Student Trainee(Administration/Office Mgmt)
What you'd do
The Pathways Internship Program allows students to join VA in career positions that emphasize long-term training and development.. The incumbent serves as a student trainee who has been appointed to the Pathways Internship Program with on-the -job training and guidance to further student technical development. The incumbent will be responsible for providing support in tasks involving clerical and administrative duties in a large multi-faceted service. *You must be willing to relocate.
Major duties
This position is being filled under the Pathways Internship Program. The program is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, or technical/vocational degree or certificate (which may include Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Job Corps, Climate Corps, AmeriCorps, and Peace Corps), with paid work opportunities in agencies to explore Federal careers while still in school. The Internship provides managers with a ready source of student employees and potential permanent employees upon completion of the program requirements. It also provides the student with work experience directly related to curriculum studies or career goals while offering eligibility for non-competitive conversion to permanent employment upon completion. For more information on Internship opportunities within the Department of Veterans Affairs, please visit https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/pathways-internship-program/. Duties include but not limited to: Performs selected tasks and phases of routine studies and projects that require application of basic occupational field theory and principles in the technical area of the service. Performs a variety of work assignments consisting of established, specific, and related tasks that have been selected to orient the employee in the practical application of basic principles, concepts, and techniques of the occupational field. Attends training classes and activities as directed. Participates with senior personnel in conducting non-routine projects. Studies Veterans Affairs requirements for the projects and researches and studies the current body of precedents and technical knowledge. Analyzes information or data gained from project results, documents project findings, and prepares reports findings. Searches technical literature, reports, and other reference material to locate information requested by senior personnel. Provides assistance in planning, monitoring, and conducting special studies, projects, and initiatives. Attends meetings to observe interactions and understand working relationships with customers, specialists, clinicians, nurses, doctors, and other organizational points of contact. Assists in the collection and analysis of information and data, the documentation of findings, and the development of reports. Uses computers/computer software, such as email, word processing, spreadsheets, presentation programs, and project tracking programs to assist senior personnel. Sets up and maintains logs showing the status of actions and correspondence. Maintains records incident to the department's function, assembles and complies information and data from available records for various reports, briefings, etc. Receives visitors and telephone calls to the office, Takes requests for appointments with Chief/Assistant Chief, checks availability, and confirms appointments. Responds to routine and nontechnical requests for information. Receives incoming correspondence, screening material prior to distribution for suspense dates, establishing controls, and following-up for supervisor. Prepares and distributes minutes of staff and other meetings at the direction of the Chief/Assistant Chief. Assists in posting and maintaining Fund Control Point for the service, to include accounting, disbursement, and expenditure of funds. Independently prepares personnel actions and training requests and related documentation and indicated. Creates, copies, edits, calculates, revises, retrieves, stores, and prints a wide range of documents in final form from handwritten drafts. Serves as principle timekeeper. Performs other duties as assigned. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Flexible depending on Class Schedule Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Student Trainee(Administration/Office Mgmt)/PD08001A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/10/2026. Internship Program: To be eligible, applicants must be accepted for enrollment or currently enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis as defined by the institution in which you are enrolled. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: To qualify for the GS-5 level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Basic administration and clerical work; customer service; data entry and computer software programs OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed four full academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the education stated above. To qualify for the GS-6 level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Conducting routine studies and projects; research technical literature and reference material; collect and analyze data; prepare reports; use of computer programs; maintain record systems and maintain logs OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed 6 full months of graduate level education OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the education stated above. To qualify for the GS-7 level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Conducting non-routine studies and projects; budget; analyze information and document findings; development of reports; make recommendations for improvement of studies/projects OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed 1 full academic year of graduate level education; or Eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) provision and completion of a bachelor's degree. S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. Please see the following link for more information, General Schedule Qualification Policies (opm.gov) OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the education stated above. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
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