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Student Trainee (Foreign Affairs) Pathways Internship Experience Program (IEP)

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This vacancy announcement will be open from 04/04/2017 to 04/10/2017. Only the first 100 applicants will be considered. Candidates are encouraged to read the entire announcement before submitting their application packages. The vacancy will close on whichever day the first of these conditions are met.

The Pathways Internship Program targets students accepted for enrollment or currently enrolled in a qualifying educational program in an accredited institution, on a full or half-time basis with paid opportunities to work in agencies and explore Federal careers while still in school. Applicants must meet the definition of "student" in order to be considered for this opportunity. Internship appointments under the Internship Experience Program (IEP) are non-temporary and can last the duration of the student’s academic program. This will be determined at the time of selection. At the successful conclusion of the program, interns may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a Federal career or career-conditional position in the competitive service. Interns may work full-time or part-time schedules.

Pathways Internship Program candidates must meet the U.S. Department of State (DOS) qualification standards applicable to the position being filled. All applicants must meet the qualifications by the closing date of this announcement.

  • Cumulative GPA of 2.0 at time of application and must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA throughout the entire Pathways Internship appointment;
  • Degree does not have to be related to the position/series; however to be eligible, candidate must meet the OPM qualification standards for the position to which the Intern may be converted.
Student means an individual accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled), including awardees of the Harry S. Truman Foundation Scholarship Program under Public Law 93-842. Students need not be in actual physical attendance, so long as all other requirements are met. An individual who needs to complete less than the equivalent of half an academic/vocational or technical course-load immediately prior to graduating is still considered a student for purposes of this Program.

Telework – This position may be eligible for telework.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
04/04/2017 to 04/04/2017
Salary
$36,281 to - $47,171 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 05
Location
FEW vacancies in the following location:
Washington DC, DC
FEW vacancies
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - This is a non-temporary excepted appointment expected to last more than 1 year.
Work schedule
Full-time - Full-time and Part-time.
Service
Promotion potential
05
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Announcement number
HRSC/PATH-2017-0026
Control number
466834700

This job is open to

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Duties

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EB is the Department’s lead negotiator of international economic agreements, which shape the global rules of trade and investment and enable the United States to maintain a high rate of growth while fostering global prosperity, security and opportunity. It is the Department’s principal interface with all other economic agencies and provides the Secretary of State with a global perspective on economic and business issues; it leads on economic engagement with key strategic bilateral and multilateral partners, advises the Secretary on Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and International Financial Institution (IFI) loans, leads the Department on international trade, transportation and telecommunications policy, is responsible for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), G-8 and G-20 engagement, is the linchpin for commercial advocacy and the principal center for designing and implementing economic sanctions.

DUTIES:

Supports business processes: Works with and assists senior members of the staff in the performance of moderately complex analytical/scientific assignments and to carry out predetermined phases of more complex assignments designed to provide broad exposure to work in the profession; Independently carries out the more common/ordinary professional assignments in which he/she received specific or related training (e.g., assignments employing the more simple and standardized practices and processes and where the environment is known to be cooperative.

Coordinating and presenting information: Increases networks and contacts (beyond the immediate work area) beneficial to the successful performance of assignments; Coordinates with and solicits cooperative efforts from other administrative or support staff; Orally presents facts, issues, and positions that convey the intended information with the appropriate diplomacy and emphasis.

Analyzing and documenting information: Interprets and applies pertinent regulations and style manuals governing written communications; Collects/researches relevant foreign affairs data and applies established evaluative methods to identify trends and draw conclusions for further analysis by higher-graded staff; Develops materials that are written in a logical and concise manner; Prepares logically organized presentations related to work assignments.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be at least 16 years of age by the closing date of the announcement.
  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Must maintain student eligibility for duration of internship.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • A U.S. Citizen;
  • 16 years or older by the closing date of this announcement;
  • Enrolled or formally accepted for enrollment as a full-time or half-time student into an accredited college or university in a degree-seeking program, or enrolled or formally accepted for enrollment in a certificate program;
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.0 at time of application and must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA throughout the entire Pathways Internship appointment; and
  • Degree does not have to be related to the position/series; however to be eligible, candidate must meet the agency-developed or OPM qualification standards for the position to which the Intern may be converted.
  • All transcripts or educational supporting documentation must reflect a projected graduation date on or after Fall 2018.
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at an institution that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see U.S. Department of Education.

