Working for the federal government is the dream that many Public Health professionals long for, whether it is being in the loop of everything that is going on or if it for the benefits that come with such job. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is one of those ideal jobs that I hope to work for when I obtain my degree in Public Health.
This type of job is through the government, which opens up many different doors when it comes to funding and just the overall experience of the workforce. There are many locations throughout the nation as well as some that are international. When starting out with the VA there are many levels to where a civilian can enter in the company. One can start off has an undergrad doing an internship, which is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door, though you may be doing simple jobs such as copying and faxing there is still the chance that you will get to shadow someone of your perspective career. But there is a small chance that after the internship and you have obtained your degree that a job opportunity will present itself, that is if you did a good job. No one wants to hire the intern that didn't do anything or who just plain out "SUCKED".
Let's just get to one of the most important issues when it comes to having a career, yes it has great benefits and the salary isn't that bad either. Just as the military has pay grades so does the VA, because it is a federal job. Though as a person fresh out of undergrad your experience level may not be the highest, so most often you will start at a low pay grade. Entry levels usually start at the pay grade 1 to 3 with many opportunities for advancement. The Federal Government pushes for those in lower positions to strive for excellence and want to excel and move up in ranks, because that just open the doors for more people to learn and specialize.
There are many positions that are offered through the VA, some of which you don't have to have any background r because there are chances where you can be trained for that job. The opportunities are limitless, and open for student like us to reach out and grab them. Most jobs right out of college with the VA will start at the high $20,000 and will increase with more experience and education. I urge you to look at the VA as the gateway to a new life of development and progression.
I also think that the department of veteran’s affairs has great career opportunities. I think I would also enjoy working for the VA and being able to work with other veterans as well. I love the idea that the VA also has different locations through the U.S. If I were to work for the VA I would probably choose a job working with the department of (EES) Environmental Epidemiology Services. Their job focuses of conducting epidemiologic research and health surveillance with veterans, mainly those who served in combat deployments and use the VA facilities. And your right, the only downside is the pay; entry level workers really don’t make enough money to sustain a decent living. But I do think that there are many opportunities for advancement and also many other benefits that will make this job worth it in the long run.
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