Veterans Affairs Canada is recruiting for several positions in different departments

by Stella Shepard

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) supports the wellbeing of veterans and their families and promotes recognition and remembrance of the achievements and sacrifices of those who served Canada in times of war, military conflict, and peace.

Bethany Waugh, HR Strategic Advisor, HR Operations, is a graduate of UPEI and has been with VAC for almost five years.

The following jobs are often staffed at VAC:

• Disability Adjudicator
• Veterans Service Agent
• Payment Officer
• Veterans Service Team Manager
• Occupational Therapist
• Case Manager
• Field Nursing Officer
• Various Administrative roles
• Psychologist
• Benefit Program Officer
• Human Resources Advisors

How to apply

“When searching for jobs online, it can be overwhelming because there are a lot of job opportunities within the federal government,” says Bethany. “I suggest creating an account at Government of Canada jobs – Canada.ca. Then search for a job title or by location and specific department (such as VAC).

“Once you find a position that interests you, click Apply On-Line to start the application process. Positions listed on that site may be advertised for a minimum of 24 hours or for longer periods depending on the difficulty in recruiting for certain types of positions.

“I would encourage all those seeking VAC opportunities to continue to check this website on a regular basis to ensure that you are aware of the opportunities for which you may wish to apply. Also, it is possible to set up a “Career Alert” on this website, whereby you will receive notice of advertisements that may be of interest to you. This way, you ensure you don’t miss an interesting opportunity.

“In job applications, a resumé may be required when you apply that includes all relevant information. The application will also ask you to explain your experience. It is always great to put everything you can think of on your resumé and when addressing your experiences. Often candidates forget to mention student and volunteer experiences, which hiring managers do consider.”

Once you apply online, you may be contacted for further assessment. “Every position has various assessment methods that could potentially include written tests based on educational and experience level, which evaluate the applicant’s ability to effectively communicate in writing,” says Bethany.

“We do interviews in person, over the phone, or through various electronic portals. We have also started doing some interviews through Vid Cruiter, which is an electronic portal that provides candidates a window of time to do their interview. This provides flexibility to the candidates to record their responses at a time and setting that is convenient and comfortable for them.

“Another possible assessment is a simulation. An example of this type of assessment is when a candidate is sent material a few days before the assessment and asked to role play that they are a manager. In this instance, they may be asked to create a presentation on the different types of scenarios that a manager might encounter in a typical day at the office.”

One all the factors have been accessed, all candidates who meet the essential requirements will be notified and are placed in a pool of qualified candidates for managers to access.

At this point, you may be contacted if and when job opportunities become available.

There are also student job opportunities at VAC where students who are currently employed through one of the Government of Canada student programs can apply through VAC’s Student Talent Portal at Apply now – Student Talent Portal (hiringplatform.ca)