America’s largest integrated health care system is the VHA that provides care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites (VHA outpatient clinics). They serve 9 million enrolled Veterans each year. To find locations in your area search the VA’s national facilities list.

The PACT Act

The increased demand for VA health care has accelerating hiring in part due to the toxic-exposure PACT Act signed into law last summer. The PACT Act is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances.

This new initiative is considered the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA history. More than 274,980 new health care enrollees signed up between August 2022 and May 2023. The agency estimates that approximately 80,000 of those veterans are linked to the agency’s PACT Act outreach program.

Total Employment

There were 442,938 employed by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs at the end of December 2022 of which 4,803 worked in the U.S. Territories and 15 overseas. This fiscal year they hired 38,433 new employees, and they intend to hire 52,000 by Sept. 30, 2023.

Active Recruiting

The VHA is making firm salary offers for prospective hires before they accept a job to fast track recruitment. They must compete with the private sector and health care is one of the fastest growing fields today.

There are thousands of openings nationwide in a wide range of occupations.  A search for registered nursing positions, open to the general public, presented over a thousand job announcements with locations across the country. A number of the announcements are for multiple positions.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), healthcare jobs will increase dramatically over the next eight to ten years.

Job Search

There has been a sea change in the federal application process since I first applied many years ago. Back then, your only option was to visit a federal building and view job listings posted on their personnel office’s walls. You had to fill out a vacancy request form, put it through a mail slot in the room, and wait for a copy of the complete job announcement to be sent to you through the mail!

Today, with a few key strokes, you literally have tens of thousands of job announcements available and with one click you start the application process online. USAJOBS allows applicants to create, edit, and store your federal resume online and you can apply for multiple positions as they arise.

The following links provide occupational details for a number of major health care careers with direct links to active job announcements on USAJOBS. You will also find interviews with federal employees currently working in these occupations:

Nursing Occupations GS-610, GS-620 and GS-621
Pharmacist GS-660
Physician GS-602
Diagnostic Radiology Technologist GS-647
Medical Technologist GS-644
Medical Records Technician (MRT) GS-0675
Nuclear Medicine Technologist GS-642
Medical Jobs (All Sectors)

Summary

It takes time and perseverance to apply for federal jobs. Unlike the private sector’s one page resume format, the federal application requires considerably more information to rate you eligible for the job. If you thoroughly read the job announcement and complete all required information, your chances improve considerably.

Print a copy of the job announcement, there is contact information for a HR specialist that you can call or email to answer any questions you may have. The benefits of federal employment are considerable and most are unaware of their generous retirement plans, vacation, and sick leave that is available to all federal employees.  

Rural Carriers generally start as part-time Rural Carrier Associates (RCAs). In most cases they are required to use their personal vehicles to deliver the mail. An Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA) of 93.5 cents per mile is added to their wage. As of Apr 3, 2023, the average weekly pay for a Rural Carrier in the United States was $908 a week. They are paid by the route and mail volume as determined by the Rural Route Evaluated Compensation System (RRECS).

RCA’s receive certain benefits including annual and sick leave but not health care. However, after one year of employment, they are able to purchase health insurance.

When there are regular rural carrier vacancies, RCA’s can apply for the position.  Regular Rural Carriers receive health benefits, annual and sick leave, and can contribute to the government’s Thrift Savings Plan. Certain regular rural carriers assigned to a route of 35 hours or more (31 paid miles or more) receive a guaranteed annual wage based on the number of hours, or miles, assigned to their route.

Rural carriers can drive as much as 100 miles per day and must drive on the right hand side of the vehicle. Some offices provide postal vehicles for rural carriers, in most cases you are required to use a personal vehicle. Rural Carriers spend several hours in the mail facility preparing their mail and then deliver it on their designated route.

Rural Route Evaluated Compensation System (RRECS)

The RRECS covers all of the rural carrier work activities on their specified rural route. This new system provides the postal service with a way to stipulate the allotted time for carriers to complete assigned work activities. The RRECS system computes the base hours for a rural route’s pay.

Basis For Pay

According to the National Rural Letter Carriers Association’s (NRLCA) Guide for the RRECS System, “For rural routes, USPS uses standard route time to define the base hours used as the basis for carrier pay. The carrier is responsible for performing all required activities on his/her defined route. When these required activities are completed, the carrier’s workday for USPS is finished regardless of the actual time required to complete the work.”

The RRECS Controversy

The postal service intends to implement modifications to the RRECS effective April 22, 2023 due to lower mail volume. Many rural carrier routes and therefore pay will decrease as a result. The NRLCA along with their legal counsel, are exploring their options to assure the data is correct and transparent to the carriers.

The postal service states, “The compensation system for rural letter carriers is a nationally negotiated pay system codified in the parties’ National Agreement. The current modifications to the compensation system were the result of a previous interest arbitration proceeding and mandated by an interest arbitrator. The parties worked jointly for years to implement these new provisions and will continue to share data and information throughout the implementation process.”

If mail volume continues to drop, route pay will change as a result. Many now pay bills online and most companies are moving to online statements. Yet, as more order online, the USPS will deliver many of those packages potentially offsetting some of the general mail volume decreases. The Postal service has the broadest mail and package delivery system in America.  

Summary

Route changes are inevitable with declining mail volume and the postal service and union are working to ensure fairness is applied across the board. Unfortunately, many RCAs will experience a pay cut as a result.

With reduced mail volume there is less mail sorting required in the mornings at the central facility before leaving to deliver mail. The RCA’s required activities are reduced and they are free to go home when finished, regardless of the route schedule’s allotted time.

I believe the postal service will consolidate rural routes as carriers retire to restore rural carrier’s pay, for those most impacted, to previous levels or higher. You can review most postal service pay tables online.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently launched a new federal internship portal on USAJOBS. The Federal Internship Portal, located at https://intern.usajobs.gov, centralizes the application process for those seeking internships with the federal government.

Current students or recent graduates may be eligible for federal internships and job opportunities through the Pathways and other student programs.

You will find internships in most sectors and industries, from health care, cybersecurity, administrative, and conservation, to everything in between. Many internships are now posted with additional postings weekly. Federal internships are a great way to start your public service career and expand your knowledge in a multitude of disciplines.

This new service supports federal government’s ability to recruit, hire, develop, promote, and retain some of the nation’s best talent as outlined in Executive Order 14035.

There are currently over 90 intern job announcements advertised on USAJOBS. Many with multiple positions available nationwide.  

The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program

The PMF Program is administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Candidates apply to be selected as finalists that are appointed as Presidential Management Fellows at federal agencies nationwide. Those with advanced degrees from multiple academic disciplines can apply for the PMF program this fall.

The 2024 PMF announcement is due to be released this September. Students are able to use this two-year fellowship to attain leadership positions in the federal government.  Explore the PMF application process now to confirm your eligibility.