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GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM FOR TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-SAN ANTONIO STUDENTS AND RECENT ALUMNI BY ANNETTE WILSON, DIRECTOR OF CAREER SERVICES =================================================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS I. HOW THE WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM (WRP) WORKS page 1 II. ELIGIBILITY page 6 III. SCHEDULE A HIRING AUTHORITY page 7 IV. FIVE DOCUMENTS page 8 V. WHAT QUESTIONS MAY I BE ASKED IN THE INTERVIEW? page 11 VI. HOW THE RECRUITER RATES YOU AND page 12 WHAT FEDERAL AGENCIES SEE AND CONSIDER V. IF OFFERED A SUMMER INTERNSHIP OR PERMANENT JOB page 13 =================================================================== I. HOW THE WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM (WRP) WORKS A. Overview 1. The Office of Disability Employment Policy under the Department of Labor and the Department of Defense co-sponsor an initiative that connects eligible college students and recent graduates who have intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities that substantially limit activities of daily living in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended with full-time paid summer internships and post-graduation positions with federal employers nationwide. 2. The WRP works with the Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) Career Services Office (CSO) to make the program available to its eligible students and recent graduates. All communication from WRP occurs with the CSO. At no time does a student or graduate contact WRP directly. 3. Interested eligible students and graduates apply and upload documents. 4. A trained recruiter, who is a federal employee (some of them are former WRP interns), conducts a phone interview and evaluates the applicants. If applicants score at least a 3 out of 5 on the evaluation, the recruiter's evaluation, the applicant's application and uploaded documents are then put into a database pool of potential hires. 5. Representatives from participating federal agencies can view the pool of all potential hires and contact those who meet their hiring needs to make offers.

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GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM FOR TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-SAN ANTONIO STUDENTS AND RECENT ALUMNI

BY ANNETTE WILSON, DIRECTOR OF CAREER SERVICES

===================================================================

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. HOW THE WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM (WRP) WORKS page 1

II. ELIGIBILITY page 6

III. SCHEDULE A HIRING AUTHORITY page 7

IV. FIVE DOCUMENTS page 8

V. WHAT QUESTIONS MAY I BE ASKED IN THE INTERVIEW? page 11

VI. HOW THE RECRUITER RATES YOU AND page 12

WHAT FEDERAL AGENCIES SEE AND CONSIDER

V. IF OFFERED A SUMMER INTERNSHIP OR PERMANENT JOB page 13

===================================================================

I. HOW THE WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM (WRP) WORKS

A. Overview

1. The Office of Disability Employment Policy under the Department of Labor and the

Department of Defense co-sponsor an initiative that connects eligible college students

and recent graduates who have intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities

that substantially limit activities of daily living in accordance with the Americans with

Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended

with full-time paid summer internships and post-graduation positions with federal

employers nationwide.

2. The WRP works with the Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) Career

Services Office (CSO) to make the program available to its eligible students and recent

graduates. All communication from WRP occurs with the CSO. At no time does a

student or graduate contact WRP directly.

3. Interested eligible students and graduates apply and upload documents.

4. A trained recruiter, who is a federal employee (some of them are former WRP

interns), conducts a phone interview and evaluates the applicants. If applicants score at

least a 3 out of 5 on the evaluation, the recruiter's evaluation, the applicant's

application and uploaded documents are then put into a database pool of potential

hires.

5. Representatives from participating federal agencies can view the pool of all potential

hires and contact those who meet their hiring needs to make offers.

Page 2

6. A few private sector employers also participate. They contact EARN, the federal

government's contractor, and let EARN know of their hiring needs. EARN finds potential

hires who appear to meet the needs and contacts them to let them know that EARN is

going to release the resumes to the private sector employer. The private sector

employer then receives the resumes and contacts directly the individual(s) to whom it

wishes to extend offers.

B. In the past, over 3,000 students and graduates participate for over 500 summer and

permanent jobs. For demographics of 2013 applicants please visit

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/Pdf-

635436984419154369-10.100.150.124.pdf

C. Process (You must do this even if you participated in WRP in the past):

1. You must meet the eligibility requirements. See Section II. Eligibility.

2. Between August 26 and October 8, go to https://wrp.gov/registerstudent.

3. Complete the Student Self Registration. Be sure you enter your email address

correctly!

