Veterans Employment in State Government
While serving your country you learned leadership, discipline, and many other valuable skills and attributes. Now put those skills to work in a job where you can continue to make a difference, grow your career, and enjoy the many benefits state government has to offer.
Start Exploring Your Options
Sometimes our job titles don’t tell the whole story. Take time to explore our career paths to find the areas that match your qualifications and interests.
Write with the Recruiter and Hiring Manager in Mind
You’ve developed a wide range of skills while in service to our country. Showcase how your skills can clearly transfer to a civilian role:
- Use non-military language to describe your skills and experience.
- Review the required and preferred qualifications listed on each job announcement, then clearly describe how your experience and qualifications match those.
- There are online tools to help you translate military skills into plain English. The O-NET military crosswalk search tool is a good place to start. Other options include CareerOneStop’s military to civilian occupation translator and Military.com’s skills translator.
Be Clear and Thorough
Make sure you submit all of the materials required (resume and cover letter are sometimes required; if so the job posting will explain that). Review your application materials to check for errors before you submit.
If there are supplemental questions as part of the application process, be sure to answer thoroughly. Be as concise as possible, but don’t leave out any relevant experience or skills. Any training or experience you refer to in the questionnaire should also be found on your application. (In other words, if you answer a question using details about a particular job, make sure that job also appears in the work history section of your application.)
Don’t Delay
Apply for an opening that interests you as soon as you can. Some recruitments may close without warning.
Veteran's Preference in Employment
Oregon state government provides qualifying veterans and disabled veterans with preference in employment in accordance with ORS 408.225, 408.230, and 408.235. The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries enforces public employer compliance with veteran's preference requirements.
Qualifying for Veterans’ Preference
When submitting your application, you will be prompted to indicate your veteran status and to submit military documentation. The following documents must be submitted to qualify for veteran's preference:
Veterans (qualifying for 5 percentage points)
- A copy of the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD214 or 215)
- Or a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs indicating the applicant receives a non-service connected pension
Disabled Veterans (qualifying for 10 percentage points)
- A copy of form DD214 and a copy of a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs indicating a disability rating unless the information is included on the DD214 or 215
- Or a copy of a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs indicating the person is receiving service-connected compensation
- Or a copy of form DD214 showing an award of the Purple Heart
Note: The DD214 must state character of service as honorable. Not all DD214 copies included the character of service. Please submit service copy 2, 3 or member copy 4.
Veterans Eligibility
To be eligible for Veteran's Preference, you must have:
- served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States (US) for more than 90 consecutive days beginning on or before January 31, 1955
- or served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States (US) for more than 178 consecutive days
- or served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States (US) for 178 days or less and has a disability rating from the US Department of Veteran’s Affairs
- or served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States (US) for at least one day in a combat zone.
- Received a combat or campaign ribbon or an expeditionary medal for service in the Armed Forces.
- Be receiving a non-service connected pension from the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
Disabled Veteran Eligibility
To be eligible for Disabled Veteran's Preference, you must be:
- A person whose discharge or release from active duty was for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty
- Or have a disability rating from the US Department of Veterans Affairs
- Or awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat
- Or a person who is receiving service-connected compensation from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs under 38 U.S.C. 1110 or 1131.