Intelligence Community Virtual Career Fair - March 16 2010

Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity! For more information and to register visit: http://www.icvirtualfair.com/

Meet the CIA online at the Intelligence Community Virtual Career Fair on Tuesday, March 16th 2010 from 10am - 8pm E.T. Available Career Opportunities:

• Student Positions: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Analytical Interns
• Analytical Methodologists, Military Analysts, and Open Source Center Officers
• Contract Auditor; Contracting Officer; Contract Specialist; Finance Resource Officers

Also, the IC Virtual Career Fair will offer hundreds of career opportunities available in a diverse array of disciplines, including:

• Cybersecurity/Information Assurance; Engineering and Physical Science; Foreign Languages; Information Technology; Intelligence Analysis; Law Enforcement; Many others

The United States Intelligence Community (IC), an integrated network of agencies that work together to protect our Nation's security, is seeking a culturally diverse, technically savvy workforce for exciting careers in a number of fields. Join us at the IC Virtual Career Fair to explore career opportunities, chat with recruiters, and apply for job openings - all from the comfort of your computer!

At the IC Virtual Career Fair you will be able to:

• Visit virtual booths for Intelligence Community agencies
• Chat with recruiters in real time
• Apply to job openings
• Network with other job seekers
• Watch live presentations
• Download electronic brochures and videos
• Best of all there are no travel expenses and suits are not required!

Insider Perspective: U.S. Department of State

Check out this brief audio presentation and gain an insider’s perspective. Explore the U.S. Department of State’s careers page for additional insights and opportunities. Stay connected with UW career services offices as well to stay in-the-loop for opportunities to network with recruiters and alumni.

Ambassador Profile: Elizabeth Streett, Army Human Resources Federal Career Intern

After graduating from Whitman, I didn't have any job waiting for me, but I knew I needed some practical work experience. At some point during my senior year, I applied for a STEP (Student Temporary Employment Program) position with the Army Corps of Engineers in Walla Walla, WA. Although I wasn’t selected for that position, they were impressed with my resume and forwarded it onto their central Human Resources for the West Region. While working on a few internship leads, I was contacted by the Seattle Corps of Engineers in late August a few months after I graduated.

I was hired as a Department of Army, Human Resources, Federal Career Intern. Although it was named an internship, it wasn’t what I considered to be an internship at that time. It was a full-time, two-year paid program with guaranteed promotions (if I performed well). Within the first 3 weeks of employment, they sent me to Fort Huachuca, AZ for classes and on-the-job training for 7 months! It was my first time renting alone and moving to a place where I knew no one. Although my long-term TDY (temporary duty location) was in Arizona, my classes and on-the-job training took me all over the country. I went to Alabama, Maryland and Texas; three states where I had never been before.

The program started as a GS-7. I was promoted to a GS-9 one year after I started and reached a GS-11 at the end of my second year then became a permanent federal employee. I had to show that I reached certain performance and job skills benchmarks before the promotions were completed, but I had no trouble meeting the benchmarks early. At the end of my third year as a federal employee, I had been there long enough to be tenured. At this time, all federal employees receive lifetime, non-competitive reinstatement rights to apply to federal positions.

More about the Federal Career Internship Program (FCIP)

The Federal Career Internship Program is a great way for recent grads to start working for the federal government. They can start at the GS-5, 7, 9 or even the 11 level depending on the particular experience and education a candidate has. Generally, the job announcements will list the target grade (promotion potential) for the position. My job announcement said GS-7 /9 target 11. With a Bachelors degree from an accredited college, you can qualify for the GS-5 level. If your undergraduate GPA is 3.0/4.0 or equivalent or higher, you qualify for what is known as Superior Academic Achievement, which allows you to be hired at the GS-7 level with no additional experience. You can also qualify for the GS-7 with one year of graduate level education and no additional degrees. With a Masters degree you qualify for the GS-9 level. There are more applicable degrees for this level to include a J.D. or L.L.B.

The FCIP positions usually ask for a two year commitment from prospective employees and may require you to sign a mobility agreement. This allows the agency to move you to fill its needs. This could mean across the country or from Seattle Corps of Engineers to Fort Lewis, WA (this is what happened to me). Training is guaranteed for all FCIPs and usually rotations through other departments are part of the program so that interns have a better grasp on the intertwining processes of the agency.

For more information, feel free to contact me: brownea 2 at uw dot edu.

Ambassador Profile: Elizabeth Streett, Department of State, Consular Affairs Intern

While an undergraduate at Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA), I studied abroad for two semesters. Fall semester was in Sri Lanka and spring semester was in Japan. While in Sri Lanka, I stumbled across an internship with the US Department of State. Although there were some issues faxing my transcripts and resumes from Kandy, I was selected for this prestigious internship. And at the end of my semester in Japan, I began a 10-week internship at the US Consulate - Osaka in the Consular Affairs section. I learned about the non-immigrant visa process and other inner workings of a consular section. I reviewed visa applications submitted by Japanese, Chinese, Brazilian and other nationalities. I even got to try a little of my Spanish while attempting to convey my point to the Portuguese speaking applicants. This experience provided an opportunity to attain business fluency in Japanese and planted within me a desire to work in international affairs. (I am the one with the red hair and baseball cap)

There were 4 other interns in the Consulate with me and we spent weekends exploring our surroundings. Even though it was an unpaid internship, we had a great time given our limited budgets. I learned about each section of the embassy, which led me to my decision to take the Foreign Service test and select the Public Diplomacy cone. Although consular affairs was fascinating and tiring work, cultural and educational affairs and media relations seem to align with my strengths better. While we were there, the Public Diplomacy section took us to a local preschool as part of their outreach program. These are the types of things I would like to brainstorm and implement.