Peace Corps Internship Program (Spring 2025)

Job Description

The Student Internship Program provides opportunities for Undergraduate and/or Graduate students, who are enrolled on a full time or halftime basis in an academic field of study. These internships are intended to provide students an opportunity to perform a variety of professional and technical duties to increase, develop, and apply knowledge of generally accepted principles, concepts, and practices of the occupation relevant to the area of study the trainee’s enrolled educational program.

Duties

The trainee will perform a variety of professional and technical duties designed to increasingly develop and apply knowledge of generally accepted principles, concepts, and practices of the occupation relevant to the area of study of the trainee’s enrolled educational program.

Based on the area of enrolled field of study, the trainee may be placed in one of the program offices indicated below with a focus on the following occupational fields:

• Business and Industry: Receives training and experience on management of routine technical and administrative tasks to carry contracting, procurement, purchasing, property management, financial analysis functions, training, and office programming. Gains knowledge in preparing and developing reports and documents necessary to meet these requirements. Develops understanding of work involved in procurement of supplies and services, methods used in contracting and knowledge of business and industry practices, training, and programming.
• Communication, Policy Review and Development: Receives experience and training to develop knowledge and skill in conducting technical and administrative functions related to communications, marketing, and outreach. Duties may include writing press releases, drafting stories for newsletters, reports for Congress, Congressional relations, assembling press kits, researching policy, media coverage, compiling information and reports, draft correspondence and provide administrative support for events, communication campaigns, international objectives, and activities.
• Financial Management, Accounting and Budget: Receives training and experience in a variety of professional financial and accounting duties designed to enable and increasingly develop and apply knowledge of generally accepted principles, concepts, and practices. Duties support fiscal and accounting program management, systems, and reports.
• General Administrative and Office Services: Receives training and experience in administrative management operations to gain knowledge of procedures and techniques involved in carrying out the functions of an administrative management program. The trainee will perform clerical and administrative tasks to support filing systems and automation support necessary for general office management/support, procurement of goods and services and maintain the flow of records, reports, and information. The trainee may perform analytical work under guidance to identify resource requirements and develop reports.
• Human Resources: Receives training in the principles, concepts, work processes, and regulations of one or more functional areas of Human Resources Management. The training is designated to provide a career-oriented introduction to the background, concepts, and scope of the Human Resources (HR) program and a practical understanding of the policies of the organization. Work assignments are designed to provide experience in a variety of human resources activities.

Help Requirements Conditions of Employment

Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet the requirements of the program.
• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. For additional information, see www.sss.gov.
• All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Telework eligible positions do not guarantee telework. As a reminder - If you are selected for a position, you are responsible for reporting to your designated POD (location) on the negotiated start date or as directed by management.
• Remote-work eligible positions do not guarantee remote work. See Peace Corps Manual Section 633 for agency policy regarding remote work.
• This is a non-bargaining unit position.
• You must complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• Applicants must go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired original or certified copies.
• Applicants must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination. This position requires a Public Trust security clearance.
• This position requires a public trust background investigation.
• Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by 08/15/2024 (the closing date of this announcement). Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

You must have been accepted for enrollment or be enrolled and seeking a degree in a qualifying educational institution on a full or halftime basis.

• If you are a student from a university that does not allow participation in paid internship programs, you will be required to provide a letter from your school verifying that you are not allowed to be paid while in the program. Additionally, you will be required to sign a letter of exemption that you will not be paid while participating in the program.
• Applicants must be Undergraduate (Juniors and Seniors) or Graduate Students:
• Students must be returning to school immediately following the internship to qualify for the program. In addition, students must provide an official transcript with their application confirming enrollment status.
• An individual enrolled in school and receiving credit toward their degree for participating in the Student Internship Program is also considered a student.
• An applicant is considered a junior if he/she will have completed all sophomore credits (60 or more semester hours or 90 quarter hours) by the time the internship begins and will be entering at least the junior year immediately following completion of the internship.
• Have a minimum 3.0 GPA:
  • If the school does not issue Grade Point Averages (GPAs), please work with your registrar office to understand the markings associated with each course on your transcript to use the GPA Calculation Table. Note: a GPA must be entered for your application to be complete and for you to be considered.

• FP-09 - Completion of four academic years of post-high school study leading to a bachelor’s degree or equivalent degree.
• FP-07 - Completion of one academic year of graduate level education; OR eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement* provision, as defined in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Operating Manual for Qualification Standards, and completion of a bachelor’s degree.
• FP-05 - Completion of two academic years of graduate level education, or a master’s degree or equivalent graduate degree.

*Superior Academic Achievement (Bachelor’s degree) - In the upper one-third of graduating class; OR a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of 4.0, as recorded on official transcript, or based on courses completed during final 2 years of curriculum; OR a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of 4.0, based on average of required courses completed in major or required courses in major completed during the final 2 years of curriculum.

Academic Year Clarification:

• At the undergraduate level, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education. When academic credit is expressed in 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 institution.
• At the graduate level (education above a bachelor’s), one year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full time study requirement for GS-07. And 36 semester hours for 2 years of full-time study should be considered as satisfying the GS-09 requirement. When academic credit is expressed in 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 institution.

