Massachusetts gives veterans preference for civil service jobs. Score 70 or above on an open competitive exam and you go straight to the head of the eligibility list, ranked disabled veterans first, then all other veterans, then the spouse or single parent of a veteran who died in combat or from a service-connected cause. Promotional exams add two points to your score. Labor service jobs have no exam, and veterans go to the top of the list with spouses and single parents next. For jobs with no exam and no list, you are preferred over non-veterans, and a hiring authority that wants to pass you over needs approval from the Human Resources Division.
Claim the preference when you apply for a Massachusetts civil service position or sit a civil service exam, and submit your discharge paperwork. The Human Resources Division civil service unit also keeps lists of state agency vacancies and will notify interested veterans.
Your DD214 or other discharge documentation, your VA disability documentation if you are claiming disabled veteran ranking, and casualty or relationship documentation if you are claiming as a spouse or single parent.
