Summary General Information: To receive consideration for this position, you must: (1) report to the duty station location listed in this announcement & (2) be available to work the schedule identified. Salary: $$61,023.00 (Step 01) to $$79,331.00 (Step 10) NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01. This announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies in the advertised office or other U.S. Geological Survey offices in the local commuting area. Responsibilities The USGS Western Geographic Science Center is seeking undergraduate, graduate level student working towards a degree in geography; or related physical or social science such as geology, meteorology, economics, statistics, sociology, anthropology, political science, history, cartography, computer science, urban studies to gain practical experience with geographic concepts, tools, and systems. Using a wide variety of standard software programs related to geography. Participate in a variety of regional or multi-region studies to document changes in land use, hydrologic, and climate effects. As a Student Trainee (Geography) you will serve in a trainee capacity, performing routine and recurring development assignments to acquire knowledge and understanding of functions, principles, practices, and methods used in the area of geography. Duties include: Review and verify accuracy of data. Identify variances in data, reporting anomalies. Collect data from remote sensed geospatial data. Use common software programs to track, document, and archive data. Contribute to reports and presentations about various geographic areas of study. Requirements Conditions of Employment Key Requirements: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation. The entire period served under the Intern Program counts as a trial period. Housing will not be provided. Are There Any Special Requirements for This Position? This vacancy is limited to the first 35 applications received and will close at midnight Eastern Time on the day this application limit is reached regardless of the closing date specified in this vacancy announcement. Any application received prior to midnight Eastern Time of the day the application limit is reached will be accepted and considered. You are strongly encouraged to submit all required supporting documents at the time of application should the vacancy close earlier than stated in this announcement due to the applicant limit being reached. Supporting documents will not be accepted once the vacancy announcement closes. If converted to a permanent or term appointment, the anticipated target position will be Geographer GS-0150-09; however, the target position and FPL may change based on the need of the organization at that time. Interns must meet the qualification requirements for the position to which converted. If selected, you will be required to provide official transcripts or letter from the school stating you are enrolled in a degree/certificate program on at least a half time basis in good standing and your expected graduation date. A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Qualifications 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: geography; or related physical or social science such as geology, meteorology, economics, statistics, sociology, anthropology, political science, history, cartography, computer science, urban studies. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Geographer, all grade levels. Degree in geography; or related physical or social science such as geology, meteorology, economics, statistics, sociology, anthropology, political science, history, cartography, computer science, urban studies, or planning that included at least 24 semester hours in geography or related fields. A combination of education and experience-- courses equivalent to a major in geography, or a related field that included at least 24 semesters hours in geography or related fields, as shown in "A" above, plus appropriate experience and/or additional education. The education or combined education and experience must be comparable in type, scope and thoroughness to that acquired through successful completion of a 4-year course of study as described in "A" above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE) For GS-07: In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-07 level: *One year of successfully completed graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or the equivalent) in geography or other directly related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position to be filled. *OR Superior Academic Achievement based on undergraduate study. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT). *OR one year of appropriate professional experience in geography that is equivalent to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal service. Examples of such experience could include involvement in the collection and identification of geographic information concerning the exact location and place names of physical and cultural features, population changes during a specified time period in a given place or area, and changes in topographic features. This level of work would have involved receiving close guidance, clear, specific, and detailed instructions, carrying out assignments in accordance with established procedures and would have required a basic knowledge of the principles of geography. **OR a combination of successfully completed graduate level education, as described above, and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE) You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement. Education 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 completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/how-foreign-education-evaluated-federal-jobs . Additional Information USGS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework in accordance with the DOI Telework policy and with supervisor approval. The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. For additional information on our internal telework policy, reference the Department of the Interior Telework Handbook. Throughout the recruitment & hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system. This position is being filled under the Pathways Internship Program which is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with paid work opportunities in agencies to explore Federal careers while still in school. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens & nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position. USGS employees are subject to Title 43, USC Section 31(a) & may not: (a) have any personal, private, direct or indirect interest in lands or mineral wealth of lands under survey; (b) have any substantial personal, private, direct or indirect interests in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business with the US; or (c) execute surveys or examinations for private parties or corporations. The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361. DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. The Department of the Interior (DOI) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.