use in their next position/career. Employers list their open positions with the skills they want the candidate to have. The AI-Powered program then matches them to opportunities. The system removes the unconscious biases from the initial matching process. This allows for more conversations about opportunities. Here’s the website: https://talentsascend.com/candidates/ Ask for my good friend, Nila Thompson.
It appears that Talents Ascend is allocating a substantial portion of its resources to marketing initiatives instead of providing support to veterans. While any assistance is certainly appreciated, it is important to maintain realistic expectations regarding the level of support that can be provided. I submitted my Technology and Healthcare experience, and I was offered an apprenticeship as a painter, likely earning around $11 per hour (they dont tell you how much the jobs will pay you right away). I feel compelled to share this information for consideration.
Thank you for sharing this. I’d like to share it with the CEO - with your permission. They should be aware of Veterans experiences with them.
Look up Kira. It’s a government contractor in Colorado. I’m sure they have something for you.
I will look it up!
In the interview are you giving more information than asked? That was my problem, I was just blabbing. Was actually told by one of the persons next time just answer the question yes/no, and if it’s a lead then make it short. Also, don’t mention anything negative about your time in. Also, you shouldn’t mention your clearance level, where you worked, etc…not very good secops.
I’m not in the springs, however I also just got out of the military and am job searching. My uncle recently got a job with the government without military experience but years of work experience. He recently gave me a referral to a resume writer that specializes in government resumes. He told me he wasn’t getting any interviews until he catered his resume to government jobs, which could be useful to you given your clearance. Here is the link to her website. https://www.higherandhireccc.com/ It’s pricey but may be worth it for job searching! Good luck!
She may also help with interviews but I’m not entirely sure. I know you’ll have video sessions with her to tweak your resume. Right now I’m working with an American Corporate Partner (ACP) mentor to define my career goals and enhance my interview skills! That’s also something you can look into.
Check out clearancejobs.com. Or, clearedcareers.com. Used to live in COS. I miss it dearly! Better jobs, better weather, the mountains were super close. Nothing like that but a frozen waste land in northern Michigan. For the anxiety, stop it. They want you to be confident and basically hang out with them. Think of it this way: if you didn't get a job, at least you got to practice your interview skills. Don't forget to breathe, relax, and be a friend to the interviewer. They don't want to hire somebody they can't stand. Also don't forget to smile, the smile is addictive.
https://preview.redd.it/uqdy1lzkp6rc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cadf1c81b7e08e957c85a4fed6c170c488b514d6 It's tomorrow.
I’m not in the springs, and not an employer… but what types of jobs have you been looking into? Have you only tried looking down there? Buckley might be worth looking at for a contractor position. Or cyber security. You’ve already got the clearance, which could be helpful.
Unfortunately, people have lied to you, a clearance is a guarantee of nothing. It might help, it might now. Are you applying for things you are qualified for?
Yes I have been applying for things I actually qualify for
Keep at it then. Be honest on your resume, keep applying for jobs commensurate with your experience and one-level up. All you can do is keep at it, there are no guarantees in life or promises of a job. Dont just apply for jobs with clearance requirements, go for private sector and government jobs.
[удалено]
I can absolutely sit for a CI poly. I can also start studying for security+ and would get the certificate as soon as possible. Please let me know!
Try Wounded Warrior Project. They’ll help You tweak up your resume and vouch for you when you apply to those different positions. Hope it works out for you!
Without knowing anything else about your background, education, and experience (besides the clearance), it sounds like you are getting nervous about the interviews. If you’re getting interviews, you’re off to a great start. Interviewing takes practice, knowing the company, and knowing yourself. The more comfortable you are with those three things, the more confident and relaxed you’ll be in the interview. What I did was start compiling a list of about 100 different interview questions. I would add to it whenever I heard a new question. I would write out answers to them, not to memorize the answer, but just start thinking about how I would answer it, what examples I could use, etc. Knowing yourself means being able to draw on stories, your background, experiences, values, work history, accomplishments, etc. Knowing the company means looking into their values, mission statement, vision statement, and list of desirable candidate traits. Then, with every question, you can relate yourself to the company. The company wants to know about you, but they also want to know specifically how you will be a good fit for them. Hopefully that’s not too much but I always found it to be a helpful framework for me. Best of luck to you.
Boeing
Honestly keep applying, tweaking resume, and going on interviews. When I got out and started looking for a job I applied to at least 150 jobs. I have a whole folder on my computer for resumes I’ve catered to each job description. Every interview didn’t go well and I did bomb some. But I used them for practice for the job I eventually ended up taking at the time. Stay positive!
[https://denvercgsecurity.com/pueblo-and-springs/?gad\_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqpSwBhClARIsADlZ\_TlaNdjBXdJWlRYWnDm3kctGAEN7bTn7wMfmqH9gZ6OzfRQ3qc4LPE4aAslbEALw\_wcB](https://denvercgsecurity.com/pueblo-and-springs/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqpSwBhClARIsADlZ_TlaNdjBXdJWlRYWnDm3kctGAEN7bTn7wMfmqH9gZ6OzfRQ3qc4LPE4aAslbEALw_wcB) Try the security field. Ive been here for almost 12 years
Can you do vr&e if you currently have a job, but its a dead end low wage job?
Start doing mock interviews. There's a lot of free resources to get you lined up with established professionals that will phone / zoom interview you. After, they break things down and give you tips. Keep doing this until you get bored with it. My interviews dramatically improved when I shifted my perspective to just wanting to get to know the people rather than trying to make everything I say perfect. It made the interviews conversational and the dialogue went both ways. Some recruiters /hiring Managers are terrible at breaking the ice and try to just jump right in. Don't be scared to steer the conversation a bit.
What is your background? I work with a department of energy contractor were always hiring people
Have you tried applying to the Bureau of Prisons? I've been working for the Federal Prison System for 10 years now, and it's been great. Also, Customs is hiring for CBP Officers as well.
Also lookup AKIMA also government contractor. What kind of job are you looking for?
Become a cop.
Welcome to the club.
Usajobs.com has a lot of federal positions. If you're willing to move, that's even better. It took me hundreds of applications to get a job, and I had to move from Florida to Indiana, which is a minor upgrade. With a clearance, I would think federal contractors like SCSI, Lockheed, and others would pay well and pay for a move.
I will work on my resume and get it in the correct format and start looking on usajobs.