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Pathways Recent Graduate Park Guide

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Capital Parks - East
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to provide guide services to visitors.

Open to the first 100 applicants or 08/29/2023whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Recent Graduates may be converted to a permanent position (or, in some limited circumstances, a term appointment lasting 1-4 years), Interns may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to permanent employment, please click here for more information.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
08/15/2023 to 08/22/2023
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$42,870 to - $55,736 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5
Location
9 vacancies in the following location:
Washington DC, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NC-1616-NACE-23-12063442-DE
Control number
742620400

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Duties

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The major duties of the Park Guide position include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Develop and present a variety of formal (from pre-written outlines) and informal audience and learner-centered interpretive experiences using a variety of interpretive skills, techniques, and tools delivered in person and through interpretive media and technology,
  • Engage the public through presenting a complete and highly varied suite of formal structured programs (house tours, walks, talks, presentations and virtual interactions) and informal contacts/conversations with the public.
  • Provides orientation at visitor center desks, hands out brochures, starts orientation movie and answers visitor questions relating to the site.
  • Runs a cash register as needed for cooperating association.
  • Records visitor use statistics to improve visitor services and programs. Use Ensures visitor statistics are accurate and provides feedback to supervisor.

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, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
  • You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
  • 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.
  • The entire period served under the Intern Program counts as a trial period.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/29/2023-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience.

To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

  • EXPERIENCE: At least one full year 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. Other examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to, Park Guide or tour leader; naturalist; environmental educator or teacher; or other similar work. You must include hours per week worked. -OR-
  • EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours of related course work American history, science, and/or public speaking, or a bachelor's degree supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in American history, science, and/or public speaking. You must include transcripts. -OR-
  • Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. You must include transcripts.
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". Experience listed as full-time will be credited at 40 hours per week.

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.

Education

To 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.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

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.

Recent Graduate Program Requirements:

  • Students MUST submit transcripts with conferred or degree earned date (unofficial transcripts are acceptable). If selected, official transcripts will be required.
  • An Individual Development Plan (IDP) will be completed within 45 days of appointment to track the Recent Graduates' career planning, professional development, and training activities.
  • Selectee will be required to sign Recent Graduates Participant Agreement.
  • Within the first year of employment, the incumbent will be provided a minimum of 40 formal hours of training.
  • The incumbent will be assigned a mentor within 90 days of appointment.

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.
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:
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Technical Competence
  • Technology Application
  • Writing


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a panel resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

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