Certificates Requirements:
  • Undergraduate Certificates must contain a minimum of 30 Semester hours or 45 Quarter hours; and
  • Graduate Certificates must contain a minimum of 18 Semester Hours or 27 Quarter hours.
  • For study at a business or technical school, 36 weeks of study (20+classroom hours per week) is comparable to 1 academic year above high school.
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence at the time of application. Late submissions of proof of accreditation will not be accepted. Click on the link for a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials.

Only the first 100 applicants will be considered.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level: Completion of all requirements for a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.

You have a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in international law, international relations, political science, economics, history, sociology, geography, social or cultural anthropology, law, statistics, or in the humanities.

OR

You have a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university that included a combination of courses, with at least 24 semester hours in international law and international relations, political science, economics, history, sociology, geography, social or cultural anthropology, law, statistics, or in the humanities; OR 12 semester hours in one of the above disciplines AND 12 semester hours in statistics / quantitative methods.

WORK EXPERIENCE IS NOT CONSIDERED FOR PATHWAYS STUDENT TRAINEE POSITIONS.

Pathways Internship Program candidates must meet the U.S. Department of State (DOS) qualification standards applicable to the position being filled. All applicants must meet the qualifications by the closing date of the announcement.

  • Cumulative GPA of 2.0 at time of application and must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA throughout the entire Pathways Internship appointment;
  • Degree does not have to be related to the position/series; however to be eligible, candidate must meet the OPM qualification standards for the position to which the Intern may be converted.
  • All transcripts or educational supporting documentation reflects a projected graduation date on or after Fall 2018.
The Pathways Internship Program defines "student" to mean an individual accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled), including awardees of the Harry S. Truman Foundation Scholarship Program under Public Law 93-842. Students need not be in actual physical attendance, so long as all other requirements are met.

Additional information

Applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to undergo a pre-employment background investigation.

As a condition of employment, male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.

Pathways Internship Experience Program (IEP) appointments are made on a non-temporary basis.

Pathways Program Interns are eligible for conversion to the competitive service; however conversion is never guaranteed. To be eligible for conversion to the competitive service after completion of the program, an intern must:

1. Be a U.S. Citizen;
2. Successfully complete an academic course of study as evidenced by a qualifying degree;
3. Graduate with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0;
4. Complete a minimum of 640** hours of work experience under the Internship Program;
5. Meet the OPM qualification standards for the position to which the Intern may be converted;
6. Maintain acceptable performance under the Agency's approved performance management system; and
7. Receive favorable recommendation for conversion from supervisor.

** You may be granted a waiver and credited for a maximum of 320 hours based on stipulations in 5 CFR 362.204 paragraphs (c) and (d).

The US Department of State is not obligated to make an offer of employment, nor is the student obligated to accept an offer of employment.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they are well qualified for the position. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER - Your Social Security Number is requested under the authority of Executive Order 9397 to uniquely identify your records from those of other applicants who may have the same name. As allowed by law or Presidential directive, your Social Security Number is used to seek information about you from employers, schools, banks, and others who may know you.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION - This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Office Accessibility & Accommodations Disability & Reasonable Accommodations Division, at (202) 663-3474 or reasonableaccommodations@state.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Candidates will be evaluated based solely on basic eligibility requirements using agency-developed or OPM Qualification standards. Candidates who meet the qualification requirements will be referred to the hiring official for consideration in an unranked order.

Veterans’ preference applies for selection in all Pathways positions. Veterans entitled to preference will be listed ahead of those who are non-preference eligibles.

Selections will be made in accordance with the requirements of 5 CFR Part 302, veterans preference laws, and OPM guidance.

NOTE: If it is determined that you do not meet program eligibility requirements or fail to submit proper documentation, you will be removed from consideration.
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