4. The CSO receives an email that you have registered.

5. CSO verifies your student or alumni status and then approves or rejects your

registration.

6. If approved, within 48 hours you receive an automatically system-generated email

from [email protected] with your user name (email address) and temporary password.

a. What if I haven't received the email with my user name and temporary

password?

(1) Check your Junk Mail or Spam file or folder for an email from

[email protected].

(2) If not in your Junk Mail, try to reset the password by going to

http://www.wrp.gov. Put in your email address as your user name,

click "Forgot Your Password", which is located directly under the Sign In

button. You may then get an email from [email protected] with a new

temporary password.

(3) If you still do not get an email, you may have entered your email

address incorrectly or there may be a problem with the WRP system.

Contact CSO by emailing Annette Wilson at

[email protected] and copying Clarissa Tejeda at

[email protected] and one of us will email a WRP

administrator for assistance.

Page 3

7. Go to https://wrp.gov. Log in using your user name and temporary password. (Do a

copy and paste of your temporary password from the email in which you received it to

this site. Make sure there are no extra spaces in front of or after the temporary

password or it won't work.)

8. You will be prompted to change the temporary password. Your new password,

which is case sensitive, must:

a. Be at least 8 characters long.

b. Have one lower-case alphabetic character.

c. Have one upper-case alphabetic character.

d. Have one numeric character.

e. Have one of these special characters: !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *, (, ).

f. Have non-numeric characters in the first and last positions, i.e.,

19Password!56 is wrong; Pass1956word! would work. Do not use this example

as your password; please create your own.

g. Not be the same or contain your user name.

9. What if I forget my new password?

a. Go to http://www.wrp.gov. Put in your email address as your user name,

click "Forgot Your Password", which is located directly under the Sign In button.

You may then get an email from [email protected] with a new temporary

password.

b. Go to https://wrp.gov. Log in using your user name and temporary

password. (Do a copy and paste of your temporary password from the email in

which you received it to this site. Make sure there are no extra spaces in front

of or after the temporary password or it won't work.)

c. Change the temporary password to a new one following the above guidelines.

d. If, for some reason, you are unable to follow this procedure when you forget

your new password, then contact CSO. Call Annette Wilson (210) 784-1342 or

Clarissa Tejeda (210) 784-1339 or email [email protected] or

[email protected]. We can reset your password by clicking

on the green dot with the arrow next to your name under the Approve/Reject

student screen on the Administrator's page; then a reset button in the next

window pops up.

10. Complete application. To review a sample application visit

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/Pdf-

635435387760596897-10.100.150.124.pdf

a. You do not have to complete the application all at one time. You can save

information and go back later without information being lost.

b. On the application you are asked for disability information but it is for

statistical purposes only. It is not made available to the recruiter or the federal

or private sector employers. The choice whether to disclose your specific

disability to employers is yours.

Page 4

c. On the application you are asked for your Job Preferences. You must choose

from this list. Go to

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/Pdf-

635436960353699041-10.100.150.124.pdf to review the categories.

d. CSO can access and edit your application if you need help; CSO can also see if

you have completed your application.

e. If you have not completed your application by October 8, you will not receive

an interview.

11. By no later than October 8, upload up to five documents on the Manage Documents

page of the application. See Section IV. Five Documents.

a. Whatever documents you have uploaded by October 8 is what will be

available to the recruiter and ultimately to the federal employers. You cannot

add any documents after October 8.

b. If you do not have the required documents uploaded by October 8, you will

not receive an interview.

12. Once you have completed the application and uploaded your documents, your

information will be available to the recruiter.

13. Shortly after October 8, CSO will be contacted by the recruiter to set an interview

date(s) between October 20-November 19.

14. You will be contacted by CSO to set your individual 30-minute phone interview time.

15. The phone interview will be held in the interview rooms in the CSO office, Central

Academic Building, Room B103, unless you inform CSO at the time you set your

interview time that you need a reasonable accommodation that requires a different

location.

