I have over 32 years of military service between the US Marine Corps and the Army National Guard.  Since employed with the Social Security Administration (SSA), I have deployed twice to Afghanistan (2006 and 2010) with my Army National Guard unit. 

My supervisors and co-workers have been extremely supportive of my military career and my deployments. I could not have asked for more support from an employer.  I have been with the SSA for 13 years, beginning my career in 1998 as a Service Representative (GS-5).  Currently, I serve as a Claims Representative (GS-11) – which I’ve been doing for the past 9 years.  My primary function is to handle retirement, disability and SSI claims. I conduct numerous phone and face-to-face interviews to accomplish this task.

My experience with the Federal Employment Process has been pretty good. Initially, I saw an ad in the local newspaper and applied for the job as a Claims Representative. I had 2 interviews for that position but was not hired. Apparently, they kept my resume on file because a couple of weeks later, I received a call advising me of a job in another office. I subsequently interviewed for that position and was hired after 2 more interviews.

Advice to veterans seeking employment: Prepare a good resume.  If you are unable to develop one on your own, I recommend that you have it done professionally. That first impression begins with the resume and not necessarily the interview.  Good luck!!