OHRM – Diversity, Recruitment, and Work/Life Division| Students Employment Opportunities (SEO) Page - 1 

 

Last revised 2/11/2013 

 Pathways Program

 Third Party Contractors Program

 Volunteers Program

Students Employment Opportunities

Student Employment Opportunities

Diversity, Recruitment, and Work/Life Division 

Office of Human Resources Management

USDA.Internships@dm.usda.gov

www.dm.usda.gov/employ/student/index.htm

Instructions to Search and Apply

Science and 

Technology 

 

Agribusiness 

and Industry 

Management 

 

U.S. Department of Agriculture

“USDA – Serving the American Public – Every Day In Every Way” 

 

 

 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture
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Introduction

Thank you for your interest in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Career Opportunities. USDA offers 

different opportunities for students and recent graduates to work in the agricultural, science, technology, 

math, environmental, management, business and many other fields. Our emphasis will be to foster a 

connection between continuing education and employment training in the Federal Government. 

Through the umbrella Student Employment Opportunities (SEOs) program, student and recent graduates 

could find different opportunities. 

• USDA Pathways Program

 Internship Program - student are geared towards combining academic studies with onthe-job training and experience. List of programs:

 Recent Graduate Program – this program provides individuals who have recently 

graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs with developmental 

experiences in the Federal Government and is intended to promote possible careers in 

the civil service. This program will be available soon.

 Presidential Fellows Program – this is a prestigious, competitive program that supports 

leadership development of recent graduates who have been pre-qualified, or 

recommended by a network of graduate schools. 

• USDA Third Party Contractors Providers – these programs provide opportunities for interns to 

work in the Federal government as contractors. These programs typically provide stipends for 

interns. List of programs:

 Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL)

 Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)

 Student Conservation Association (SCA) 

 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) (D.C. Government Passport-to-Work)

 Washington Internship for Native Students (WINS)

• USDA Volunteer Program – this program provides students or recent graduates who need 

professional work experience and/or academic credit with the opportunity to work with USDA. List 

of programs:

 NAL - Dig into Rare and Special Collections Volunteer Experience (DRSCVE)

 NRCS - Earth Team Volunteers (NRCSETV)

 Higher Education Institution Volunteer Opportunity (HEIVO) 

 FSIS - Volunteer Student Program (VSP)

To apply for the any of our SEOs USDA Career Opportunities, please follow the instructions. 
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Application Process

 

USDA Pathways Program 

ONLY ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH USAJOBS. DO NOT 

SEND YOUR TRANSCRIPTS OR OTHER DOCUMENTS VIA EMAIL.

For specific questions about the Pathways Programs, please send your inquiry to Askusdapathways@dm.usda.gov. 

Searching For USDA Job Open Announcements on USAJOBs 

All students interested in paid internship or recent graduate positions at USDA must apply through the USAJobs.gov 

system. There are several ways to start your search for USDA opportunities. 

Your first option is to click this link www.USDA.USAJOBS.gov to begin your search. A window will open that resemble to 

the one showing below. In the “WHAT” box type “STUDENTS,” if you are looking for paid or unpaid internships, and then 

click “search” to view all the announcements. But if you are looking for paid and unpaid recent graduates’ opportunities, 

type “Recent Graduate” under the “What” box, to view all the announcements.

o

o

o
OHRM – Diversity, Recruitment, and Work/Life Division| Students Employment Opportunities (SEO) Page - 5 

When searching for paid or unpaid job opportunities with the word “STUDENT” a list will appear resembling as the one 

showing below. 

When you get the list of job opportunities, pay attention to the “RESULTS” area. Here you will know the number of job 

opportunities available to view. For example, in the above screen shot it shows 1 to 25 of 29 results. Meaning there are 

25 job opportunities to view for students.

Click on “SORT BY” and make your selection. Scroll down and view each job announcement. Once you are viewing the 

announcements you will be able to select those that you are interested.
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For a quick view of the job opportunity, just click “QUICK VIEW”. 

When readying the brief summary under “QUICK VIEW” of the open opportunity, scroll down to continue 

reviewing the vacancy.
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If you want to save the job for later review, just click “SAVE JOB,” or share the announcement. You will be prompted to 

sign in to “my account.”

If you don’t have an account, create a “NEW ACCOUNT”. If you have an account, log in with your ID and enter your 

password. Upload your resume, or build your own using USAJOBS system. Go back to the announcement opportunity 

your want to apply and click again “APPLY ONLINE.” Follow the instructions to submit your application. Then select your 

resume and click “SUBMIT”. 

Never applying for a position, if you don’t meet both the required minimum qualifications AND any selective factors 

described in the JOA. Always document your experience and education in your résumé.
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Another way to search for a USDA internship and recent graduate opportunities Federal wide is to go to 

www.usajobs.gov and click on “STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES”:

A window will open that resemble to the one showing below, click on “SEARCH JOBS.” 
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When you click on “SEARCH JOBS,” a page will appear that resembles to the one below and follow the steps discusses 

above. 

Another way to search for paid and unpaid opportunities at USDA is by selecting “AGENCY” for the pull down menu.
OHRM – Diversity, Recruitment, and Work/Life Division| Students Employment Opportunities (SEO) Page - 10 

Click on “DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE” to see ALL USDA opportunities posted on USAJOBS.

