See what’s developing each week on Talk About It Tuesday 

From application advice to insights into day-to-day work at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Talk About It Tuesday (TAIT) is back to help viewers learn more about VA and how to better navigate the federal hiring process. 

Hosted by VA National Recruiter Mike Owens, TAIT invites job seekers like you to explore career opportunities, learn helpful application tips, and find out what it’s like to work at VA from our fellow VA employees. 

Airing each week at noon ET on the Department of Veterans Affairs LinkedIn page, TAIT is a livestream program dedicated to discussing VA job opportunities and providing career advice to potential applicants.  

Missed an episode? Check out what we’ve been doing since the show returned in May. 

Making the most of May 

We welcomed TAIT back on May 12 with a special Nurse’s Week episode, where we invited Ashton Carder, a VA nurse recruiter, to share her experiences about what it means to work at VA.  

“I think the main thing is to just go ahead and jump forward,” she advised viewers who may be considering a move to VA. “Reach out to that recruiter. I know I’m a nurse recruiter, but I talk about any position in the facility, so if you have any questions or concerns, reach out. Go ahead and hit the button and apply.” 

From there, we turned the focus to the updated federal resume requirements, and then segued into and exploration of the General Schedule and how that federal system helps fairly determine the skills and experience needed for different pay grades.  

(That’s a topic we recently covered right here on the Job News and Advice page, too, if you’re interested in further reading.) 

June was for job-seekers 

Kicking off the month of June, TAIT delved into navigating USAJOBS, which included some tips on how to navigate the job announcements and how to better position yourself for success, especially when it comes to those online assessment questionnaires.   

“Be truthful, but do not undersell yourself,” Mike reminded potential applicants. “That is not the time to be modest. Modesty will not get you referred to the hiring manager. You must be truthful, but don’t be modest.” 

From there, TAIT took some time to discuss what to expect from the federal hiring process and 3 common resume mistakes to avoid when submitting your application.

And as we close out the month, we are honored to welcome VA Deputy Secretary Dr. Paul R. Lawrence, who will be speaking about being a Veteran and resources available for Veterans at VA. Join us today and find out more. 

Looking ahead 

We’ve got a great summer of TAIT planned, including episodes on the best practices for selecting references, preparing for your VA interview, an explanation of how Veterans’ preference works, and more.  

But we want you to be part of the conversation! 

Mike takes a few questions at the end of every broadcast, and we invite the audience to share what’s on their minds related to the week’s topic of choice. For a broader array of questions, though, we host a Q&A Week on the second Tuesday of every month.  

Keep an eye on the VA Careers social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn, where we’ll post an open call for questions about applications, interviews, and anything else related to the VA hiring process.  

During Q&A Week, Mike will answer as many of those questions as he can, and who knows — maybe a question someone asks will help you get answers, too! 

Watch and learn 

Whether you’re an experienced professional or just starting your job search, TAIT has the insights you’re looking for. Join us every Tuesday at noon ET on LinkedIn for more application advice and to learn what it means when we say there’s no better job than caring for Veterans.