Student Trainee (Physical Science Technician),Geological Survey,02-08-2021,USA Gov

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible for an appointment under the Pathways Internship Program:

• You must be a student accepted for enrollment or enrolled in a degree or certificate program on a full- or half-time basis as defined by the school (certificate program means post-secondary education, in a qualifying educational 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); AND
• Enrollment is with a qualifying educational institution such as a high school or state-approved homeschool; or accredited technical or vocational school; a 2- or 4-year college or university; a graduate or professional school (e.g., law school, medical school); or a post-secondary home school curriculum; AND
• Students currently enrolled must be in good academic standing maintaining a 2.0 grade point average on a cumulative basis; AND
• The duties of this position should be related to your academic or career goals.
• You must continue to meet these eligibility requirements throughout the duration of your appointment under the Pathways Internship Program.

Students who successfully complete the internship program may be eligible for conversion to a permanent appointment or a term (1-4 years in duration) appointment without further competition. Eligibility requirements for conversion: must be a U.S. Citizen; complete at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program (*may waive up to a total of 320 hours under specific conditions); successfully complete your degree or certificate requirements from a qualifying institution; meet the qualification requirements for the position to which you will be converted; meet agency-specific requirements as outlined in the Participant's Agreement; and must have performed successfully in your position as documented through performance evaluations. *NOTE: To learn more about the conditions under which a portion of the work experience hours may be waived, visit https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/students-and-recent-graduates.

Qualification Requirements

This internship is geared toward students majoring in one of the following areas of study: (insert preferred major(s) e.g., the life sciences, the physical sciences, environmental science, geology, chemistry, business administration, finance, information technology, etc.).

For GS-04:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-4 level:

A. Six months of general experience and 6 months of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-3 level in the Federal service that is in or related to the duties of this position. NOTE: Excess specialized experience beyond the required 6 months may be substituted for general experience; i.e., one year of creditable specialized experience will meet the requirements for 6 months of general experience and 6 months of specialized experience.

General experience is work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position to be filled, OR experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Qualifying specialized experience for GS-4 and above may include work in the fields of astronomy, physics, geophysics, chemistry, hydrology, health physics, engineering, electronics, geology, oceanography, and metallurgy. Experience as a laboratory mechanic or in a trade or draft may be credited as general or specialized experience when the work was performed in close association with physical scientists or technical personnel and provided intensive knowledge of appropriate scientific principles, methods, techniques, and precedents.

Examples of GS-3 level work assignments include: 1) Performing simple analysis of water samples for specific conductance, PH, color, turbidity, chloride, and biochemical oxygen demand; 2) Recording analytical data for laboratory staff; 3) Assisting laboratory staff in the preparation of samples for more complex analysis; 4) Assisting in quality assurance operations including preparation of reference samples, standard solutions, reagents; 5) Receiving, inventory, packaging and shipping of laboratory and field sampling supplies to field offices and maintaining records of items and quantities to be shipped; 6) Cleaning laboratory equipment and glassware.

**OR B. Completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as physical science, engineering, or any branch of mathematics, except financial and commercial mathematics.

**OR C. Combination of successfully completed post-high school education and specialized and/or general experience may be used to meet the qualification requirements for the GS-04 level. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.