Administrative Assistant

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. Current students who are scheduled to graduate within nine months may also apply to these positions. However, these students cannot be appointed until after graduation and the official degree has been awarded and conferred.Qualifications:You are required to meet the eligibility requirements of the Recent Graduate program, as described below in order to be considered for this position. You must meet all the eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0300/miscellaneous-clerk-and-assistant-series-0303/. The minimum qualification requirements for each grade level of this vacancy announcement are described below:
RECENT GRADUATES PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible, you 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 years; OR
If you are a current student who is in the process of completing your degree, academic documentation must accompany your application package to validate your upcoming graduation date (you must complete all degree requirements within nine months of the application closing date to be considered a Recent Graduate); OR
Due to military service obligation, you were precluded from applying to the Recent Graduate Program during any portion of the two-year eligibility period described above. This eligibility period cannot extend more than six years from the date on which the requirement for the academic degree or certificate was received.
You must possess the qualifications requirements identified below to be considered qualified for this position. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.
Basic Requirement:
GS-04: Applicants must have one year of progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work which provided the knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position being filled;
OR
an associate's degree or two years of successfully completed education above high school;
OR
combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university.
Qualifying experience is defined as one or more of the following: Clerical, office, or other customer service work such as greeting visitors and responding to phone or written inquiries, using word processing software or other automated software to produce routine documents; or collecting funds from sales.
GS-05: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-4 grade level;
OR
A bachelor's degree or 4 years of successfully completed education above high school;
OR Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (in excess of the first 60 semester hours) and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university.
Examples of Specialized Experience: Examples of specialized experience are meeting two or more of the following: receiving visitors; processing incoming and outgoing correspondence; and maintaining files and records.
Education completed in foreign colleges and universities may be used if it has been accredited or evaluated by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Note regarding certificate programs: A certificate program is defined as a post-secondary education, in a qualifying education institution, equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum. While recently graduating from a certificate program may afford you Recent Graduate Program eligibility, it may not be sufficient in terms of qualification standards for the series and/or the grade level.
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:See "Qualifications" section above for education that may be qualifying for the specific grade level
Position Information:
This announcement is associated with the 2024 Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences Conference (MANNRS) recruitment event. The target start date for these positions is Summer-Fall 2024.
This position is being concurrently announced under Merit Promotion procedures as announcement number 24-NPT-MRS-303-45-FS-CAB. Current federal employees may apply to both announcements.
This position may be filled at the GS-04 and/or GS-05 grade level with promotion potential up to the GS-07.
Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.
To see where these Forest Service offices are located, click here. Click each region name to see the different locations within the Forest Service.
If you have questions regarding duty locations in this announcement please email sm.fs.pathways@usda.gov. Please include the announcement number and the exact location(s) for which you have questions in your email.
The duty locations listed in this announcement include primary and alternate locations for available positions. You must select all duty locations for which you wish to be considered; final duty location for each position will be determined at the time of selection.
Employment Type: FULL_TIME