Select a job announcement and click on the title.
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Follow the instructions provided in the announcement to apply. Note the “OPEN PERIOD” showing when your 

application is due. Each announcement may have a different set of instructions to apply. Please read the announcement 

carefully and apply correctly to be considered for the position.

Applying for a particular vacancy announcement

Before you submit an application for any of our vacancies, students and recent graduates should completely review the 

vacancy announcement. Don’t apply for any of our positions, if you don’t meet both the required minimum 

qualifications AND any selective factors described in the vacancy announcement. 

If you have reviewed the vacancy announcement and believe that you can meet both the minimum qualifications and 

selective factors, you should document your experience and education in your résumé. Since traditional résumés do not 

provide all the information needed to determine your qualifications for Federal positions, you should create a more 

detailed résumé to use when applying for Federal positions. Your résumé must include: 1) GPA and 2) Complete course 

work (unit/credit hours). Salary will be determined based on academic classification using the general schedule (GS) 

levels.
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Click “APPLY ONLINE” to submit your resume. Follow the instructions given to you by the system.

You will be prompted to sign in to my account or create a new account page. Log in with your ID and enter your 

password. Then select your resume and click “SUBMIT”. 
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Do you know that USDA scientists are working on biocatalytic and 

biomimetic reagents to produce carbon-carbon and carbon-oxygen 

branched fatty acids, targeting materials with enhanced lubricity while 

preserving biodegradability? - Agricultural Research Service

Understanding the Application Process

Because Federal jobs are filled using a competitive process, understanding the timing of the process will better prepare 

you for the wait after you submit your application. Once the closing date passes, Federal agencies must wait a period of 

time (typically, 7-10 days) for receipt of postmarked applications. 

During this time period, the Human Resources Specialist will begin reviewing the applications received to determine if 

the applicants meet the qualification requirements outlined. Those candidates who do meet the minimum qualifications 

will then be reviewed to determine if they are among the “qualified” or “best qualified” candidates. Sometimes this can 

take a few days, or a few weeks, depending on the number of applications received. Once the “best qualified” 

candidates are identified, a “certificate of eligible’s” is prepared and sent to the supervisor (or selecting official) for the 

position. The supervisor will then review the applications and determine who among the “best qualified” will be 

interviewed. Interviews are scheduled and conducted, reference checks are completed, and a final selection is made. 

The recruitment and selection process may take several weeks from the time a position is advertised to when a selection 

is made. Don’t be deterred by this. Ask questions and keep in touch with the point of contact during the application 

process. 

Understanding the Follow up Process

And last, you should always print and keep a copy of this vacancy announcement. The vacancy announcement will have 

the contact information for the position, which you can use to check further on the status of your application. Don’t 

hesitate to ask the status of you application. Just keep in mind that the Federal hiring process does take time. Calling 

the Human Resources Office daily will not speed up the process. Rather, you might wait a few weeks or a month and 

then call. In most cases, you will be sent a notice acknowledging the receipt of your application. You will also be 

notified once a final selection has been made. Once a selection is made for a position all applicants are notified. Feel free 

to contact the Human Resources Specialist assigned to the vacancy announcement to request feedback on your 

application if you were not referred for consideration. 

General Questions about USAJOBS and Pathways Program

For specific questions about the Pathways Programs, please send your inquiry to Askusdapathways@dm.usda.gov. For questions 

about USAJOBS and Pathways Programs, please click this link: https://twitter.com/USAJOBS. 
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USDA Third Party Internship Providers

To apply or to learn more about the programs and/or submit your application, click or copy any of the links below into 

your internet browser:

• Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)

http://www.hacu.net/hacu/HNIP.asp

• Washington Internship for Native Students (WINS)

http://www.american.edu/spexs/wins/

• Student Conservation Association (SCA) 

http://www.thesca.org/serve/internships/applying

• D.C. Government Passport-to-Work - Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) 

http://does.dc.gov/service/summer-youth-employment-program

• Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) 

http://www.capal.org/programs/federal-internship-program/

USDA Volunteer Program 

To apply or to learn more about the programs and/or submit your application, click or copy any of the links below into 

your internet browser:

• Dig into Rare and Special Collections Volunteer Experience (DRSCVE)

To apply or for general questions contact:

o Main Point of Contact: Theresa.Ridgewaya@ars.usda.gov

o For the National Invasive Species Information Center: Joyce.Bolton@ars.usda.gov

o For DigiTop, USDA's Digital Desktop Library: Stan.Kosecki@ars.usda.gov

o Website: www.nal.usda.gov

• NRCS Earth Team Volunteers (NRCSETV)

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/people/volunteers/?cid=stelprdb1041482

• Higher Education Institution - Student Intern Program (HEISIP)

To apply:

o Check with your college/university to earn credit, seek stipend payment and/or travel/housing assistance, if 

needed. 

o Search www.USAJOBS.gov for a USDA Volunteer non-paid internship vacancy announcements. 

• FSIS - Volunteer Student Program (VSP)

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/careers/How_to_Indicate_Interest_VSP/index.asp

For general questions about the recruitment of students including: students, recent graduates, volunteers, third party internships, 

students with disabilities and student veterans - please contact the Department Student Employment Program Manager, Wenndy 

Carrasco at USDA.Internships@dm.usda.gov.