Minimum Qualifications for Seasonal Employment

Ranger on a horse in foreground, forest and mountains in background

NPS Photo

Park Guide (GS-090-03) - Successful completion of 1 year of college study that included at least 6 semester hours in courses such as American history, science, and/or public speaking OR Applicant must have 6 months of general experience that includes 1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or 2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation.

Visitor Use Assistant (GS-303-04) - Successful completion of 2 years of college study OR one year of general experience that includes progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills need to perform the duties of the position.

Trail Laborer (WG-3502-03) - Applicant generally must be able to demonstrate experience utilizing tools such as hammers (household, sledge or general), saws (hand or power), drills (hand or power), rock bar, pick, chainsaw & shovel. Work is performed outdoors, often under adverse weather conditions. Work requires frequent bending, stooping, walking, standing, working in cramped positions and climbing. Work requires prolonged standing and walking over a rough and uneven terrain. Work requires lifting and moving heavy items.

Maintenance Worker (WG-4749-04) - Applicant generally must be able to demonstrate experience in using and maintaining tools and equipment in maintenance work situations such as hammer, shovel, pick, ax, saw, wrench, hacksaw, operation of mowers weed-eaters. Also may need to demonstrate experience in performing grounds and sanitation maintenance work, by indicating examples of painting, planting, raking, trimming, cutting, fertilizing, watering, cleaning, sanitizing, dusting, and carpet/floor care.

Forestry Aid (GS-462-03) - Successful completion of 1 year of study that included at least 6 semester hours in a combination of courses such as range management or conservation; agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, engineering, biology, mathematics, or other natural or physical sciences OR Applicant must have 6 months of general experience that includes 1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or 2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation.

Forestry Technician (GS-462-4) - Applicant must have 6 months of general experience and 6 months of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-3 grade level, OR 2 years above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 3 semester hours in mathematics is creditable.

GENERAL EXPERIENCE: 1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or 2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Applicants who have the 1 year of appropriate specialized experience, as indicated in the table, are not required by this standard to have general experience, education above the high school level, or any additional specialized experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements.

For positions at GS-4 and above: In addition to the experience requirements described in the group coverage standard, seasonal experience may also be creditable. A season of experience is considered to be a period of no less than 3 months of continuous employment on a seasonal basis. Shorter periods may be combined to make a season, provided a total of at least 3 months' experience is shown. For any period where the work exceeded 3 months, the excess work is credited towards an additional season of experience. One season of experience is qualifying for GS-2; 2 seasons of experience qualify for GS-3; and 4 seasons of experience qualify for GS-4.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

  • Forestry aid or technician work.
  • Engineering, range, or soil conservation technician work that involved the application of cultural, resource conservation, or land management practices on nonforest or ranch lands when combined with knowledge of forestry operations and equipment.
  • Farming or ranching work that involved application of cultural and soil and water conservation practices, including safety and use of equipment, and that provided a basic understanding of land use.
  • Forest or range fire control, prevention, or suppression work.

Park Ranger (Interpretation) (GS-025-05) - Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-4 grade level in the Federal Service, OR a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours of related course work.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Experience that demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. Experience may have been in technical, administrative, or scientific work, fish and wildlife management, recreation management, law enforcement, or other park-related work.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Park guide or tour leader
  • Law enforcement or investigative work.
  • Archeological or historical preservation research work.
  • Forestry and/or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area.
  • Management, assistant, or program specialist work involving the development and implementation of policy related to protection, conservation, or management of park areas or similar operations.

EDUCATION

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study--natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/ police science, social sciences, museum sciences, business administration, public administration, behavioral sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. Course work in fields other than those specified may be accepted if it clearly provides applicants with the background of knowledge and skills necessary for successful job performance in the position to be filled.

Park Ranger (Law Enforcement) (GS-025-05) – The same qualifications are needed as that of a Park Ranger (Interpretation), and additionally, successful completion of a National Park Service law enforcement ranger academy.

Biological Science Technician (GS-404-04) - Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics (6 semester hours must be directly related to the position to be filled) OR one year of specialized experience that is typically in or directly related to the position to be filled (i.e. research activity).

Office Clerk (GS-303-03) - Successful completion of 1 year of college study OR Six months of general experience that includes progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills need to perform the duties of the position.

Last updated: September 22, 2023

Park footer

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers, CA 93271

Phone:

559 565-3341

Contact Us