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Student Trainee - Program Support Clerk

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

The incumbent will be part of the Pathways Internship Program as a Student Trainee (Clerk) with the USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in Mission, TX. This program is designed to provide students enrolled in a variety of educational institutions from high school to graduate level with opportunities to work in agencies and explore Federal careers while still in school.

The duties may include, but are not limited to:

Receives visitors and telephone calls, determines the nature of the requests, and directs callers to the appropriate official or provides the information desired on routine or procedural matters.
Aids in establishing and maintaining file systems of general and program related material by coding materials, filing, locating and retrieving materials, and disposing of material.
Maintains inventory in accordance with instructions to insure an adequate supply of forms, supplies, etc. Consolidates purchase requests and prepares and types requisitions.
Consolidates statistical data from reports submitted by field units and maintains the data to prepare various periodic and financial reports as instructed.
Types letters, memorandums, reports, and other forms of materials from rough drafts and/or oral instructions into final form with responsibility for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Conditions of Employment

You must be a US Citizen or US National.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

ELIGIBILITY: Students who are currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis at a qualifying educational institution in a certificate, degree, or diploma program.

Applicants can qualify by meeting the EDUCATION requirements specified below.

EDUCATION:

GS-4: Completion of 2 full academic years (60 semester or 90 quarter hours) of post-high school study or an associate's degree.

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 and USDA policy using category rating. This means you will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

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 competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics):

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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 score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. 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. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12561629

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications; and 5) supervisors name and phone number for each work period listed and whether or not they may be contacted for reference checks.
College Transcripts: You must submit a copy of your college transcripts. 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. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the 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. For further information, visit the following: Foreign Education Evaluation. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Proof of student status is required. Applicants must submit one of the following: a letter of acceptance to an accredited college or university for an upcoming academic term; OR Transcripts showing current enrollment at an accredited college or university; OR A letter on college/university stationery stating that you are enrolled for the current academic term.
If claiming veterans' 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 within 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. Veterans' 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.
If claiming 10-point veterans' preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS