Emanuel Carpenter ⋅ Alpharetta , GA SDR Master Class ⋅ 20 years experience

Angel:

Corporations actually get tax credits for hiring veterans. Read all about it here:

http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/career-advice/job-hunting/tax-credits-for-hiring-veterans.html

Try connecting on LinkedIn with executives at companies you want to work for. Find out about jobs before they get posted on job boards. Ask family, friends, and colleagues to float your resume as employers love to hire by referral versus hiring a stranger.

Also, try hiring boards that are created specifically for veterans like www.hirepurpose.com.

John Green ⋅ Cary , NC Information Technology ⋅ 40 years experience

What is more important than your education credentials are your skills. Apparently your skill offering does not match the skill requirement of the market.

What skills do you offer ? Are you an IT guy? Do you hold certifications ?

Deb Miller ⋅ Bardstown , KY US Postal Service ⋅ 16 years experience

Angel, I thoroughly agree with Emanuel! Also, I have found in my job hunting and moving within the company that I get farther ahead without mentioning my vet preference. I mean, it is there on the app but I push my attributes. I was a hiring manager, it is kind of a turn off when someone wants to push their vet preference, unfortunately it comes off as if the only thing this applicant has going for her is her veterans preference. Even had someone say that to me on an interview - that's when I quit bringing it up. I have also found that sometimes - the door shut opens me for opportunities beyond my wildest dreams - and often as Emanuel advised - they come from connections with execs who champion me to the next level. You sound like you have some awesome creds....I am certain you have the best job for you aligning with some pushes from some execs and some evaluations by you of your strengths. It could be - and I am just throwing this out in the wind to you, that you have your sights set a little lower than you are capable - a lot of us vets do that when we return to civilian live - we look for jobs that are beneath our qualifications - just because we don't fully comprehend the experience we are bringing to the table. We were so used to all of us in our unit working at a constantly hot level of commitment - that we presume civilians are the same. Reality sets in when we land our first job and so many people around us are just there for the paycheck - and we see them slacking off constantly. Of course - our first job is almost always well below our capabilities because we just don't recognize our true attributes. Linked in is an awesome way to connect yourself to execs. Consider linking with several of us from ACP! We can link - talk online with you - get to know your strong points and highlight those for you on linkedin which helps strengthen your linkedin profile. Good luck and thank you for your service!

Henry ("Dr. Hank") Stevens ⋅ Fort Lauderdale , FL Human Resources Quality Assurance, LLC (Now Retired) ⋅ 50 years experience

For whatever it may be worth - I have spent decades on the other side of the desk, running H-R departments for employers. Vets ALWAYS went to the head of the line - long before vet preference was legislated. Point being - seek out recruiters who have been vets also.

Susana Moraga ⋅ Hayward , CA California State University East Bay ⋅ 20 years experience

Angel,
The State Department like all federal agencies are on USAjobs.gov
You may search them and call the recruiter. They will call you back if they do not answer. They are a very competitive agency and it would probably be helpful to speak with them directly about your career aspirations to better position yourself for any openings.
Many agencies want you to get experience in other agencies.
Good luck and thank you for your service.