Internship Program

Do you enjoy nature? Are you passionate about protecting, managing and conserving our public lands? Would you like to explore a career field related to what we do? If so, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offers the Pathways Internship Program for students just like you. It’s a great place to start your career and see what BLM has to offer.

The Internship Program is for current students (16 years of age or older) enrolled or accepted for enrollment and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying accredited educational institution on a full- or half-time basis.

The Internship Program provides students enrolled in a variety of academic fields with paid opportunities to work in agencies and explore federal careers while still in school.

There are two student appointment types under the Internship Program.

1. An Intern (also known as an “Indefinite Intern”) is a Student Trainee in a developmental role on an excepted service appointment expected to last more than 1 year.  The features of this program are as follows:

  • Academic curriculum and/or career goals must be directly related to assigned career path in the BLM;
  • Maintain a cumulative grade point average of a 2.5 or higher and be in good academic standing with the educational institution;
  • Maintain at least a half-time course load as defined by the educational institution for the duration of the program;
  • Enter into a written agreement (i.e., Participant Agreement) that outlines the Intern and BLM expectations and roles & responsibilities;
  • Establishment of an Individual Development Plan that outlines the position-specific training needed to ensure career development and preparation for conversion;
  • Assignment of a mentor;
  • Establishment of a performance plan to clarify expectations and potential for advancement; and
  • Complete a minimum of 640 hours of work experience through the program.

Upon successful completion of the Internship Program, an Intern may be noncompetitively converted to a permanent or term appointment in the competitive service.

2. An Intern Not-To-Exceed (NTE) (also known as a “Temporary Intern”) is a Student Trainee in a developmental role on an excepted service appointment expected to last 1 year or less.  Interns with an NTE date are hired on a temporary basis to help complete short-term projects, perform short-term labor-intensive tasks, or fill traditional summer jobs.  The features of this program are as follows: 

  • Academic curriculum and career goals do not have to be directly related to assigned career path in the BLM;
  • Maintain a cumulative grade point average of a 2.0 or higher and be in good academic standing with the educational institution;
  • Maintain at least a half-time course load as defined by the educational institution for the duration of the program;
  • Enter into a written agreement (i.e., Participant Agreement) that outlines the Intern NTE and BLM expectations and roles & responsibilities; 
  • Establishment of an Individual Development Plan that outlines the position-specific training needed to ensure career development, only if the program will last longer than 12 weeks; and
  • Assignment of a mentor is optional, but encouraged.

NOT eligible for noncompetitive conversion to become an Indefinite Intern or noncompetitive conversion to a permanent or term appointment upon completion of the Internship Program.

Find more information at: https://www.usajobs.gov/StudentsAndGrads.

Apply today at www.USAJOBS.gov!

Featured Video

Meet Laura Brodhead, former intern and now Forest Ecologist for the BLM Redding Field Office in California.

Point of Contact

Find a BLM Pathways Program Coordinator near you for information about current opportunities.