With today's economic challenges, many people are looking for work. One advantage veterans have is there's help available, especially for those seeking employment within the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Nearly 200,000 service members separate from the military to reenter the civilian workforce each year. As an initiative to continue supporting and honoring the service of heroes, the department established the Veteran Employment Coordination Service. The VECS staff helps to attract, recruit and assist in the hire of veterans into VA, particularly the most severely injured servicemembers returning from the Global War on Terror.

The VECS program was established in 2008 and offers 10 regional offices to advocate on behalf of veterans. It provides a host of hands-on services to assist those seeking employment in the VA; help them avoid many of the common mistakes applicants make when applying for Federal employment; assist veterans in measuring existing competencies by assessing military occupational qualifications, skills and experience; and serve as coaches, case managers and one-on-one peer counselors to assist them in adjusting to their new work environment.

Veterans comprise approximately 30 percent of VA's 287,000 employees, and 8 percent are service-connected disabled veterans, according to the VA Web site. The VA also ranks first among non-defense agencies in the hiring of disabled veterans; second only to the Department of Defense in overall number of veterans.

The most frequent question human resource specialists hear from applicants is, 'How can I use my veteran preference''

Veterans who are disabled and served on active duty during specified time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preference over others in hiring, according to the Veterans' Preference Act of 1944.

"When applying for a merit promotion announcement, veterans can apply because of their status as a veteran," explained John Walker, a human resources specialist with the Atlanta VA Medical Center. "Otherwise, the announcement may only be open to current federal civilian employees. The veteran still must meet the qualifications for the job.

Veteran preference comes into play when veterans apply for a position that is processed through a delegated examining unit.

"Those jobs are open to the public," Walker said. "After reviewing the qualifications, the DEU assigns points to that application. The veteran's preference gives those applications additional points, based on the disability rating."

Under the Veteran Recruitment Appointment, veterans may be appointed at various ranks within the general schedule or wage grade system, he said.

The online recruiting and application process can seem impersonal and foreign to some servicemembers. A job application is far different than the personnel action request veterans may have used on active duty. Reading the entire announcement, preparing the resume and answering the knowledge, skills and abilities portion is the first part of job hunting.

"That's our hardest hurdle: self evaluation," said Annette Taylor, Regional VECS coordinator. "It's different from the care they received in uniform. In service, the service members' reputation normally preceded them. After they were trained, their service records were screened to ensure the right person was prepared and selected for that job; then, he or she received orders for that assignment. We don't have that luxury here. Service members have to learn to sell themselves on paper before the interview process can begin, and we are here to help."

Walker chimed in, "We operate on a merit system that says you have to be qualified before you can work at the VA. Having a job similar to what the duties require may not be enough. Having a veteran preference allows the application to be processed, but applicants still must meet the minimum qualification, have certifications and credentials."

Like most human resource personnel, Walker takes the time to thoroughly access an application packet, Taylor remarked. "Veterans sometimes feel frustrated," Walker said, "because they say they felt like a number and not a person during the application process. I don't want them to feel like that when applying at the VA. I take the one-on-one approach in helping them present the best packet possible."

It's an honorable act; however, with Atlanta housing nearly 300,000 applicants and sometimes half of those are veterans, time is the restraint. Veterans have a filter and resources with the VECS program.

"We help alleviate issues in getting the application through processing, so human resources can do its job for speedier placements," Taylor explained.

The VA is trying hard to make the transition from uniform to civilian service smooth. VECS personnel provide classes to active duty and reserve military units, Veteran Services Organizations, and any stakeholders that wish to have information on career services for Department of Veterans Affairs career placement.

"We want to give veterans information about their benefits and resources even before the decision is made to leave the military," Taylor said.