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Student trainee (Park Guide)

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Pecos National Historical Park
This job announcement has closed

Summary

NOTE: The closing date of this vacancy announcement has been extended to February 26, 2018.

This position is located in Pecos National Historical Park, in the Interpretation & Visitor Services Division. Please visit find a park for additional park information.

This job announcement is open to receive applications from the first 100 applicants. The job announcement will remain open until either the quota of 100, or the closing date, is reached. At that point, the announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on that day. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration, even those that exceed the 100 applicant limit.

This position is being filled under the Pathways Internship Program which is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with paid work opportunities in agencies to explore Federal careers while still in school. To review eligibility requirements for the Pathways Internship Program, please click here.

This is an Excepted Service, temporary appointment not-to-exceed one year.

Positions are temporary with mixed work schedules based on student's schedule and the needs of the agency. Work may be part-time or full-time.

Positions are expected to start mid-May and end in mid-August.

Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. All travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the sole responsibility of the selected employee.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
02/18/2018 to 02/26/2018
Salary
$29,948 to - $38,929 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 4
Location
Pecos, NM
3 vacancies
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Internships
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Announcement number
IM-1538-PECO-18-10134158-DE
Control number
491206100

Duties

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Major Duties:

The primary duties of the Student Trainee/Park Guide positions are giving talks, answering questions, guiding small groups and providing services to visitors. Employees present limited and repetitive pre-established talks. They orient hikers to conditions and equipment needs, staff information desk in a visitor center and provide information on a variety of subjects and interpret park values for visitors with varying interests and backgrounds. Guides small parties (up to 20 people) on short walks. Assists with special events, curriculum-based education program, and non-personal interpretation projects including website and social media.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Pathways participant agreement is required.
  • You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense,
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
  • This position has a mixed work schedule based on the varying workload, and your work schedule is subject to change from part-time to full-time to on-call as workload dictates.
  • Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Qualifications

EXPERIENCE: At least six (6) months of General Experience and six (6) months of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: oral presentation of historical, scientific, or program information to groups; or developing and/or revising technical, historical, or scientific information for oral presentation to groups. Examples of specialized experience could include, but are not limited to Park Guide or tour leader; docent; museum or observatory guide; teaching assistant; or other similar work. (Excess specialized experience can be substituted for general experience; but excess general experience cannot be substituted for required specialized experience.): . You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least two years of education above high school (60 semester hour or 90 quarter hours) which included at least 12 semester hours of directly related courses, such as in American history, science, public speaking, parks & recreation, education, or communications. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take least one year of education as outlined above (50% of the education required to qualify), which included at least 6 semester hours of related courses such as American history, science, public speaking, parks & recreation, education or communications (50% of the directly-related courses required). Then take at least 6 months or more of Full-time general or specialized experience (50% of the experience requirements for this position and grade level) and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.


Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

Education

You must qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

You will NOT be considered under Pathways unless you provide supporting information from your school. Documentation may be provided in letter format from your academic advisor, school counselor, admission office, etc. to prove enrollment OR it may be provided in the form of several official documents from your school such as a copy of your official transcripts and a copy of your class schedule for next semester. Copies of documents from your school website are acceptable if they contain all relevant information as listed above. Letters from advisors or other school officials must be on school letterhead.

Additional information

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

If selected, you will be required to sign a Pathways Agreement which specifies the conditions of your employment as we've indicated in this job announcement. You must continue to meet the Pathways Program requirements throughout the duration of your appointment. To verify that you do, we will require proof of your continued enrollment and good standing each semester or grading period throughout your internship. Failure to do so will result in termination of your internship and employment.

Physical Demands: The work requires standing for long periods of time, walking for long distances, climbing and descending steep inclines, bending, and lifting moderately heavy items. Mental stress and physical fatigue occur due to high volume of personal contacts, ·occasional emergency responses, and repetitive nature of interpretive programs.

Working Conditions: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors resulting in exposure to a variety of weather conditions.


If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.

How you will be evaluated

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


Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements and the minimum qualification requirements for this job.

Minimally qualified students will be referred to the supervisor in unranked order by veterans preference status:

  1. Preference eligibles having a compensable, service-connected disability of 10 percent or more;
  2. All other candidates eligible for 10 point veterans preference;
  3. Candidates eligible for 5 point veterans preference; and
  4. Candidates not eligible for veterans preference.

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:
  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Customer Service
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Leadership
  • Oral Communication

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