Additional information on qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/

Education

Undergraduate and Graduate Education:

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor’s degree, in an accredited college or university, meets the GS-5 level requirements for many positions. One full academic year of graduate-level education is creditable for GS-7; 2 years or a master’s or equivalent graduate degree is creditable for GS-9; and 3 years or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree is creditable for GS-11.

Transcripts must be submitted with your application

About the Organization

The Peace Corps shares a unique relationship with the countries and people our community has worked alongside in pursuit of world peace and friendship for more than 60 years bringing together skilled, committed volunteers with welcoming host communities for service opportunities in more than 60 countries. Volunteers live and work side by side with community members on locally prioritized projects, building relationships, exchanging cultures and knowledge, and helping transform lives.

Come work alongside motivated and engaged employees who are passionate about the Peace Corps' mission of promoting peace and friendship. The Peace Corps provides professional development opportunities, fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace, and supports work-life balance. Be part of a team that supports volunteers and host communities across the globe.

Top Three Reasons to Work for the Peace Corps:

1. The Peace Corps has a unique global mission, perhaps the best of any federal agency-to promote peace and friendship.
2. Benefits include competitive salaries with annual step increases as opposed to the General Schedule, which has longer waiting periods between step increases.
3. Peace Corps employees earn non-competitive eligibility after three years of service. The Cornell Law School's site offers more information about NCE.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Applications will be reviewed once the vacancy announcement closes. We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:

1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications

We will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated or falsified your qualifications, education, eligibility claims, and/or experience, this is cause for disqualification. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.

2. Rating and Ranking

If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required experience by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the occupational questionnaire and the specialized experience at the grade level(s) for which you are applying. The occupational questionnaire is the list of questions in the automated system that you will have an opportunity to answer once you apply for the position. Based on the outcome of this evaluation, you will be assigned a numerical score (out of 100 possible). If your responses to the occupational questionnaire are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be disqualified from receiving further consideration.

3. Referral and Selection

If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Information Technology Research and Development
• Performance Measurement
• Project Management

You may preview the questionnaire for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12428608 Help Required Documents

Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which establish your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide any of these documents, your application will be marked as incomplete and disqualified from further consideration.

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 08/05/2024 (the closing date of this announcement).

1. Resume: All applicants must submit a detailed resume showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including job title and duties performed. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support your qualifications. The following information must be provided in your resume:

• Full name and address of the employer;
• Official position titles;
• Start and end dates of your prior employment (including month, day, and year);
• Work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent);
• Number of hours worked per week;
• Salary;
• If you are a current Federal employee or former Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series, and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09);
• A detailed list of duties & accomplishments; and
• Any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).

TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and disqualified from further consideration.

If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, you will not be considered for this vacancy.

2. Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the "Who May Apply" section of this announcement to receive further consideration.

• SF-50(s): If you are a current or former federal employee (including current Peace Corps employees), you are required to submit a legible copy/copies of a recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action.
  • Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements. Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include:
    • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
    • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
    • SF-50s at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.
• Individuals with Disabilities (IWD): If you are applying using IWD eligibility must provide a Proof of Disability Documentation Letter (commonly referred to as a Schedule A Letter). This letter must be on official stationery/letterhead with an official signature. The letter should clearly state your full name and that you are a person with a disability or targeted disability and are eligible for appointment under Schedule A hiring authority as outlined in 5 CFR Section 213.3102(u). The letter must have been provided by, one of the follow:
  • a licensed medical professional; or
  • a licensed rehabilitation professional; or
  • a federal, state, District of Columbia, or U.S. territory agency that issues or provides disability benefits.
• Peace Corps Eligibility (PCE) documentation of qualifying volunteer service: Applicants claiming PCE are required to submit documentation verifying that you are eligible.
  • In most cases, this will be your Description of Service (DOS). Please include this under the "Proof of Volunteer with PC, VISTA, ACTION etc." document place holder.
  • The following statement must be included in the final paragraph of the signed DOS: This is to certify in accordance with Section 6.0 of Peace Corps Manual Section 285 that (NAME) served satisfactorily as a Peace Corps (Response) volunteer for a full term of service under an appointment of (X) months.
  • PCRVs should also include their Verification of Service letter, which is important retirement and leave documentation.
• Transcripts: If you are using education as a substitute for some or all of the experience requirement or there a basic education requirement for this position, an official or unofficial transcript is required. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, official transcript(s) will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position. Check the "Education" section of this announcement for more information.

Help How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/05/2024 to receive consideration.

• To begin, click "Apply Online" to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
• Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package.
• You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, the assessment questionnaire, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Please ensure you click the "Submit My Answers" button to submit your application.
• It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant. If more than one resume is received, only the last resume received and processed will be reviewed.
• Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process so please plan appropriately. You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
• Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Your experience must be fully documented in your resume. See the "Required Documents" section of this announcement for more information on what you must include in your resume. Be clear and specific when describing your experience in your resume. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience.

The Peace Corps is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.

We are committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture. Our goal is to attract and develop the best and brightest from all lifestyles and backgrounds. The Peace Corps strives to create a culture of inclusion where individuals feel respected and are treated fairly in all aspects of differences. Our commitment is to make a difference in the lives of people around the world.

The Peace Corps provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the hiring process, please notify the Office of Human Resources by calling 202-692-1200 or the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity on 202-692-2139. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.