16. What do I do if I know I can't make my interview or if I miss my interview?

a. Contact CSO IMMEDIATELY. Call Annette Wilson (210) 784-1342 or Clarissa

Tejeda (210) 784-1339 or email [email protected] or

[email protected].

b. There is no guarantee that the interview can be rescheduled so make every

attempt to make your appointed time.

17. Show up at the CSO office, Central Academic Building, Room B103, at least 10

minutes before your phone interview so that we can get you set up.

18. Your interview will be 30 minutes and you will not be interviewing for a specific job.

See Section V. What Questions Might I Be Asked In The Interview?

19. After the interview, inform a CSO representative that you are finished.

Page 5

20. Within five (5) business days of your interview, you must turn in to CSO a thank you

note or letter addressed to the recruiter, thanking him or her for taking the time to

interview you. CSO will deliver it to the recruiter.

21. The recruiter ranks your interview answers on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the

best. Your overall rating must be a 3 or higher to be included in the secure online WRP

database. If it is not at least a 3, your application and documents will not be put in the

database, and federal and private sector employers will neither see your credentials nor

consider you for positions.

22. In December, the database of applicants and their information is released to

participating federal agencies.

a. What are the participating federal agencies?

(1) Currently enrolled agencies. See WRP Employers Registered by State

as of July 2014 go to

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/P

df-635436968185249761-10.100.150.124.pdf. Check https://wrp.gov,

under Resources frequently for updates.

(2) Past participating agencies. Each year the participants may change

but in the past the following agencies have been among those

participating: The Department of Defense, the Department of Labor, the

Department of Labor, the Department of Homeland Security, the

Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Communications

Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the

Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of

Justice, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National

Labor Relations Board, the Office of Personnel Management, the

Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, the Department

of Agriculture and the Department of Veterans Affairs. For more

agencies visit

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/P

df-635436967245994945-10.100.150.124.pdf to see 2013 Past

Participating Registered Federal Employers.

b. What information does the federal agency see? See Section VI. How the

Recruiters Rate You and What Federal Agencies See and Consider.

23. In December, resumes may be sent to private sector employers through EARN, the

federal government contractor.

a. You may get call or email from EARN before they release your resume.

b. Who are the participating private sector employers?

(1) Past participating agencies. Each year the participants may change

but in the past the following private sector employers have been among

those participating: Deloitte, Fairfax County Government, General

Page 6

Dynamics, IBM, the Institute for Human Centered Design, the John J.

Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Prudential, Space

Systems/Loral, VW of America, Herzog Railroad Services, Underwriters

Laboratory and Vanguard.

24. Where are the internships and jobs located? Candidates have worked in 38 states,

the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and as civilian employees on military bases in

Germany and South Korea.

25. The database of information remains open for 12 months for federal agencies and

private sector employers to access.

26. Summer internship offers are generally made before June 15; permanent jobs can

be offered any time during the year.

27. If a federal agency or private sector employer is interested in you, they will call you.

See Section VII. If Offered A Summer Internship or Permanent Job.

a. Make sure you have a professional sounding voicemail message on your

phone.

28. Not everyone will get an offer.

a. Agencies and private employers do not send out rejection letters; if you have

not heard by June 15 for a summer internship offer or after a year for a post-

graduation position, then you probably are not getting an offer.

b. Can you get any feedback from the recruiter or an agency or employer?

Unfortunately, no.

c. Reasons why you may not have received an offer:

(1) You may have not received an overall rating of 3 or higher after your

interview.

(2) There may not have been a match between the location you

requested or the type of job you preferred and the skill set you have

and what federal agencies and private employers are seeking.

(3) The supply of applicants just greatly exceeds the number of positions

available.

II. ELIGIBILITY

A. Must be seeking a degree if you are a student.

B. Must be a US citizen.

C. Must be an A&M-SA graduate from December 2013, May 2014 or August 2014 (must not

have graduated prior to October 2013)

OR

Page 7

D. Must be enrolled full-time at A&M-SA for the fall 2014 semester as an undergraduate or a

graduate student (or enrolled part-time only because it is your final semester and you will

graduate in December 2014).

