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Come work for the USPTO, we have been ranked as one of the best places to work in the federal government! The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has been serving the economic interests of America for more than 200 years. We are responsible for granting US intellectual property rights for patents and trademarks. The USPTO is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and has over 12,000 employees. For more information about the USPTO, please visit the USPTO Jobs Website.
Learn more about this agency11/20/2020 to 12/26/2020
$0 - $0 per year
GS 00
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Not required
No
Seasonal - 12 week volunteer program (unpaid)
Full-Time
Excepted
00 - No promotion potential.
No
No
A-2021-0001
585121400
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Current students enrolled in accredited educational institutions from high school to graduate level. Includes internships, pathways and other student programs.
Applications will be accepted from all United States Citizens and Nationals. Additionally, all candidates must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a high school or degree-seeking student at an accredited university either as an undergraduate, graduate, legal, or post graduate student.
This vacancy is limited to the first 500 applications received. All applications received prior to midnight (11:59 ET) of the day the application limit is reached will be accepted and considered. If the application limit is not reached by the closing date of the announcement, all applications received during the open period will be considered. Any required documents must be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted past the day the application limit is reached, if applicable.
The USPTO is seeking outstanding candidates for a Summer Externship Program to assist in our mission. . As a Student Extern, you will receive practical experience by engaging in a variety of diverse and challenging activities. Exciting opportunities await you! Come join us and contribute to the accomplishment of organizational goals in an intellectual property environment. Your extern experience will be further enhanced by participating in sessions with agency executives and other USPTO leadership where you will gain insight into USPTO programs. The program is scheduled to begin on June 1, 2021, and end no later than August 27, 2021. Please note that this program may be held in a virtual work environment. We ask that our externs commit to at least 12 weeks of service.
Office of the Commissioner for Patents (Patent Examiner Externs Only)
Primary duties may include, but are not limited to:
All other USPTO Business Offices: The Office of the Under Secretary (OUS), Office of the Commissioner for Patent (Patent – all other positions), Office of the Commissioner for Trademarks (Trademarks), Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (OCAO), Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA), Office of the Chief Communications Officer (OCCO), Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO).
Primary duties may include, but are not limited to:
Must be enrolled as a high school or degree-seeking student in a qualifying educational institution.
All applicants applying to participate in the externship must meet the following requirements:
1. Must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a high school or degree-seeking student at an accredited university (either an undergraduate, graduate, law school or post-graduate).
2. Must be in good academic standing.
Applicants applying for this position must be a United States Citizen or National.
Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website.
Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid.
All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), 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 factors. If you believe that you have been discriminated against and would like to file an EEO complaint, you must do so within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Claims of employment discrimination must be submitted to the attention of the USPTO’s Office of Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity via email (oeeod@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
There is no testing, rating of applicants for this program. Eligibility for appointment is based on applicants meeting the basic requirements for the position as documented in the resume and responses to the assessment questions.
Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for immediate dismissal.
Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).
A complete application consists of:
1. A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications; optional cover letter: Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including job titles, salary, employment dates, duties and accomplishments, experience.
2. Transcripts and/or an Official Letter for Proof of Enrollment for the upcoming semester at a qualifying educational institution: You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are acceptable when submitting your application package. However, if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts. Also, proof of enrollment is required upon selection for the externship. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the above educational requirements. Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration.
You can choose ONE of the following methods to submit Supporting Documents:
1) You can upload your documents when you register or update your information on the Department of Commerce application site which you access through the USAJobs site.
OR
2) You can fax your documents to 571-258-4254 using the system generated fax cover sheet.
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.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is defined as information that can be traced back to a specific individual and potentially compromise their security or privacy. Examples of PII include: date of birth, Social Security Number, and place of birth.
Please ensure that you have removed all Personally Identifiable Information from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your applications material.
You MUST apply online. If you experience difficulties with the application process or do not have access to a computer, please contact the HR Specialist listed as the point of contact before the closing date of this job announcement.
If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page.
Once you have gathered all of the required information and are ready to begin the application process, click the "APPLY ONLINE" button at the right side of the page. You will then be directed away from USAJobs to the Department of Commerce application site for USPTO. You must click "Submit" at the end of the application process to send your application for consideration.
To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov/and click on "Applications." Click on the position title, then select "Update Application."
If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at MGSHELP@monster.com. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times.
All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs “Saved Documents” feature.
You will receive a notice generated by the USAJobs System when you have successfully submitted your application.
You will also receive notification through USAJOBS at each of the following points during the application process: (1) application received; (2) applicant assessed for qualifications; (3) applicant referred or not referred; and (4) selected or not selected.
After all application packages have been received, we will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided.
You can check the status of your application by logging into USAJOBS. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the ‘Notification Settings’ to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.
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/585121400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
The externship is intended to give students an opportunity to experience what it's like to work at PTO, as well as interact with experts in several disciplines, explore opportunities and develop or enhance personal and professional skills. As an extern with the USPTO, you will be working with the largest Intellectual Property Rights entity in the nation.
