Learn about Veena Muralidhara’s path to human resources at VA

Prior to joining VA as a human resources specialist, Veena Muralidhara earned a master's degree in economics. However, instead of immediately entering the workforce, she prioritized raising her daughter

After her daughter left for college, she sought a new direction that would also add structure to her day. That led her to a corporate job, albeit one that was entry-level.

"I didn't have any work experience, so I knew I was going to have to start down low, but in such a big company, I knew there would be opportunities to move up and move around," she shared.

After a few years with her company, she knew that she didn't want to be a manager, but there was an opportunity available to work in human resources as a staffing ambassador. That led her to better opportunities, and ultimately gave her the background to apply to the Human Resources Specialist Training and Accelerated Readiness (HR-STAR) program.

Now, as application season for the program has closed, and with her year-long training almost complete, Muralidhara is ready to serve VA as an HR specialist with a focus on employee labor relations and performance management.

The experience has been a dramatic difference from her corporate job, and one she's enjoyed.

Learn more about Muralidhara's journey to VA, the differences she's seen, the benefits she's enjoying, and even how she found application and interview success, all at VA Careers.