PART III · BUILDING A LIFE · CH 06
Getting hired, or hiring yourself
Your service counts for something in hiring, but only if you know which door it opens. Here are the federal, state and small-business doors, and what it takes to get through each.
Where your service helps
I'm a Marine, and I work in IT. Here's what I'd tell a buddy looking for work: there are programs built to get veterans in front of the people doing the hiring. Some give you an edge in federal hiring. Some put you at the front of the line for free job training. Some help you start your own business.
None of them do the work for you. They get you seen. The rest is on you, same as always.
Federal veterans' preference
Veterans' preference gives eligible veterans an edge over non-veterans in many federal hiring decisions. It's based on when you served, a campaign badge, a Purple Heart, or a service-connected disability. Not all active duty counts. You need to have been discharged under honorable conditions, meaning an honorable or general discharge.
5-point preference
For veterans who served:
- During a war, or April 28, 1952 through July 1, 1955.
- More than 180 consecutive days, not for training, any part of it after January 31, 1955 and before October 15, 1976.
- During the Gulf War, August 2, 1990 through January 2, 1992.
- More than 180 consecutive days, not for training, any part of it on or after September 11, 2001.
- In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal was authorized.
Notice the gap. Peacetime service between October 1976 and August 1990 doesn't count on dates alone. If you served in the late 1980s, check whether you were still on active duty on or after August 2, 1990, or hold a campaign or expeditionary medal.
10-point preference
For a veteran who served at any time and has a service-connected disability, or received a Purple Heart. You claim it with an SF-15 and your proof.
Source: OPM: Vet Guide for HR Professionals and OPM FedsHireVets: Veterans' preference (checked 2026-10)
FedsHireVets and the special hiring authorities
FedsHireVets is OPM's site for veterans looking for federal work. Beyond preference, it explains three hiring authorities that let agencies bring veterans on in ways they can't for the general public:
If a job announcement mentions one of these and you think you fit, say so in your application and attach the paperwork. HR can't give you what you don't claim.
Source: OPM FedsHireVets: Vets (checked 2026-10)
American Job Centers and priority of service
The Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) works through American Job Centers, the local offices that offer job search help, training and recruitment services.
Under the Jobs for Veterans Act, veterans and eligible spouses get priority of service in every Labor Department-funded job training program, including programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. In practice, that means you get served first, or ahead of others when there are limited seats. Tell them you're a veteran at the front desk.
Find your local center through CareerOneStop, or call VETS at 1-866-237-0275.
Source: DOL VETS: Employment services and DOL ETA: Jobs for Veterans Act (checked 2026-10)
SkillBridge: for those still in
SkillBridge is for service members, not veterans. During your last 180 days of service, you can get up to 180 days of permissive duty to train, apprentice or intern with a civilian employer, with your unit commander's approval. Once you're out, it's gone.
If you're getting close to separation, bring it up with your command early. The day counts and approval rules vary by service and rank, and your command has to sign off.
Source: Military OneSource: SkillBridge (checked 2026-10)
Working for yourself: SBA
The Small Business Administration has programs built for veterans and service members:
- Boots to Business: an entrepreneurship course that's part of the military's Transition Assistance Program, taught on installations worldwide. Boots to Business Reboot is the version for veterans of any era and Guard and Reserve members.
- Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs): business plan workshops, concept assessments, mentorship and training for service members, veterans and Guard and Reserve members.
- Federal contracting: the government sets aside part of its contracting dollars for veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. SBA's veteran certification shows whether you're eligible.
- Loans: SBA's general loan programs, plus a disaster loan program for businesses hurt when an owner or key employee in the Guard or Reserve is called up.
Source: SBA: Veteran-owned businesses and SBA: Veterans (checked 2026-10)
New York: start with the state
New York State's Department of Veterans' Services has Veterans Benefits Advisors, all veterans themselves, who will walk you through state programs and prepare and file claims. Call 1-888-838-7697, or find an office or mobile outreach van on their site.
On jobs specifically, the state lists:
- NYS Department of Labor: priority service for veterans in all state employment and training programs.
- Civil service credits: eligible veterans may get additional credit on civil service exams and toward state retirement.
- Veterans Vendor's License: a free lifetime license for eligible veterans who served overseas, in peace or war.
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business certification: for state contracting opportunities.
Source: NYS Department of Veterans' Services and NYS DVS: Employment (checked 2026-10)
Source: VA: Accredited representative FAQs (checked 2026-10)