Student Trainee Clerk (Office Automation)

Summary The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana is the federal government's legal voice in the region. We're now accepting applications for Student Trainee Clerks through the Pathways Program-an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience and build skills in federal service. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. Learn more about this agency Duties The United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Indiana is now accepting applications for Student Trainee Clerks (Office Automation) through the Pathways Program. As a Student Trainee Clerk, you'll play a key role in keeping daily operations running smoothly by supporting legal, technical, and/or administrative staff with a variety of clerical and administrative tasks. If selected, you'll become part of a highly respected team, providing essential automated support to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Fort Wayne, Hammond, or South Bend. Your work may involve using tools such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, desktop publishing, graphics, project management software, calendars, and email-skills that will serve you well throughout your career. You'll receive both formal and on-the-job training, giving you the chance to build real-world experience while contributing to meaningful work in a federal environment. Duties include: Producing a variety of documents using varied and advanced word processing software functions; Storing, retrieving, editing, and printing a variety of documents with complex formats such as graphics or tables within the text; Sorting, calculating, and retrieving data from electronic databases or spreadsheets to produce reports, charts, and graphs. Answering telephones and referring callers to staff members or taking messages as appropriate; Operating a copy machine; Collating and stapling materials; Sorting, filing, and retrieving materials in alphabetical, numerical, or chronological order; and Making recurring and special messenger trips as necessary. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a United States Citizen or National. Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable. You must meet half-time student enrollment requirements. You must submit a transcript or proof of enrollment with your application. You must be at least 16 years of age or older. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. If selected, you may be required to serve a trial period. Qualifications To be eligible for this internship ALL of the following requirements must be met: Student Status: Definition of a student - applicant must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited high school, technical or vocational school, two-year or four-year college or university, graduate/professional school, or certificate program equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study (go to http://www.ed.gov/accreditation to verify accreditation status) pursuant to 5 CFR 362. You must be considered in good academic standings by the school. Individuals must be taking at least a half-time academic, vocational, or technical course load leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate. "Half-time" is defined by the school in which the student is enrolled. Grade Point Average: You must have at least a 2.5 GPA. Citizenship: Student Interns must be United States citizens or owe permanent allegiance to the United States. (Currently, natives of American Samoa, Swains Island and certain inhabitants of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are the only groups that owe permanent allegiance to the United States.) Background Investigation: You must successfully complete a background investigation to determine your suitability for Federal employment. Pathways Participant Agreement: All interns are required to sign the Participant Agreement. Qualification requirements as outlined below. To qualify: You must be enrolled in an accredited educational institution at the time of application submission (proof of enrollment and a copy of transcripts are required). You must type at least 40 words per minute based on a 5-minute sample with three or fewer errors. (A typing test may be required.) To be eligible at the GS-4 level you must have at least one (1) year of general office experience. General Experience is defined as progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position to be filled. Examples of general experience include filing material in alphabetical, numerical, or chronological order; Operating a copying machine; Collating and stapling materials; Producing a variety of written documents utilizing varied and advanced word processing software functions; securing statistical or other information from files and related sources. OR Education: At least two (2) years of education above the high school level. This education must be obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. (One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school.) OR Combination of Experience and Education: Combinations of successfully completed post high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. In order to qualify based on a combination, college education must be in excess of 60 semester hours or beyond the second year. Education All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at an institution that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov. Foreign Education Note: You may use foreign education to meet qualification requirements if you send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency in with your transcript. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Additional information Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized. The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees http://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits Veterans' Preference: If you are entitled to Veterans' Preference, you must indicate the type of preference you are claiming by checking the appropriate box in the assessment questionnaire to indicate your preference and submit the documentation as specified in the "Required Documents" section of this vacancy announcement. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov. Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, 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 factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline. Political Appointees (Current or Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.