Helping veterans find work in a tight job market

Reminder: Don't forget about the spouse! My husband is 100% disabled and cannot work. I can work but have not been able to find a job under Veterans' Preference. (I do this blog for free) While it was wonderful I was able to go back to college and get certification in Digital Media with help from the VA, I'll still have student loans to pay back.

When I am lucky enough to get an interview in Digital Media and mention this to them, they have no idea what I'm talking about. If you are a spouse or Mom you need to know this.

Family Member Preference (Derived Preference)

Derived Preference is a method where you, as the spouse, widow/widower, or mother of a veteran may be eligible to claim veterans' preference when your veteran is unable to use it. You will be given XP Preference (10 points) in appointment if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Both a mother and a spouse (including widow or widower) may be entitled to preference on the basis of the same veteran's service if they both meet the requirements. However, neither may receive preference if the veteran is living and is qualified for Federal employment.

NOTE: The derived preference for spouses is different than the preference the Department of Defense is required by law to extend to spouses of active duty members in filling its civilian positions. For more information on that program, contact your local Department of Defense personnel office.

Spouses are eligible when your veteran has a service-connected disability and has been unable to qualify for any position in the civil service.

Widows/Widowers are eligible if you did not divorce your veteran spouse, have not remarried, or the remarriage was annulled, and the veteran: served during a war or during the period April 28, 1952, through July 1, 1955, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized; OR died while on active duty that included service described immediately above under conditions that would not have been the basis for other than an honorable or general discharge.

Mothers of deceased veterans veterans are eligible when your son or daughter died under honorable conditions while on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized. Additionally, you must: be or have been married to the father of your veteran; AND live with a permanently disabled husband; OR be widowed, divorced, or separated from the veteran's father and have not remarried; OR if remarried be widowed, divorced, or legally separated from your husband at the time you claim derived preference.

Mothers of disabled veterans are eligible if your son or daughter was separated with an honorable or general discharge from active duty, including training service in the Reserves or National Guard, and is permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected injury or illness. Additionally, you must: be or have been married to the father of your veteran; AND live with a permanently disabled husband; OR be widowed, divorced, or separated from the veteran's father and have not remarried; OR if remarried, be widowed, divorced, or legally separated from your husband at the time you claim derived preference.

NOTE: Preference is not given to widows or mothers of deceased veterans who qualify for preference under 5 U.S.C. 2108 (1) (B), (C) or (2). Thus, widows or mothers of deceased disabled veterans who served after 1955, but did not serve in a war, campaign, or expedition, would not be entitled to claim preference.

Military Spouse Preference is a Department of Defense program applicable to positions being filled both in the continental United States and at overseas locations. For more information contact you local Department of Defense personnel office.

If you are looking for a job, print this from the link above and take it on your interview.

Helping veterans find work in a tight job market
By Hayley Tsukayama
Published: May 30

Military veterans face a major communications gap when looking for jobs in the civilian world. That’s what a survey from Monster.com, one of the world’s leading job sites, found when it took a deeper look at how veterans fare in the job market once they leave military service.

On Wednesday, Monster released the Veterans Talent Index, a report based on surveys of veterans looking for work and of the employers who are seeking to hire them. This is the second index the company has done; Monster plans to revisit the project every six months or so.

“We created the VTI to shine a light on the problems that vets are having in finding jobs,” said Steve Cooker, Monster’s executive vice president and head of global government solutions.

Veterans’ confidence in being able to find a job is dropping, the study found, as they face a tough job market. The unemployment rate is particularly high for 18- to 24-year-old veterans, said Jeff Quinn, Monster Worldwide’s vice president of global insights. They are finding it tough to compete for scarce jobs against peers who have not served in the military but instead have a few years of additional education or work experience under their belts. Cooker said the problem will only get larger as government budget cuts prompt more people look for jobs outside of the military.
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