Veterans…Homeland Security Is Hiring!!!
Veterans! President Trump announced his commitment to hire 10,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and 5,000 Border Patrol agents. General Kelly followed suit and said that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will add to the ranks “as fast as we can.” So homeland security is a growth industry and needs qualified people, especially veterans, to fill important positions.
Veterans Apply Now!
DHS is an ideal organization for veterans. Service members who are unemployed or want to serve again should apply. DHS has special hiring authorities specifically for veterans. One of the best examples is the Human Exploitation Rescue Operative (HERO) Corps program: “The HERO Corps is a program designed to allow wounded, ill or injured warriors the chance to continue serving their country on a new battlefield — in the fight against child predators.” DHS is fully committed to hiring veterans as there are several programs incentivising veterans to join DHS. For more information on veteran employment authorities click here.
To provide some encouragement for the DHS employment journey, here are a few insights. There are going to be thousands of current DHS employees competing for those 15,000 new positions. What that means for DHS job hunters is there will be a ton of movement and openings throughout various agencies within DHS. For those veterans that desire to join DHS, this presents a great opportunity as new jobs will be constantly opening over the next few years. So now is the time to capitalize and become an aggressive DHS job seeker.
DHS Mission
In case you are unaware, DHS has a very broad mission. DHS is responsible for safeguarding the American people and the homeland. To accomplish this enormously important mission, it takes 240,000 employees from 22 different departments, including Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), ICE, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Citizenship and Immigration Services to name a few. Veterans interested in joining DHS should get to know the depth of the department and can start here.
Proper Mindset
For those committed to joining DHS, having an open mindset about different types of positions is important. For example, view a screening job with TSA as a platform to maneuver into a more desirable position. Not that being a TSA screener is a bad job. It’s certainly not. In fact, screeners are critical for DHS. But if someone has a desire to do other things, they should not shy away from applying for a seemingly less appealing job.
Where to Start?
Veterans should start with USAJobs.gov. This is the one-stop site for finding employment with DHS. You can scope you queries by location, job series, agency etc. Also, FEDShireVETS is another great site that has great employment information for veterans. Again, being open to anything is important. Once hired, federal employees become more competitive for other positions and can start moving upward or laterally.
The threats against our great Nation are real and present. DHS is in need veterans willing to serve again. Now is the time to apply!
If you have questions or would like more insights please comment.
