Human Resources

As an office assistant for the CRFPO, one of my focus areas is human resources. Personnel recruitment can sometimes be pretty confusing. I thought I might try to help define the types of positions there are within the Fish and Wildlife Service.

There are several types of appointments within the Service. There are Permanent, TERM, Temporary, STEP, SCEP and Details. A Permanent, or Career appointment, is just what the title implies. A person is hired in this position until they choose to leave. A TERM appointment is a 13 month appointment that can be extended for up to four years. Once the four years are up, the position has to be posted as a new job and the incumbent will have to compete for that position again. A Temporary appointment is an appointment that is a one year or less appointment that can be extended up to 24 months. This type of appointment is one that can be terminated at any time. A STEP appointment is a Student Educational Employment Program. This is an opportunity for a college student to work while they are earning a degree. How far advanced a student is with their education will determine the grade level at which they can be hired. A STEP student appointment can be extended as many times as the supervisor wants as long as the student is enrolled in school at least half time. A SCEP appointment is when a student signs a contract with the Service to stay with them a certain amount of time after they finish school because the Service will pay for all of their school. A Detail is when you are already working for an office within the Service and there is a need for someone temporarily in another position. This is a great opportunity to learn different things.

I hope this helped define the different types of appointments available within the Service. If you want more information come to me if you have any questions.

Submitted by Melissa Kennedy