E. No minimum GPA is required. However, if yours is lower than 2.5 the recruiter can ask you to

explain the circumstances; you can choose not to answer the question.

F. You do not have to be registered with the Disability Support Services Office.

G. You do not have to have earned credit hours already at A&M-SA.

H. You must be eligible for hiring under the Schedule A Hiring Authority. See Section III.

Schedule A Hiring Authority.

I. You must have completed the federal resume or Form OF 612 and had it reviewed and

approved by CSO. See Section IV. Five Documents.

J. You must obtain and submit an A&M-SA transcript. See Section IV. Five Documents.

III. SCHEDULE A HIRING AUTHORITY

A. Schedule A is a hiring authority that federal agencies may use to hire qualified individuals

with disabilities into positions non-competitively without going through the often lengthy

traditional hiring process. It is not a quota system.

B. You are eligible for a Schedule A appointment if you are a person with an intellectual

disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability, and meet the qualifications of the

job in question. There are no specific definitions as to what qualifies as an “an intellectual

disability,” a “severe physical disability,” or a “psychiatric disability,” under schedule A, so

federal agencies are free to interpret to interpret the requirements broadly.

B. You are eligible to use the Schedule A hiring authority if you did at least one of these:

1. You ever registered with and/or received accommodations through the A&M-SA

Disability Support Services Office.

2. You ever received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

3. You have been diagnosed with a medical condition that is treated by a mental health

professional such as a learning disability, attention deficit disorder, anxiety disorder, etc.

4. You were ever identified as needing services through the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act (IDEA).

5. You received services in elementary, middle or high school through an Individualized

Education Program (IEP) or a 504 plan in school.

Page 8

6. You fit under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA)

and/or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended definition of an individual with a

disability.

7. You ever received vocational rehabilitation services.

C. You must obtain documentation that states you are an individual with a severe physical,

intellectual or psychiatric disability.

1. See Schedule A letter template at

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/Pdf-

635436961029349985-10.100.150.124.pdf

2. You do not have to upload the Schedule A letter as one of your five documents and

you do not have to have it before your interview; however, you will have to have it

before you are hired. We recommend you get it as soon as possible so that there will be

no delay in hiring.

3. The letter must be on letterhead and must be signed.

4. Provide a copy of the Schedule A letter template to your provider to use as a guide in

writing his or her letter.

5. The letter should not give specific information about your disability, your medical

history or your accommodation needs. The simpler the letter is, the better. It simply

needs to say that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or

psychiatric disability.

6. Who may sign the letter?

a. A licensed medical professional such as family physician, nurse practitioner,

physician's assistant, psychologist, psychiatrist, audiologist, or other licensed

specialist.

b. A state or private licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist or licensed

vocational rehabilitation counselor.

c. Any federal, state, District of Columbia, or US territory agency that issues or

provides disability benefits such as the Social Security Administration or

Veterans Administration.

7. The federal agencies reserve the right to ask for additional information if they have

questions about your eligibility.

8. If you are hired for a post-graduation position under the Schedule A hiring authority,

your probationary period is two years instead of the one year probationary period used

for competitive hires.

Page 9

9. See the Schedule A Checklist at

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/Pdf-

635436961845787585-10.100.150.124.pdf

IV. FIVE DOCUMENTS

A. All the ones you choose must be uploaded on the Manage Documents page of the online

application no later than October 8.

B. You are required to submit the Federal Resume or the Form OF 612 and a transcript. You

optionally may submit up to a total of three more of your choosing.

C. REQUIRED: Either Federal Resume See http://www.usajobs.gov OR Form OF 612 See

http://federalgovernmentjobs.us/forms/of612.pdf

1. For the Federal Resume, create an account, go to My Account, choose Resumes from

left column, scroll to bottom and choose What to Include, read the information, close

the page, choose Build A New Resume. Although the information mentions the job

description, you will not have a specific job description to follow.

