US DOT Internship – HR Assistant

United States Department of Transportation (US DOT)

Location: United States Department of Transportation (Agency: Federal Transit Administration)

Position Hold: Human Resources Assistant

Tenure with Position: June 6^th, 2015 – August 14, 2015

Human Resources Assistant: Over the course of the summer, I was accepted to participate as an intern in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) 2015 Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups (STIPDG) facilitated by The Washington Center as a Human Resources Assistant with the Federal Transit Administration in Washington, DC. During my time with the Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration, I was involved in a number of projects supporting the agency. Some of the projects included but were not limited to: performing a variety of technical assistance and clerical duties, reading and applying regulations and informational material related to employment programs, and using automated data processing equipment and related software. In addition, aside from my duties and responsibilities as an intern, I was able to gain and develop my skills. I gained HR skills such as Customer Service, FPPS, and WTTS and I was able to improve my leadership skills such as organization, communication, teamwork, and public speaking. Overall, it was an amazing experience that helped me grow personally and professionally.

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

• Review personnel requests to determine the nature of staffing action and source of candidates.
• Enter personnel action data into work tracking systems; Federal Personnel Payroll Systems (FPPS) and Workforce Transformation Tracking System (WTTS).
• Assist with rating applications for external placement in positions covered by qualification standards in a wide variety of clerical and technical occupations.
• Assist in determining the eligibility of candidates and making sure minimum qualifications are met.
• Assist in the development and editing of the Federal Transit Administration Human Resources website to ensure easy accessibility for customers and employees.
• Evaluate applications for job-related criteria, experience, training, and performance in relation to required job skills, knowledge, and abilities according to local merit promotion plans or external recruitment plans.
• Assist in answering 3-5 phone calls per day to provide customer service to applicants that are checking their application status and that have questions about applying for federal jobs.
• Assist in creating and editing the vacancy announcement multiple choice questions which are use to determine employee’s qualifications for a position.

Personal Reflection:

By far, one of the best experiences I have had throughout my undergraduate studies. When I first found out that I got accepted into the program I was very excited since I knew that this opportunity would open new doors for my future career. Interning with the Department of Transportation has allowed me to explore different career options, gain relevant skills and knowledge in my field of studies and develop a greater awareness of the federal government’s role on transportation issues. The most rewarding experience from this internship, took place during the fifth week when I assisted the HR Department as well as the HR Specialists during their Veterans job fair. It was an amazing experience in which I was able to practice my Public Speaking skills as well as my recruiting skills. This was the first time I lived in Washington and I had the opportunity to experience a historic event and visit many places in DC that are part of the history of this country. Below you will find some of the work I did while interning in DC as well as some pictures that marked my adventures through this wonderful city. This was an opportunity of a life time!