How to Apply for a Pathways Internship

All Pathways student trainee openings are posted to USAJobs.gov. You can check this website for openings, or search USAJobs for announcements open to students, or search for "student trainee." There are multiple Pathways programs throughout government; the ones in our program will be for Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs.

An example posting below:

Be sure you keep track of closing dates and announcement status. An example below:

ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM Eastern Time ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. If your application package is incomplete in any way, you will not be considered for this position, and requests for extensions will not be granted. Please double check your application package before you submit it.

Application Requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• Indian Preference applies
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Eligibility Documentation Required (DD-214, BIA Form 4432, etc.)
• You may be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
• Must be suitable for Federal employment and pass a Security investigation
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
• Must complete and maintain a Pathways Program Participant Agreement
• Must be enrolled full-time or accepted for enrollment full-time or part-time basis as identified by your academic institution
• Seeking a degree in a career field directly related to the program area you are hired for

Pathways Participant Requirements:

• Currently Enrolled or Accepted for Enrollment on a Full-time or Part-time basis as identified by your academic institution.

• Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher

• Compliance with the terms and conditions of the Pathways Internship Program Participant Agreement

Internship work assignment opportunities are based on BIA needs. The following fields will be given priority consideration:

1. Real estate services
2. Land titles and records
3. Minerals and energy
4. Forestry management

However, selections may be made for other program areas, including for the following targeted positions.

1. Environmental
2. Archeology
3. Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences
4. Cartographic
5. Rangeland or Agriculture Management
6. Soil Conservation
7. Forestry
8. Accounting
9. Civil Engineering
10. Petroleum Engineering
11. Legal Instruments Examining
12. Realty
13. Irrigation System Operation
14. Hydrology

Applicants must either be enrolled in an accredited college or university and seeking a bachelor's degree or higher that is directly related to the program area (see education section below) OR students who have not declared yet or is seeking a degree that is unrelated to the program area, may be hired under the Pathways Internship Program. However, their continued participation and employment is contingent upon them obtaining the educational eligibility requirements for the program they were hired under within a prescribed timeframe.

Feel free to check the programs under Trust Services in the sidebar of this page.

Your Resume and On-line Assessment Questionnaire will be completed during the application process on USAJobs. You will build your resume on your USAJobs profile (which can be used for other announcements), and the questionnaire will be presented during your application process. In addition, the following are required unless stated otherwise:

• Transcripts (if using education to qualify) - Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, an official transcript may be requested at a later time.
• Veteran's documentation - (if applicable) VA letter on VA letterhead stating your overall combined rating, SF-15, DD-214 (copy 4) reflecting an honorable discharge and dates of active duty military service.
• Special Appointing Authority documentation (if applying under a special hiring authority)
• BIA Form 4432 (if claiming Indian preference)
• Performance Appraisal (if applying under the Land Management Flexibility Act)
• Current & Former Federal Employees
  • If you are a current career or career-conditional Federal employee OR a former Federal employee who has reinstatement eligibility, you must submit the following by the closing date of this announcement, or you will not receive consideration as such: -- a copy of a recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level and step; -- And your most recent performance appraisal (if you do not have your most recent performance appraisal, please submit an explanation as to why it is unavailable); and -- if applicable, a list of any awards you received in the last 5 years (i.e., superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.).

Example below of a partial Indian preference form, BIA Form 4432:

• USAJOBS - Events
• PATHWAYS PROGRAMS HANDBOOK (opm.gov)

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