2. Make sure the resume or form reflects the type of work you would like to do for

federal agency.

3. You may upload more than one federal resume if you have more than one type of job

preference. For example, if you have a bachelor's degree in chemistry and have worked

for a number of years in that field but you are at A&M-SA to pursue your MBA, you may

want to have one resume reflecting your Science job preference and one reflecting your

Business job preference.

D. REQUIRED: Transcript

1. Either unofficial or official is acceptable for the interview. An agency may require an

official transcript before hire.

2. Current A&M-SA students order free transcripts here:

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadfile/folders/cdeleon1/Pdf/Pdf-

635318748227475133-10.100.150.124.pdf

3. A&M-SA graduates order free transcripts here:

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadFile/folders/cdeleon1/Pdf/Pdf-

634986020675604091-10.100.20.116.pdf

a. Turn the form into the Welcome Center in the Multipurpose Building on the

Main Campus.

b. Please allow 3-5 business days for processing of transcript requests. Extra time may be required during peak periods (registration, end of semester, commencement).

Page 10

c. Original signature must be included on any Transcript Request Forms, thus transcript orders cannot be accepted by telephone or email. Computer generated signatures are not valid. d. Courses/grades from other colleges/universities appear on the A&M-SA transcript if they were accepted and brought in; if they were not brought in, you can include transcripts from other colleges/universities, too; however, put all transcripts together in one accessible PDF.

e. Do not send your high school transcript. f. Do not have the transcript sent to the Workforce Recruitment Program. Have them issued to you. You can upload them to the WRP directly in one accessible PDF.

E. OPTIONAL: Civilian Resume

1. Follow the sample at

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadfile/folders/kfrank/Pdf/Pdf-

635339332914749454-10.100.150.124.pdf

2. For this purpose, more than one page in length is acceptable.

F. OPTIONAL: Cover Letter

1. Follow the sample at

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadfile/folders/kfrank/Pdf/Pdf-

635273593699259181-10.100.150.124.pdf

2. See tips and a sample at http://www.jobs.irs.gov/downloads/CoverLetterTips.pdf

Keep in mind, however, that you are not responding to a specific job description or

applying to a specific job.

G. OPTIONAL: Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference Standard Form 15 See

http://www.opm.gov/Forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf

1. Make sure that you put Form 15 and any accompanying documents such as a death

certificates, the DD Form 214 and DD Form 1300 together in one accessible PDF. For DD

Form 1300 see

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/eforms/dd1300.pdf .

H. OPTIONAL: Schedule A Letter See Section III. Schedule A Hiring Authority.

1. Sample Schedule A Letter

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/Pdf-

635436961029349985-10.100.150.124.pdf

I. OPTIONAL: Letters of Recommendation

1. You can share tips and samples with your references.

Page 11

a. An Introduction to Writing Reference Letters. See

http://www.naceweb.org/legal/writing_reference_letter/

b. Guidelines for Reference Givers. See http://www.naceweb.org/public/reference1.htm

c. Tips for Providing References. See http://www.naceweb.org/public/reftips.htm

d. Sample Reference Letter if you are a Faculty Member for the Requestor. See http://naceweb.org/about/public/formfacref.htm e. Sample Reference Letter if you are a Former Employer of the Requestor. See http://www.naceweb.org/about/public/formemprec.htm f. Sample Reference Letter if you are a Current Employer of the Requestor. See http://www.naceweb.org/legal/employer_reference/

2. Ask your references not to seal the letters or mail them but to share them in MS

Word or PDF format directly with you for you to upload.

J. OPTIONAL: Writing Sample

K. You no longer have to submit a Statement of Work Readiness.

L. Upload specifications.

1. The system can accept the following file types: Word, Word 2007, Word 2010, Excel,

Excel 2007, Excel 2010, PDF, text, rich text, open office document and most graphic

formats.

