Student Trainee (Administrative Support Assistant)

Duties

Typical work assignments include:

• Work with clients and customers to assess their needs by providing information or assistance with ongoing administrative matters. Maintain awareness of division products and services.
• Prepare clear, convincing, and concise documents for an intended audience.
• Plan, coordinate, and perform business functions to execute organizational services and goals.
• Assist program analyst, senior specialists and supervisor in conducting program functions.
• Utilize computer software applications to assist staff with updating databases, creating or editing reports, or creating and maintaining spreadsheets.

PROGRAM COMPLETION AND CONVERSION:
Post-Secondary students may be non-competitively converted to a permanent position in the competitive service without further competition. Eligibility for conversion does not guarantee that CISA will offer conversion.

To be eligible for conversion, Post-Secondary students must:

• Complete a course of study leading to the baccalaureate or graduate degree (or certificate as appropriate);
• Complete not less than 640 hours of current continuous employment acquired through the Post Secondary Program;
• Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the student will be converted; and
• Meet time-in-grade requirements in accordance with 5 CFR part 300 subpart F.

If Post-Secondary student successfully completes the program requirements and converts to competitive service, time spent in trial period will count towards the required one-year probationary period.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• Selective Service - Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service see http://www.sss.gov/
• All Federal employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
• DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
• The duration of a Post-Secondary student appointment is a trial period.
• This position requires a pre-employment drug test. All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a drug test to screen for illicit/illegal drug use prior to receiving a final offer of employment. A final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result.
• This is a Term appointment with an initial period expected to last more than 1 year but less than 4 years in the competitive service.

Qualifications

BASIC ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must:

• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an institution of higher education (as defined in 20 U.S.C. § 1001(a)) and pursuing a baccalaureate or graduate degree on at least a part-time basis as determined by the academic institution.
• Individuals who have not yet started the course of study leading to the baccalaureate or graduate degree (or certificate as appropriate), may apply and be considered for a temporary appointment position in the weeks/months prior to the job being filled. These individuals must, however, complete enrollment requirements prior to appointment.

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC ELIGIBILITY ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

To qualify at the GS-03 grade level, applicants must have completed one full academic year of post-high school study relevant to the position/series.

To qualify at the GS-04 grade level, applicants must have completed two full academic years of post-high school study or have an associate's degree relevant to the position/series.

You qualify for the GS-05 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-04 grade level (or equivalent) performing two (2) of the following duties:

1. Assisting with administrative duties for an organization (e.g. reviewing documents, writing/editing documents);
2. Using office automation software (such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and/or Outlook) to update, maintain, and track information; and
3. Responding to inquiries in a timely manner.

OR
EDUCATION: Completion of four (4) academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree from an accredited institution.
OR
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: To combine education and experience, determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage by dividing your total months of experience by 12. Then divide your total number of completed undergraduate semester hours by 120 (quarter hours by 180). Finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify at this 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.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This position has an education requirement. You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent (e.g., letter from the registrar, acceptance letter, unofficial transcripts) showing eligibility for the educational requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. Updated enrollment verification documentation will be required if you are selected.

Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the qualification requirements. You must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.