Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current students enrolled in an accredited educational institution or certificate program at least half-time, leading to a degree or graduate/professional certification.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

The Pathways Internship Program gives Interns the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and the opportunity to foster networking relationships. If you are seeking a diploma/degree and are looking for an opportunity to challenge your teambuilding skills, then this opportunity is for you!

As a Student Trainee (Information Technology), your typical work assignments may include the following:

• Providing technical support to internal and external customers.
• Assisting with troubleshooting hardwar2 and software issues.
• Supporting IT equipment setup and maintenance.
• Responding to and tracking user service requests.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
• The intern is in a trial period throughout the entire Pathways Internship appointment.
• Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 and receive no grade below average (C or equivalent) for the duration of their internships to continue their eligibility for participation in DEA Internship Program.
• Must sign a Participant Agreement that sets forth the expectations for the internship.
• Must be enrolled in classes a minimum of half time for the duration of the internship.
• Must provide all transcripts/proof of enrollment/acceptance, and/or current class schedule.
• Must submit to a pre-employment drug test.
• DEA uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.

Qualifications

For more information on eligibility requirements see: DEA Employment Eligibility.

Applicants must meet all of the required qualification requirements described below by the closing of this announcement.

Positions are open to current students pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate in an accredited high school, college (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, technical, vocational, and trade school; advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution on at least a half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled).

To qualify for a Student Trainee (Information Technology) as a GS-04 grade level must include completion of 2 full academic years of post-high study or an associate's degree.

• At the undergraduate level, successfully completed education that has not led to possession of a degree is credited based on its relationship to 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours. For example, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education. Four years of progressive study or 120 semester hours meets the degree requirements. Additional credit cannot be given for duplicate course work.
• For study at a business or technical school, 36 weeks of study (20+ classroom hours per week) is comparable to 1 academic year above high school.
• An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.
• When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the semester or quarter hours specified in the standard.

NOTE: If your college, vocational, trade, or technical institution's definition of "academic year" differs from above, you must submit proof of this difference (e.g., copy of course catalog that defines an academic year). Absent this documentation, you will screened for academic qualifications based on the academic hours as defined in the bullets above.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Only education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review in our office, in other Federal agency personnel offices, and on OPM's web site.

Competencies: Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competencies in the following areas:
Attention to Detail, Flexibility, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Problem Solving, Self-Management, and Technology Application

For this internship, you must be able to work part-time when school is in session and full-time when not attending classes.

Interns will be assigned tasks designed to increase familiarity with the target occupation in a real-world work environment.

This opportunity follows a standard promotional path:

1. Internship selection will be made at the GS-04 level. These grade levels are what typical college students in their second year may qualify.
2. Within 120 days after completion of Internship requirements, you may be eligible for conversion into a permanent position without further competition and provided the Hiring Division/Office has an appropriate vacant position available at that time.
3. Entry level for these positions are typically at the GS-05 level. The actual grade level at the time of conversion depends on academic achievement and other factors. The full performance level of this position is GS-05.
4. Progression from the entry-level to the full performance level for this occupation will depend on successful completion of all requirements for promotion. Promotions may be considered after a year at each grade level but are not guaranteed to occur on a specific time schedule.

See requirements for conversion to permanent or term position in the "Additional Information" section below.

This position is a temporary excepted service appointment, Not To Exceed (NTE) for one year with the possibility of extension without further posting. This student position can possibly be extended until the student graduates or is no longer enrolled at which time the position will be terminated.

If selected, you must sign a Pathways Participant Agreement; be able to furnish course registration information at the start of each school term; and be able to provide verification of academic status (official transcript) at the end of each academic term.

The student intern serves a trial period for the duration of their excepted service appointment.

How you will be evaluated

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

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 on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Attention to Detail
• Flexibility
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Problem Solving
• Self-Management
• Technology Application

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.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12958905.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as described in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and meet or exceed the cut score requirements, will be assigned to one of three quality categories:

1. Qualified Category: In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate a basic level of the required competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) for the position.
2. Highly Qualified Category: In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all, of the requirements of the position.
3. Best Qualified Category: In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must possess the type and quality of experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position.

Best qualified applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) required for this position. The assessment questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions which provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question in 200-words or less. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and have not used a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume - must be no more than two pages in length; resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Resume should include applicants' name, email address, phone number, relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year), work schedule (e.g. part or full-time), the number of hours per week worked/volunteered, job title and description of duties performed. Education/Certification/Licensure when relevant or required for position. See Guidance for Applicants on 2-Page Resume and visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information.
• Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education. See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
• Agency and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) Eligibles, if applicable: View information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. You must be rated in the Highly-Qualified category for this position and submit the supporting documents listed below to receive consideration for selection priority.
• (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
• Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable: The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three," but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent or higher will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).
• To claim 5-point preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
• To claim 10-point preference, submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) AND all required documentation outlined on the form to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.). If we cannot verify your 10-point preference claim, your application will be reviewed for 5-point preference.
• To claim 10-point derived preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), submit a completed SF-15 andall required documentation listed on the SF-15 to support your claim.
• To claim 0-point Sole Survivorship preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation showing that your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.
• For all preference claims:
  • DD-214 must show the dates of service, type of discharge, and any qualifying service campaign medals.
  • If you are currently on active duty and applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must provide a certification on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service dates, expected date of discharge or release, and the character of service to show that your military service was performed under honorable conditions. The expected date of discharge or release must be no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted for consideration for this vacancy announcement.
• For more veterans' preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.

5. Other Qualification Documentation (e.g. certificates, certifications, etc.), if applicable. See the Qualification section of this announcement for more information.

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