2. Document size cannot exceed 1 MB.

3. PDF must be accessible (not scanned). See Discover How to Use Adobe Acrobat X to Ensure PDF Accessibility http://www.dm.usda.gov/oo/target/node/60.html

4. Ways to condense PDF over 1 MB:

a. Scan at a lower resolution; instead of 300 dpi you can choose something such

as 72 dpi or lower.

b. Get compression to be lower quality (higher compression).

c. If multiple pages, break into smaller files. For example, Transcript 1 of 3,

Transcript 2 of 3, Transcript 3 of 3.

WARNING: Know that each file counts as one of your five allowed documents

though.

5. Since you can submit an unofficial transcript, copy and paste your transcript into a

Word document. Word documents are usually less than 1 MB.

6. Still no luck? Contact A&M-SA's ITS Helpdesk, Main Campus, Room 307, Brooks City-

Base Campus, Room 144, [email protected], (210) 784-HELP (4357).

Page 12

V. WHAT QUESTIONS MAY I BE ASKED IN THE INTERVIEW?

A. Tell me about yourself. This is your "elevator speech". It should include who you are, what

your goal and aspirations are, what has been your education and experiences and how have

they helped get you further toward your goal.

B. What workplace accommodations do you need in order to perform the essential components

of the position?

Know that some accommodations are appropriate: telecommunications devices, screen

readers, accessible workspaces, facilities for a service animal. Some are not appropriate: a

personal assistant, a service animal.

C. What agencies would you like to work at in the future? Be able to articulate two or three

reasons why you are a good fit for these agencies. Researching the agencies ahead of the

interview may help strengthen your answer.

D. Be able to confidently talk about:

1. Yourself.

2. Your work experiences.

3. Your skills.

4. Your strengths.

5. Your goals.

6. Where you want to work (by state).

7. The type of work you want to do in the future.

VI. HOW THE RECRUITER RATES YOU AND WHAT FEDERAL AGENCIES SEE AND

CONSIDER

A. On what does the recruiter rate you after the phone interview?

1. The recruiter rates on a 1-5 scale with 5 being the best, in the following areas:

a. Communication-how well you can articulate what you want and who you are.

b. Direction-an idea of what you wish to do, your goals. Your level of

preparedness and drive. Your level of preparedness toward your goals.

c. Qualifications-mainly based on your work experience, your transcript, your

courses taken.

d. Your overall rating-you must receive at least a 3 to be included in the WRP

database.

e. The recruiters no longer rate the area of Maturity as they did in past years.

f. Be sure to address "soft skills"-communication, teamwork, critical thinking

during your interview. See "Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for

Workplace Success," http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/youth/softskills/

Page 13

g. Although your disability is asked about on the application, that information is

not shared with the recruiter or the federal agencies; however, if you choose to

disclose your disability to the recruiter, the disability can be put in the

recruiter's notes. You do not have to disclose. For guidance on disclosure, see

“The 411 on Disability Disclosures” http://www.ncwd-youth.info/411-on-

disability-disclosure

B. Federal employers view information that is released into the database. See what Federal

Employer view at http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/Pdf-

635436956354951745-10.100.150.124.pdf

C. The information in the database includes:

1. Name.

2. Contact information. (Be sure to keep this up to date so an employer can reach you

to make an offer.)

3. School.

4. Veteran status.

5. Social security number.

6. Degree.

7. Major(s).

8. Credits.

9. Graduation date.

10. GPA.

11. Whether you've previously served as a WRP intern.

12. Up to 5 location preferences you've put on your application.

a. See currently enrolled agencies at

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu:80/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/Pdf-

635436968185249761-10.100.150.124.pdf. Check https://wrp.gov, under

Resources frequently for updates.

b. Candidates have worked in 38 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,

and as civilian employees on military bases in Germany and South Korea.

c. Department of Defense does have opportunities abroad although over 20%

of hires are in the Washington, D.C. area.

d. Do not put "Anywhere" or "Open" or "All States" unless you are truly ready

to accept a position in rural Alabama or remote Alaska or the backwoods of

Maine.

e. If your skills are unique or are in high demand, agencies from locations other

than where you have listed could contact you and attempt to lure you to work

for them.

13. Location restrictions (such as need for public transportation or a regional part of a

state or area, such as South Texas or DC/Northern VA metro area).

Page 14

14. Job preferences--you must choose from this list. See Job Preference Categories at

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu:80/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/Pdf-

635436960353699041-10.100.150.124.pdf

15. Recruiter's interview notes.

16. Recruiter's ratings.

18. Your submitted documents.

19. Any request for job accommodation.

D. The federal agency can check out your Facebook page so clean it up! For tips see AC Online:

College Student Guide to Professional Social Profiles

http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/spotlight/college-students-clean-up-your-online-

profiles-now/

V. IF OFFERED A SUMMER INTERNSHIP OR PERMANENT JOB

A. If you receive a call from an agency or a private sector employer, you need to keep track of

all offers. You do not need to accept the offer right away. You must:

*1. Get the name of the person calling, their phone number and email address.

*2. Get the name and location of the agency.

a. It is required that you get this information. The WRP and CSO personnel do

not know who has chosen you so if you do not get this information, they

cannot help you.

3. Get the salary, the hours, the duties, and the training opportunities.

a. The agency sets the salary based on the agency; the grade and band, which is

determined by your experience and the number of credits completed in

addition to the part of the country where the job is located (higher pay is in

more urban areas where the cost of living is greater).

b. What does the grade level mean and what is an idea of the salary or wage

that accompanies a grade level? See 2014 Guidelines to GS Grade Level

Equivalencies at

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu:80/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/Pdf-

635435391264481441-10.100.150.124.pdf

c. Some agencies will allow candidates to work flex time or part-time hours. The

work schedule is at the discretion of the supervisor.

4. Get suggestions for accessible, affordable housing and transportation to and from

housing and work.

a. You must pay relocation expenses from San Antonio to the worksite and

summer housing, unless otherwise stated by the employer.

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(1) If it is provided for by employer, be sure to get details about what is

included.

b. See Housing Information 2014 at

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu:80/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/Pdf-

635435391815440097-10.100.150.124.pdf

c. See Public Transportation Document 2014 at

http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu:80/uploadfile/folders/cetejeda210/Pdf/Pdf-

635435392529998785-10.100.150.124.pdf

5. You must inform the employer of your need for reasonable accommodations such as

adaptive services and equipment as soon as you have accepted an offer so they can be

in place when you start your job.

a. You must pay for attendant care, if necessary; employer will provide

workplace accommodations.

b. Resources to help with reasonable accommodations.

(1) Job Accommodation Network-free and confidential service

http://askjan.org/

(2) Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP)-provides

services for WRP interns--contact [email protected] and see

http://www.cap.mil

(3) For information or to apply for an assistive technology

accommodation, go to http://www.cap.mil or call the CAP office at

(703) 681-8811 (Voice/TTY).

B. Offer may be contingent on criminal background check.

1. Having a record is not an automatic disqualifier but many (especially Department of

Defense) require security clearance.

2. If you have a record, you must ask whether you will need security clearance. If told

yes, then you need to ask whether your offense will prevent you from getting the

security clearance. If so, it is best to decline the offer.

3. If asked by a federal agency, you must be honest.

C. Do not hang on to multiple offers. Decide on one and inform all employers of your decision

as soon as possible. Do not accept multiple offers.

D. Go into Jaguar Jobs through Jagwire and report your hire.

1. Go to http://www.tamusa.tamus.edu/jagwire. Go to Jaguar Jobs.

2. In the left-hand column, click on the down arrow next to I want to…

Choose Report a Hire from the drop down menu.

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3. Choose the Other tab. Complete the Job Title and Organization Name and Save.

4. Complete the additional information and Save.

E. If an issue arises that prevents you from keeping your commitment after you have accepted

an offer, inform both the employer and the CSO immediately.

F. At end of your summer internship, give your employer the address to which you want your

W-2 form to be mailed in January. Also, change your address online with the US Postal Service

at https://www.usps.com/realmove/.

ANY QUESTIONS? CONTACT ANNETTE WILSON AT [email protected] OR (210)

784-1342 OR CLARISSA TEJEDA AT [email protected] OR (210) 784-1339.