Veterans get real advantages in the job market: hiring preference for federal jobs, free career counseling and resume help, tax credits that reward employers for hiring you, and job boards built specifically for military experience. The three guides below show you how to use each one.
Job search resources
Where to actually look: USAJobs and federal veterans’ preference, veteran-specific job boards, companies with dedicated military hiring programs, job fairs, and networking that reaches jobs never posted publicly.
Career services
Free one-on-one help: career counseling and skills assessments, resume writers who translate military experience into civilian terms, interview coaching, and the VR&E program for veterans with service-connected disabilities.
Career services for veterans →
Employer programs
The programs that make hiring veterans attractive to companies — tax credits up to $9,600, paid on-the-job training, SkillBridge, and apprenticeships. Useful whether you are an employer or a veteran who wants to point one to the incentives.
Where employment fits in the bigger picture
Steady work is easier to find and keep when the rest of life is stable. If health is part of the struggle, VA health care and mental health services are free or low-cost for most veterans. And for benefits questions of any kind, an accredited Veterans Service Officer gives free one-on-one help — here is how to find one.
Common questions
Are veteran career services really free?
Yes. VA career counseling, American Job Center services, Vet Center employment counseling, and federal programs like VR&E cost veterans nothing. Be wary of anyone charging fees for help you can get free.
What is veterans’ preference for federal jobs?
Federal law gives eligible veterans extra consideration in federal hiring — typically 5 or 10 points added to a passing application score, plus special hiring authorities like VRA and VEOA. You claim it with your DD-214 and, for disability preference, a VA letter.
I have a service-connected disability that makes work hard. What helps?
The VA’s Veteran Readiness and Employment program (VR&E, Chapter 31) provides career counseling, paid training or education, job placement help, and workplace accommodations for veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10% and an employment barrier.