Clarification from the agency

See "Who May Apply" in the "Qualifications" section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position.

• As a student trainee and under close supervision, you receive on-the-job training or formal instruction in aspects of commissary operations and store worker duties. You will learn to:
• Observe, count, and maintain stock levels.
• Match names, codes, number, or sizes of items on shelves to lists on which these items are shown.
• Recognize poor or unacceptable quality.
• Identify items for pricing by type, kind, or variety, and follow a pre-determined schedule in monitoring equipment temperatures.
• Store Workers work in a military grocery store. The work is like a stocker or stock clerk at your local grocery store.

Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national. Applicants with a Permanent Resident Card are authorized to live and work in the U.S. but are not eligible for employment in positions requiring U.S. citizenship. If selected, proof of citizenship is required.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• Must be at least 16 years of age. Per Department of Labor regulations, underage youths may not perform hazardous jobs.
• Selectee must sign Pathways Participant Agreement.
• Must have salary paid through electronic fund transfer (direct deposit).
• The incumbent of this position is required to be a current student in good standing and maintain a cumulative and term grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or equivalent for the duration of the Pathways Program.
• This position has a requirement to lift up to 40 lbs. that involves lifting, pushing, pulling, carrying, and handling of commissary products.
• This position requires the incumbent to work on an intermittent or unscheduled, on-call basis.
• May be subject to shift work and irregular tours of duty including nights, weekends, and/or holidays.
• Temporary DeCA Pathways Intern cannot convert to a permanent position noncompetitively.
• Work also involves prolongs stand, stooping, kneeling, bending, and climbing.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Students who are eligible for participation in the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) Internship Program
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). Short-term training programs (e.g., several two-week programs completed) are not considered an academic course of study.

Internship for current students in good standing at an accredited education.

For this internship, you must be able to work an Intermittent Work Schedule. Position is Temporary not to exceed 30 September 2026.

This intern position is designed to prepare a student trainee for employment after graduation. Interns will be assigned tasks designed to increase familiarity with the target occupation in a real world work environment.

In order to qualify you must first meet the Internship Program eligibility:

1. Student Status: Current students in an accredited college (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, vocational, and trade school; advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate, including certain home-school curricula. Individuals must be taking at least a half-time academic course load. "Half-time" is defined by the school in which the student is enrolled.

2. Grade Point Average: You must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher each semester.

Qualifications This position requires good hand and eye coordination, alertness, integrity, tact, and courtesy, as well as the skill to operate simple equipment repetitively and requiring little or no previous training or experience.

The screen-out element for this position is Reliability and Dependability. The basic qualification needed for these jobs is willingness to do low-level work. Workers may do several types of simple tasks over a period of time. One task is completed before a new assignment is given. The job element method is used to match what you can do against what the work requires.

To be considered you must provide appropriate supporting documentation/information from your school. See Required Documents for more information.

Physical requirements: (1) Frequently lift, push, pull, carry, and handle commissary products weighing up 40 pounds unassisted, and occasionally over 40 pounds with assistance from other workers or by using weight handling equipment. (2) Prolonged standing, stooping, kneeling, bending, and climbing. You will attest to your ability to perform these physical requirements in the Questionnaire.

Work conditions:
- Most of the work is performed in the store display area, which is well lighted and maintained at a comfortable temperature.
- Aisles are often crowded with customers and grocery carts.
- When working in the storage or receiving area, may be exposed to hot or cold weather, or damp or drafty conditions.
- May be exposed to differences in temperature when storing in or retrieving items from chill or frozen storage rooms.
- There is a danger of minor injuries such as cuts, scrapes, bruises, and slipping on wet floors.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

• Ability To Follow Directions in a Shop
• Ability To Handle Weights and Loads
• Dexterity and Safety
• Reliability And Dependability

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of two quality categories: Ideal Candidate and Eligible Candidate. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category.

• Ideal: This category will be used for those candidates who have three months of general experience OR Have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or greater
• Eligible: This category will be used for those candidates who meet the minimum qualifications of the position.

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist (External).

1. Your resume:

• Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
• For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
• Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.

2. Transcripts and Enrollment Verification:

• Enrollment verification (if transcripts do not reflect current enrollment), and unofficial transcripts for education claimed in your resume and occupational questionnaire is required. If you provide an unofficial transcript at the time of application and you are selected, you will be asked for official versions prior to appointment. See: Transcripts and Licenses

3. Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
• Applicants claiming Veterans Preference or Military Spouse preference (MSP): to verify your preference claim you MUST submit supporting documents with your application package.
• If you are currently serving on active duty: You MUST submit a certification from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date you apply to this opportunity. If you supply a certification at this stage, your preference/eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. More information about Veteran's Preference is located on the Feds Hire Vets website. Please upload veteran's documents under the appropriate category.

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

Next steps

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