An official website of the United States government
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. We accomplish our mission by providing objective and reliable information and analysis to the Congress, to federal agencies, and to the public, and recommending improvements, when appropriate, on a wide variety of issues to make government work better.
This vacancy is for Summer internship positions. The anticipated start dates begin in May 2025.
12/23/2024 to 01/03/2025
$14.51 - $18.86 per hour
GS 4
Many vacancies in the following locations:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Not required
No
Permanent
Full-time
Excepted
None
No
No
PDP-25-DE-12654153
825693400
Current student enrolled in an undergraduate program seeking a degree from an accredited educational institution on a full or half-time basis.
As a GAO intern, you will learn how to conduct federal audits and program evaluations and apply that knowledge as part of a team. You will assist GAO analysts in planning and conducting in-depth reviews of executive and legislative branch programs. You will collect appropriate data, analyze the data, develop data-based findings and conclusions, and present the information both orally and in writing to diverse audiences.
Specific duties include:
All applicants must submit their academic transcripts in order to be eligible. The transcripts may be unofficial or official and must show your status as a student, as well as support your educational claim.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog
Appointments for student intern positions are nonpermanent and generally last from 10 to 16 weeks when working full-time. Student interns may have an opportunity for a permanent or term position based on a successful intern experience (completion of a minimum of 400 hours of work, not to exceed a total of 640 hours) and successful completion of degree requirements. The ability to convert to a permanent or term appointment with a minimum 400 hours of work experience is contingent upon budgetary conditions and staffing needs at the time of eligibility.
Applicants who are selected for this position will be required to provide an official transcript on the day of your orientation or within 3 business days after orientation. This transcript must show that you meet the education requirements for the GS-4 grade level, and that you are currently enrolled through at least August 2025. Failure to meet the requirements or provide the transcript will result in termination of your internship.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity. OPTION FOR ADDITIONAL SELECTIONS: Based on the staffing needs, additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement. Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid for by the GAO. Selectees will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. If selected, at the time of appointment, selectees will be required to update the OF-306.
OPTION FOR ADDITIONAL SELECTIONS: Based on the staffing needs, additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement. Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid for by the GAO. Selectees will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. If selected, at the time of appointment, selectees will be required to update the OF-306.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: GAO provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees (and interns) with disabilities. To request an accommodation, please email ReasonableAccommodations@gao.gov. The U.S. Government Accountability Office's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated in accordance with the Category Rating procedure as defined in the GAO's Order for Competitive Examining. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be referred to the Rating Panel. The panel will assign a score to your application based on the answersyou provide to the essay questions contained in this announcement and your resume. Applicants will be further evaluated against criteria for placement placed into a Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as described by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. If your application receives a sufficient rating, you will be assigned to one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified.
Follow all instructions carefully as incomplete answers, errors or omissions may affect your rating. It is important to have a well-written, thoughtful response to the essay question that is supported by your resume. You should draw upon academic, volunteer, and/or work experience as a basis for your response. Each essay cannot exceed 1000 characters including spaces. You MUST provide detailed and descriptive narrative responses that explains how you have gained the experience that demonstrates that you meet each KSA. Any application that says "Please see resume" or the equivalent or "N/A" will not be accepted. One word or one phrase responses such as "advance," "basic," or "well," will not meet the requirement for the narrative and may result in a disqualification. The information you provide in your essays must be supported by your resume. Failure to provide a narrative may result in a disqualification rating.
All applicants will be rated based on their response to the essay questions, in conjunction with the following competencies:
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes: Resume showing relevant experience (cover letter optional). Your resume must show the work schedule and hours worked per week as well as dates of employment.
All applicants must submit college or university undergraduate transcripts (official or unofficial) that support the semester/quarters number of hours completed and/or degree conferred.
Current proof of enrollment (i.e., transcript showing coursework through Spring 2025, copy of registered courses for Spring 2025 or Summer 2025 OR a letter from school registrar's office confirming enrollment status for the duration of the internship). Note, a letter of acceptance does not qualify as proof of enrollment.
Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g., DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.)
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. Applicants who meet the basic requirement will be sent to the rating panel for rating and ranking to be placed in a quality category. Applicants who are determined to be "best-qualified" may be contacted for an interview.
GAO may contact applicants to determine the most appropriate method for conducting the virtual interview. If you do not meet the key requirements, basic qualifications or fail to submit all required application materials, your application will not be considered. You can check the status of your application at any time through your personal USAJOBS account.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/825693400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
GAO's work is designed to address four common goals:- to help the Congress address current and emerging challenges to the well-being and financial security of the American people;- to help the Congress to respond to changing security threats and the challenges of global interdependence; to help transform the Federal government to address national challenges; and- to maximize the value of GAO by enabling quality, timely service to Congress and by being a leading practices Federal agency.
