NOTE: This announcement has been amended to clarify the Intern career path requirements; see Requirements section.
IMPORTANT APPLICATION DEADLINE: The first referral of candidates from this announcement will be made from applications received by 11:59 PM EST, Thursday, August 23, 2018; subsequent cut off dates may be established.
Summary
NOTE: This announcement has been amended to clarify the Intern career path requirements; see Requirements section.
IMPORTANT APPLICATION DEADLINE: The first referral of candidates from this announcement will be made from applications received by 11:59 PM EST, Thursday, August 23, 2018; subsequent cut off dates may be established.
These positions are being filled under the Pathways Internship Program which is designed to provide students enrolled in a variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with paid work opportunities in agencies to explore federal careers while in school.
These Internship opportunities are located within the U.S. Department of Agricultures Office of the Secretary, Departmental Administration, and/or Staff Offices located in Washington, DC. The incumbent(s) will provide professional and technical assistance to assigned areas of specialty and interest which may include: Program Administration, Program Policy, Information Technology, Human Resources, Communications, Budget & Finance, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Scientific & Research, Outreach, Congressional Relations, Legal, Farm Programs, and Foreign Agricultural Service.
The incumbent of this position assists professional and technical staff by performing a variety of clearly defined tasks designed to increase knowledge and understanding of USDA’s mission and the activities of the organization within assigned area of specialty and interest. The major duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
Provide outreach and partnership building across USDAs large and diverse mission.
Assist in establishing and implementing innovative and strategic plans to engage the next generation of farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers of American agriculture, and various USDA stakeholders, including Congress, Governors, mayors, members of the press, and farm and agriculture organizations.
Greet visitors and responds to phone and written inquiries, which often requires an explanation in general terms of functions of the organization to distinguish among and between function related to the subject of the inquiry.
Use word processing software and printing equipment to create, copy, edit, store, retrieve, and print a variety of reports and documents; use database or spreadsheet software to enter, revise, sort, or calculate, and retrieve data.
This is an excepted service appointment. This is a temporary position with a not-to-exceed date of 1 year; however, an extension of the appointment may be possible without further competition. The appointment may also end early due to lack of work or funds.
Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
Registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
All applicants must be at least 16 years of age at the time of appointment.
A two-year trial period may be required.
More than one selection may be made.
• U.S. Citizens and Nationals, Permanent Residents and Foreign Nationals who meets both Immigration and Annual Appropriations Law requirements. • Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you may be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report inquiry. • Must be in good academic standing as defined by the agency as a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. • Complete at least 640 hrs of work experience prior to completion of degree. • Enrolled at least half-time at a qualifying educational institution. • A signed participant agreement is required for employment under Pathways.
OTHER INFORMATION
This announcement will be used to fill full-time or part-time internship positions during the Fall/Winter 2018 semester, Spring 2019 semester, and/or the entire 2018-2019 academic year.
Student Interns must continue to meet the Pathways Program requirements throughout the duration of the appointment. Incumbents will be required to provide proof of continued enrollment and good standing (cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale) each semester or grading period throughout the internship program. Failure to do so will result in termination of the appointment.
Pathways Interns may be converted to a term, career-conditional or career appointment within 120 days following successful completion of all of their education; however, conversion is not guaranteed. The full performance level (FPL) of the position to which converted may be up to the GS-12 level or below. The FPL will be determined based on the career path of the position to which converted. For more information on the Pathways Intern Program, please click HERE.
To be eligible for conversion, Interns must:
Be a U.S. citizen;
Have completed at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program;
Have completed educational requirements from a qualifying institution;
Meet the qualification requirements for the position to which the Intern will be converted;
Meet agency-specific requirements as specified in the Participant’s Agreement and;
Have received a favorable recommendation by an official of the agency.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement; however, applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. The agency must be able to verify that the education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed.
GS-02: Completion of high school or possession of a GED diploma.
GS-03: Completion of 1 full academic year of post-high school study.
GS-04: Completion of 2 full academic years of post-high school study or an associate's degree.
GS-05: Completion of 4 academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.
Education
College Transcripts: You must submit a copy of your college transcript or high school diploma/GED certificate as proof that you meet the educational requirements for the grade to which you are applying. You may submit unofficial copies of transcripts at the initial phase of the application process; however, if selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering.
All academic degrees or course work must be completed in an educational institution that has obtained accreditation from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov/.
Additional information
• Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing. • E-Verify: Federal law requires agencies to use the E-Verify system to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. If you are selected as a newly hired employee, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS 'E-VERIFY' system. Under the system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment. • If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. • Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc) should contact: USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Managements (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures using category rating. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on applicants quality of experience and the extent they possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) or competencies:
Creative Thinking
Oral Communication
Written Communication
Computer Skills
Research/Analysis (GS-4/5 only)
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply Online" button to the right.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
The following documents are required for your application to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume must include: 1) personal information; 2) education; 3) work experience including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 4) supervisor's phone number, e-mail address for each work period listed, and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and 5) other qualifications.
Proof of enrollment or acceptance of enrollment and good academic standing (cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale):
In the form of letters, records, or statements issued from a high school, vocational institution, college or university. The documentation provided must be issued from an authorized source (example: university registrar’s office). AND/OR
A copy of your most recent transcripts which show your field of study, school name, student's name, current GPA or academic standing, past and current course work, degree program, and major/concentration. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official college transcript will be required prior to entering on duty.
You must submit the documents below if you claim any of the following:
Veterans, if claiming preference: DD-214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty showing dates of service and type of discharge. Disabled veterans must include VA letter & SF-15 if claiming 10 pt. preference. Current active duty members must submit certification that they are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after date the certification is submitted.
NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g., all SF-50s) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
USDA/DA
1400 Indpendence Ave., SW
Washington, DC, 20250
USA
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are required for your application to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume must include: 1) personal information; 2) education; 3) work experience including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 4) supervisor's phone number, e-mail address for each work period listed, and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and 5) other qualifications.
Proof of enrollment or acceptance of enrollment and good academic standing (cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale):
In the form of letters, records, or statements issued from a high school, vocational institution, college or university. The documentation provided must be issued from an authorized source (example: university registrar’s office). AND/OR
A copy of your most recent transcripts which show your field of study, school name, student's name, current GPA or academic standing, past and current course work, degree program, and major/concentration. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official college transcript will be required prior to entering on duty.
You must submit the documents below if you claim any of the following:
Veterans, if claiming preference: DD-214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty showing dates of service and type of discharge. Disabled veterans must include VA letter & SF-15 if claiming 10 pt. preference. Current active duty members must submit certification that they are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after date the certification is submitted.
NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g., all SF-50s) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
USDA/DA
1400 Indpendence Ave., SW
Washington, DC, 20250
USA
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
