• NYC Civil Service Exams: DVS has collaborated with the NYC Department Citywide Administrative Services to make it easier for Veterans and Veteran spouses to join the ranks of the City's workforce. Veterans thinking about becoming a New York City firefighter, police officer, or any other municipal worker can now take every civil service exam for free! And Veteran spouses will be entitled to a one-time waiver of the application fee required to apply for the City of New York's civil service examinations! Those who qualify and are interested can register for the City of New York's civil service examinations through its Online Application System (OASys). Certain exams are offered online and others are offered in-person. The City's Computer-based Testing and Application Centers (CTACs), available in all five boroughs, are available to register for exams and to take certain exams. To learn more about careers in city government and upcoming civil service exams, visit nyc.gov/dcas.
• NYS State Civil Service Exams: Veterans who have used non-disabled veteran credits for a Civil Service appointment or promotion and who were/are subsequently certified as being disabled veterans by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs are eligible for additional credits on subsequent appointments or promotion. Such candidates shall be entitled to 10 additional credits on civil service examinations, minus the number of credits already used for the prior appointment. Learn more about NYS Civil Service Exams.
  
  Criteria for veteran credits or additional veterans credit go to veterans who:
  • Show proof of an honorable discharge and/or
  • Used non-disabled veterans credits to obtain a civil service appointment or promotion with New York State or a local government; and
  • Subsequent appointments are determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to be a qualified disabled veteran, as defined in the New York State Civil Service Law

• NYC Civil Service Exams: DVS has collaborated with the NYC Department Citywide Administrative Services to make it easier for Veteran spouses to join the ranks of the City's workforce. Veteran spouses will be entitled to a one-time waiver of the application fee required to apply for the City of New York's civil service examinations! Those who qualify and are interested can register for the City of New York's civil service examinations through its Online Application System (OASys). Certain exams are offered online and others are offered in-person. The City's Computer-based Testing and Application Centers (CTACs), available in all five boroughs, are available to register for exams and to take certain exams. To learn more about this one-time exam waiver fee policy extension to Veteran spouses, check out the press release.

Department of Defense (DOD) Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) is the result of extensive inter-Service collaboration to facilitate credentialing of Service members. All Services recognize the important role that occupational credentials can play in professionalizing the Force and in enhancing the Service member's ability to transition to the civilian workforce upon completion of military service. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard each have their own Service-specific COOL programs designed to match military occupations to civilian credentials (occupational certifications, licenses, and apprenticeships) and provide resources to help Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen attain these credentials. The Services disseminate this information on their own COOL websites. DOD COOL is the umbrella site providing a single point of access to the Services' COOL websites.

• In addition, DOD COOL includes the following features:
  • DOD Civilian COOL – Built from the same mold as its sister sites, DOD Civilian COOL helps federal civilian employees find detailed information on certifications and licenses related to their federal jobs. They can also use DOD Civilian COOL to get background information on credentialing and related topics.
  • Military Occupations Explorer – Learn how military occupations related to each other among the military branches, to civilian occupations and to civilian credentials.

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) is a federal law, passed in 1994, that protects military service members and veterans from employment discrimination on the basis of their service, and allows them to regain their civilian jobs following a period of uniformed service. USERRA a​pplies to members of the Armed Forces, Reserves, National Guard, and other “Uniformed Services” (including the National Disaster Medical System and the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service). The law ensures that service members:

1. Are not disadvantaged in their civilian careers because of their military service;
2. Are promptly re-employed in their civilian jobs upon return from duty;
3. Are not discriminated against by employers because of past, present, or future military service.

USERRA applies to both public and private employers. The Office of Special Counsel, in conjunction with the Department of Labor, investigates and enforces USERRA claims involving federal government employers. The Department of Labor and the Department of Justice handle USERRA claims involving private employers as well as state and local governments.

How to File a Complaint

USERRA complaints must be filed with the Department of Labor, Veterans Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS).

If you are considering filing a USERRA complaint or simply want to learn more, OSC recommends that you first contact the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)​​. ESGR is an agency within the Department of Defense established expressly to help resolve these kinds of issues.​

Edge4Vets is a job preparation program at Fordham University's Human Resiliency Institute that teaches Veterans to identify skills from their military career and use them to attain civilian jobs.

• Edge4Vets General Program The regular Edge4Vets business program prepares vets for careers in banking/finance, life sciences, insurance, pharma, hospitals and health care, cruise, hospitality, media, urban transportation (such as NJ TRANSIT and KEOLIS ) non-profit and more. The program connects participants to HR reps at their partner companies for job opportunities that can lead to careers. Click Here to register for an Edge4Vets workshop series in NY, MA, and NJ.
• Edge4Vets at Airports Edge4Vets will PREPARE and CONNECT you to jobs with airport operators, airlines, aviation service companies (retail, food, and beverage) aviation consulting companies, and many more exciting aviation employers. Click Here to register for an airport workshop.

• Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), formerly called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, offers employment support and independent living services to service members and veterans with disabilities that were caused, or made worse, by their active duty service. Veterans must meet all of the requirements listed below for eligibility:
  • did not receive a dishonorable discharge, and
  • have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10% from VA
• The NYS Veterans with Disabilities Employment Program (55-c) authorizes 500 positions to be filled with qualified wartime Veterans with disabilities. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications for the position but are not required to take an examination. A letter of certification of a service-connected disability rating of 10% or higher from the U.S. Veterans Administration (U.S. VA) will be requested. Any veteran who has received the Purple Heart medal or who has a disability rating assigned by the U.S. VA of at least 10 percent is automatically eligible.
  
  If you already have a 55-c Letter of Eligibility (LOE) and would like to use the Recruitment Resource Center as a job seeker, please visit the Civil Service website.
  
  Eligible veterans are not guaranteed state employment and are not placed on a hiring list.

• VetConnectPro: DVS launched VetConnectPro, an employment tool designed to help NYC veterans find jobs and advance their careers. The site features a military skills translator, a dashboard with job postings from NYC agencies, information on civil service exams, and more. Check it out at nyc.gov/vetconnectpro.
• EmpireVets: EmpireVets is an employment tool for veterans looking for private sector job opportunities across the country.
• Small Business Jobs: Small businesses throughout New York City post job opportunities on NYC's Small Business Services job board.
• New York City Civil Service Jobs: Explore job opportunities in government on NYC's civil service job board.
• Jobs for People with Disabilities: NYC: AtWork is New York City's job board designed for people with disabilities.
• New York State Jobs: View the official New York state job board.
• Federal Jobs: Search and apply for federal jobs at USA Jobs.
• Private and Public Sector Jobs: Search private and public sector jobs at VetJobs.
• Remote and Tech Jobs: Search for remote jobs and jobs in tech at Uncubed.
• Media Jobs: Search for jobs in media Mediabistro.

• The VA's Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP) provides up to 12 months of tuition, fees, and a monthly housing allowance to veterans who are enrolled in a training program for a high-demand job and are unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. View our downloadable VRRAP one-pager to learn more about this program.
• The VA Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program is designed to assist veterans with service-connected disabilities to obtain suitable employment and/or achieve independent living goals.
• Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) program helps veterans interested in seeking a career in the tech industry. VET TEC pays tuition and fees, and also offers a housing allowance to use while you earn your certification.
• NYC Small Business Services Access Training offers training programs for in-demand occupations across sectors remotely and at different locations throughout the city.
• NYC Department for the Aging Senior Employment Program has placed New Yorkers over the age of 55 in jobs in data processing, administrative work, customer service, security services, airport services, home care, and more.
• New York Library Career Resources offers the following free virtual career services:
  • Career Workshops with Professional Coaching: Online sessions with Career Coaches to help get your resume ready and improve your networking and interviewing skills.
  • Online Video Tutorials: Video training tutorials in various skills including Microsoft, Adobe, HTML, salary negotiation, interviewing skills, business writing.
  • Career Cruising: Review resume samples, career guides, and professional assessments to discover your transferable skills.
• The Spouse Education and Career Opportunity program provides military spouses with resources to create an academic plan, search for scholarships, develop their resumes, and find the right career.
• IVMF Onward to Opportunity (O2O) is a free career training program that provides professional certification and employee support services to transitioning veterans and military spouses.
• NPower's virtual Tech Fundamentals program is a free 6-month workshop that trains veterans, reservists, and military spouses in careers in technology.
• Review Resume Builder's tips to writing a cover letter and resume:
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • Military-to-Civilian Cover Letter Examples
  • Military-to-Civilian Resume Builders
• CUNY Upskilling is a curated list of no-cost virtual trainings that will help you get the latest professional skills and knowledge to discover your strengths, give yourself a leg up in your job search and help you shine to prospective employers. In addition, if you are recently unemployed or dislocated, their New York State Department of Labor partnership with Coursera can help you land on your feet.
  • Register to Become an Upskiller
  • Register to Become a Coursera Upskiller

SBS Priority1 Services for veterans and their spouses are available at NYC Workforce1 Career Centers. Services include:

• Connecting veterans to employers committed to hiring veterans
• Instructing veterans about training, benefits, and other support services
• Translating military experience into skills for civilian jobs
• Connecting to other organizations for resources beyond employment

Eligibility Criteria include:

• File an unemployment insurance claim, learn about pandemic unemployment assistance and certify weekly benefits at the NYS Department of Labor website.
• The US Department of Labor offers Coronavirus resources for workers and employers and disaster unemployment assistance.
• If you have questions about unemployment benefits visit ACCESSNYC's Frequently Asked Questions page for answers.
• The Volunteers of Legal Service's (VOLS) Unemployed Workers Project provides free legal advice to low-wage and unemployed workers who are seeking government benefits. If you need support accessing benefits, call the Unemployed Workers Project hotline at 347-521-5720 or fill out the VOLS Unemployed Workers Interest Form.

The NYC Mayor's Office of the Chief Technology Officer has developed a toolkit to help New Yorkers make the most of working from home. The advice and tips in this toolkit have been drawn from a variety of sources with expert knowledge in working from home best practices. See the toolkit.