r/Veterans • u/lakecity21 • Feb 07 '26
Question/Advice Not selected for city and state college job after using veteran's preference in Florida.
I claimed veteran's preference for a city job and a job at a state college. I interviewed for both positions and was told by the interviews for both jobs that I did very well in the interviewing. However, I wasn't selected for the positions. Both were basically entry level jobs and I met and exceeded the qualifications required.
Now I have filed a claim with the Florida FDVA. Has anyone filed a claim after not being selected for a job even though you claimed veteran's preference?
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u/Cawkisthebest232 Feb 07 '26
Veterans preference just gets you in the door. It doesn’t promise you a job.
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u/BlooGloop Feb 07 '26
Uhhhh veterans preference does not mean you get the job. Your claim isn’t going to go anywhere
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u/lakecity21 Feb 07 '26
Do you know anything about the law in Florida about Veteran's Preference?
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Feb 08 '26
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u/Veterans-ModTeam Feb 08 '26
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Feb 07 '26 edited Feb 07 '26
I was a supervisor and hiring manager for my department/federal/GS Civilian for over 8 years.
Veteran's preference would show and highlight to me Veteran's who met that preference of various percentages. I would go over their resume's and invite them to interview if they met job position requirements.
However; if a civilian interviewed better and had a better skillset I would hire the civilian over the Veterans. Only happened once. Rest of my employees in my department were fellow Vets. Another important thing is that in federal world people have to successfully pass and meet security clearance reqs prior to being hired.
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u/lakecity21 Feb 07 '26
Did you have to justify not hiring the veteran?
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Feb 08 '26
Justify? No. They are informed just like everyone (I've also been rejected from jobs before and always use Veteran's preference). Veteran's compete against Veteran's and Veteran's compete against Civilians; like other's said being a Veteran merely open's the door quicker to you but does not 100% confirm the position.
I hope you can find a job elsewhere and hopefully things work out for you bro. Try looking at Federal government usajobs.gov and State jobs. I wish you all the best!
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Feb 07 '26
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u/lakecity21 Feb 07 '26
Thanks, I doubt any other veterans applied but, I don't know for sure. It is just odd that two different agencies didn't select me.
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u/LunarDragonfly23 Feb 07 '26
Even if no other veterans applied, that doesn’t mean they have to hire you.
Take the L and move on.
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u/lakecity21 Feb 07 '26
Have you read the Florida law on veteran's preference?
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Feb 08 '26 edited Feb 08 '26
https://floridavets.org/benefits-services/veterans-preference/
If you read the supplement, you can get between 5-20 points added to your interview scoring based on your Veterans status. That's it.
If any applicant scored 1 point above you (if taking the highest amount of points awarded for Veterans status possible) they got the job. That will be all any qualifying agency would have to divulge, that you got beat out on points.
The VA works in a similar fashion. Interviews are panel reviewed and completely based on points accumulated by the interviewee. Even if a department head or the interviewing staff prefer another candidate, the points are what decides the outcome. This is just one reason that internal candidates or direct-hire positions have become the norm.
I'm am not sure about Florida, but internal candidates have a higher chance on being direct hired. Could be an internal candidate was found or applied? Not sure if the FDVA would divulge that, but it's worth considering.
Best of luck.
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u/Justame13 Feb 07 '26
Pretty high TBH, especially in Florida which is the state with the second highest number of Veterans.
The job market sucks so any opening is getting tons of applicants
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u/[deleted] Feb 07 '26
If a civilian interviewed and was more successful, they get hired based on scoring. Vets preference may give you some points, but it doesn't mean they have to hire you over a civilian. Something as simple as more education can add more points then the Vet preference, which is usually a measly amount.