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GAO Analyst Student Intern (Student Trainee)

Legislative Branch
Government Accountability Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. We accomplish our mission by providing objective and reliable information and analysis to the Congress, to federal agencies, and to the public, and recommending improvements, when appropriate, on a wide variety of issues to make government work better.

This vacancy is for Spring Analyst internship positions. The anticipated start dates begin in January 2022.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/17/2021 to 10/01/2021
This job will close when we have received 500 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$43,894 to - $65,180 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 07 - 09
Locations
Los Angeles, CA
FEW vacancies
Oakland, CA
FEW vacancies
Denver, CO
FEW vacancies
District of Columbia, DC
MANY vacancies
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required depending on job assignment.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules - Full-time or Part-time. Part time student interns are required to work 24 - 32 hours per week. Students who will graduate in May 2022 maybe required to work full time in order to meet the required 400 hours.
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
NA
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
GAO-22-TEAMS-0399-02SPR
Control number
614306900

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Duties

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As a GAO intern, you will learn how to conduct federal audits and program evaluations and apply that knowledge as part of a team. You will assist GAO analysts in planning and conducting in-depth reviews of executive and legislative branch programs. You will collect appropriate data, analyze the data, develop data-based findings and conclusions, and present the information both orally and in writing to diverse audiences. 

Specific duties include:

•Planning, prioritizing, and/or balancing own work assignments, identifying feasible work management approaches that address required activities and timelines.
•Developing, identifying, contributing to, and/or using techniques, tools, and processes that are methodologically sound and targeted to job requirements.
•Collecting relevant information that is aligned with objectives/planning decisions and meets needs.
•Conducting analyses that yield quality information aligned with needs; identifying relevant information, patterns/inconsistencies, relationships, interdependencies, and potential implication.
•Preparing quality written work that meets relevant writing and evidence standards, and that is appropriately targeted to the audience and purpose.
•Communicating relevant and accurate information during formal or informal presentations, meetings, or interviews.
•Partnering or collaborating with others to address issues or solve problems; following up with others to ensure needs are met.
•Contributing to team efforts through participation in activities/meetings, soliciting and listening to others’ opinions, and working collaboratively to accomplish team goals.
•Soliciting, listening to, and considering diverse perspectives, approaches, or viewpoints, and incorporating others’ perspectives into decision-making (when appropriate).

 

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Be enrolled and in good standing in an accredited graduate degree program.
  • Selective Service registration if you are a male born after Dec. 31, 1959.
  • Will be subject to a background investigation/ suitability determination.

For the essay question of this vacancy announcement, any application that does not provide an "actual narrative response" that addresses the KSA listed below, or that says “Please see resume” or the equivalent or “N/A” will not be accepted.

You must be currently enrolled and good standing in an accredited degree program throughout the duration of the internship.

All academic degrees and coursework must be from accredited institutions

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by the start of the internship.

To qualify for the GS-7 level you MUST be enrolled in a graduate or equivalent degree seeking program, AND meet one of the following criteria:

1. You must have completed between 18 to 35 semester hours or 27 to 53 quarter hours of graduate level education.

2. You must possess a Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (defined below).

Superior Academic Achievement: Superior academic achievement (SAA) recognizes individuals who have achieved superior academic standing. S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Grade-point average (G.P.A.)-- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: a.3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or .3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

To qualify for the GS-9 level you MUST be enrolled in a graduate or equivalent degree seeking program, AND meet one of the following criteria:

1. You must have completed 36 or more semester hours or 54 or more quarter hours of graduate level education.

2. You must possess a Master's Degree or equivalent Graduate Degree.

NOTE: You must be a current student enrolled in a graduate program seeking a degree from an accredited educational institution on a full or half-time basis. If at any point during the internship (and for any reason) your status as a student changes to that of a non-student, your internship will be terminated.

Education

Refer to the "Qualifications" section.

Additional information

This position is not in the bargaining unit

This position does not have promotion potential

Annual salary for locations:

District of Columbia (Washington DC)
GS-7, step 1: $49,157
GS-9, step 1: $60,129

Atlanta GA
GS-7, step 1: $46,023
GS-9, step 1: $56,295

Boston, MA
GS-7, step 1: $48,641
GS-9, step 1: $59,498

Chicago, IL
GS-7, step 1: $48,445
GS-9, step 1: $59,258

Denver, CO
GS-7, step 1: $47,895
GS-9, step 1: $58,585

Los Angeles, CA
GS-7, step 1: $49,884
GS-9, step 1: $61,019

Norfolk, VA
GS-7, step 1: $43,894
GS-9, step 1: $53,691

Oakland, CA
GS-7, step 1: $53,286
GS-9, step 1: $65,180

Seattle, WA
GS-7, step 1: $47,854
GS-9, step 1: $58,535

Appointments for student intern positions are nonpermanent and generally last from 10 to 16 weeks. Student interns may have an opportunity for a permanent or term position based on a successful intern experience (completion of a minimum of 400 hours of work, not to exceed a total of 640 hours) and successful completion of degree requirements. The ability to convert to a permanent or term appointment with a minimum 400 hours of work experience is contingent upon budgetary conditions and staffing needs at the time of eligibility. 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

There is an application limit associated with this announcement. The announcement will close at 11:59 ET on the day we receive 500 applications, or at 11:59 PM eastern on 10/01/2021, whichever comes first. Any required documents must be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted past the day the application limit is reached, if applicable. If you choose to edit your application after it has been submitted, it will be removed from consideration until you re-submit your application. The date your application is last submitted will be used to determine whether you meet the cut-off criteria.

OPTION FOR ADDITIONAL SELECTIONS: Based on the staffing needs, additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement.   Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid for by the GAO.

Males born after 12/31/59 and at least 18 years of age must be registered with the Selective Service System. Visit http://www.sss.gov

Selectees will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. If selected, at the time of appointment, selectees will be required to update the OF-306.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: GAO provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees (and interns) with disabilities. To request an accommodation, please email ReasonableAccommodations@gao.gov
The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

For more information about GAO’s mission teams, please visit here.

How you will be evaluated

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

After you submit your application, it will be reviewed to determine whether you have submitted all of the required documents as set forth below by the closing date of the announcement and meet the eligibility and qualification requirements. If you have submitted all required documents in a timely fashion and meet the eligibility and qualification requirements, your application will be reviewed by a screening panel. The panel will assign a score to your application based on the answer you provide to the essay question contained in this announcement and your resume. If your application receives a sufficient rating by the panel, you will be placed in one of three appropriate categories based on your rating: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Follow all instructions carefully as incomplete answers, errors or omissions may affect your rating.

It is important to have a well-written, thoughtful response to the essay question that is supported by your resume. You should draw upon academic, volunteer, and/or work experience as a basis for your response. The essay cannot exceed 3,000 characters including spaces. You must provide an actual narrative response. Any application that says “Please see resume” or the equivalent or “N/A” will not be accepted. It is important that you do not overstate or understate your level of experience and capability.

All applicants will be rated based on their response to the essay question, in conjunction with the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA’s):

- Knowledge of and experience with analytical concepts, principles, and practices (methods) that provides the ability to analyze and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data to make logical inferences and/or draw logical conclusions.
- Ability to prepare written documents that effectively communicate information, some of which are complex, that are complete, organized, and grammatically correct.
- Ability to learn new and complex material quickly in order to understand the issues and obtain relevant and sufficient information about the research problem/issue.


To preview questions please click here.

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