The Recent Graduates Program affords developmental experiences in the Federal Government intended to promote possible careers in the civil service to individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs.
Successful applicants are placed in a dynamic, developmental program with the potential to lead to a civil service career in the Federal Government. The program lasts for 1 year and includes:
Orientation program
Mentorship throughout the program.
Individual Development Plan to create and track Recent Graduates' career planning, professional development, and training activities.
At least 40 hours of formal, interactive training each year of the program.
Opportunity for career advancement
Upon successful completion of program requirements, the incumbent may be converted to a term, career, or career conditional position.
The incumbent of this position performs the full range of meat grading and quality assurance monitoring duties, located at either a main station, substation, or other office locations which may involve details and/or reassignments to different geographical areas as needed and as determined by management. Salary Information: First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
Summary
The Recent Graduates Program affords developmental experiences in the Federal Government intended to promote possible careers in the civil service to individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs.
Successful applicants are placed in a dynamic, developmental program with the potential to lead to a civil service career in the Federal Government. The program lasts for 1 year and includes:
Orientation program
Mentorship throughout the program.
Individual Development Plan to create and track Recent Graduates' career planning, professional development, and training activities.
At least 40 hours of formal, interactive training each year of the program.
Opportunity for career advancement
Upon successful completion of program requirements, the incumbent may be converted to a term, career, or career conditional position.
The incumbent of this position performs the full range of meat grading and quality assurance monitoring duties, located at either a main station, substation, or other office locations which may involve details and/or reassignments to different geographical areas as needed and as determined by management. Salary Information: First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
The duties described are for the full performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity. The duties may include, but are not limited to:
Independently examines meat (in carcass or in cases where the USDA standards permit whole sale cut form) to evaluate the sex, texture, marbling, maturity, color, and other factors relating to product quality. Applies the official standards to determine the meat's quality grade, independently making all determinations, including borderline cases.
Independently defends grade or certification determinations to plant personnel, resolving most protests. Corrects errors observed and assists in maintaining relations with the plant's management by explaining applications of the standards and the related rules and regulations, by advising on plant procedures as they relate to the requirements of the grading services, and by coordinating the grading work with plant activities.
In certain cases, reevaluates carcasses previously identified for grade after they have been ribbed. Records and forwards evaluation data for factors which determine the final quality and yield grade of specific carcasses identified for evaluation through the Carcass Data Service.
Determines the yield grade of carcasses and applicable cuts by applying official standards involving such factors as carcass weight, amount of fat, and area of the ribeyes. Is responsible for proper control and storage of official equipment
When designated, coordinates the work of several graders assigned to a specific location and at times, depending upon the location and workload, may serve as grader in charge.
Conducts public demonstrations; reviews retail meat outlets (i.e., supermarkets, meat markets, hotels, restaurants, etc.) for compliance with Public Law 272
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
US Citizenship is required.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
Special Conditions
Transcripts including the date your degree was conferred are required. Applications will not be considered without this documentation.
DD214 (Member 4 copy) or other veterans’ documents required to receive veterans’ preference and/or to document eligibility for individuals who, due to military service obligation, were precluded from applying
If selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entrance on duty
Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation.
Selectee will be subject to a pre-employment medical statement and/or examination.
A Pathways Participant Agreement will be required if you are selected for a position. The agreement must be signed by all applicable parties prior to entrance on duty.
Prior to an official offer, selectee will be required to sign and return a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to this office acknowledging and accepting that geographic mobility is a condition of employment. Failure to sign the MOU will be grounds for withdrawal of the job offer.
Qualifications
To qualify, you MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
RECENT GRADUATES PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible, applicants must meet one of the following requirements;
Completed all requirements for an associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous two (2)years. Current students who will complete their degree requirements by 5/31/2017 will also be considered. OR
Individuals who, due to military service obligation, were precluded from applying to the Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period described above shall have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon release or discharge from active duty. This eligibility period cannot extend more than 6 years from the date on which the requirements for the academic course of study were met.
IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE: Applicants must meet the following specialized experience and/or education requirements listed below:
FOR THE GS-05 LEVEL: Applicants must have three years of progressively responsible experience, one year of which was equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to the next lower level in the Federal Service (equivalent to the GS-04 level) (experience may have been obtained in private or public sectors), that demonstrates the ability to:
Analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions.
Plan and organize work.
Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
OR have a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree.
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.
FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 level) that demonstrates:
Experience grading any agricultural products and/or inspecting, storing, packaging, transporting, and processing conditions.
Experience grading and inspection of meat or poultry products for standards and contract specifications to grade such products and identify and describe common product defects and to establish their causes.
Identifying and determining the cause of common defects of these products or product types.
Recognizing, identifying, and describing common product characteristics relevant to the products graded, such as taste, smell, color, size, shape, or texture, and skill in comparing the characteristics to standards or contract specifications to make consistent determinations.
OR 1 full year of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree in Animal Science, Meat Science, Agronomy, Agriculture, Botany, or Economics;
OR Superior Academic Achievement: To qualify based on superior academic achievement, you must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution AND must meet certain GPA requirements. For more details click: Superior Academic Achievement
TRANSCRIPTS are required and your transcript must show the date your degree was conferred, or your in-progress Spring 2017 courses with cumulative credit information. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty.
All academic degrees or course work must be completed in an educational institution tha has obtained acreditation form an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schoolos that meet this critieria, see http://www.ed.gov/
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-05/07 GRADE LEVELS: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. To learn more about combining education and experience for this series, click the following: Combining Education and Experience for Administrative and Management Positions
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.
Additional information
More than one selection may be made if another vacancy occurs within 90 days of the issuance of the certification of eligibles.
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).
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.
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 Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures using category rating. The category rating procedure is used to rank and select eligible candidates. 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 veterans preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined on applicants' quality of experience and the extend they possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) or competencies:
General Commodity Inspection and Grading Skills
Communication Skills
Decision Making, Leadership, Supervisory and Project/Program Management
Meat & Meat Products Grading
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 and including removal from the Federal Service.
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 that includes the following information: 1) job information for which you are applying; 2) personal information; 3) education; 4) work experience including the work schedule and hours worked per week as well as dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 5) supervisors phone number for each work period listed and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and, 6) other qualifications.
College Transcripts showing the date your degree was conferred, or your in-progress Spring 2017 courses with cumalative credit information are required. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. For additional information, refer to the U.S. Department of Education web site at http://www.ed.gov.
DD-214(Member 4 Copy) If claiming veteran’s preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions that is signed no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. The certification must be on the letterhead of the appropriate military branch and include the dates of military service. Veteran’s preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran’s preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) 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 the instructions before you begin. The following instructions outline our application process.
You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office during business hours well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be submitted no later than noon 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 us if you are requesting this.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a resume with USAJOBS or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application” to continue.
NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Once in the Agency's staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
USDA APHIS MRPBS
100 N 6th St, Bulter Sq Bldg, Suite 510C
Minneapolis, MN, 55403
United States
Next steps
If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, you will receive an email acknowledging: 1) the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, 2) if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and 3) if you were selected or not selected. If you choose not to set up automatic email notifications, you must check your USAJOBS account for the latest status of your application. Your application may be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position prior to issuing lists to a selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. We expect to make a final job offer within 40 days after the closing date of the announcement.
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 that includes the following information: 1) job information for which you are applying; 2) personal information; 3) education; 4) work experience including the work schedule and hours worked per week as well as dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 5) supervisors phone number for each work period listed and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and, 6) other qualifications.
College Transcripts showing the date your degree was conferred, or your in-progress Spring 2017 courses with cumalative credit information are required. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. For additional information, refer to the U.S. Department of Education web site at http://www.ed.gov.
DD-214(Member 4 Copy) If claiming veteran’s preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions that is signed no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. The certification must be on the letterhead of the appropriate military branch and include the dates of military service. Veteran’s preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran’s preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) 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 the instructions before you begin. The following instructions outline our application process.
You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office during business hours well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be submitted no later than noon 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 us if you are requesting this.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a resume with USAJOBS or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application” to continue.
NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Once in the Agency's staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
USDA APHIS MRPBS
100 N 6th St, Bulter Sq Bldg, Suite 510C
Minneapolis, MN, 55403
United States
Next steps
If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, you will receive an email acknowledging: 1) the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, 2) if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and 3) if you were selected or not selected. If you choose not to set up automatic email notifications, you must check your USAJOBS account for the latest status of your application. Your application may be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position prior to issuing lists to a selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. We expect to make a final job offer within 40 days after the closing date of the announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
