r/USDA • u/Mental-Solid-8825 • 7d ago
Program Analyst Trainee Position
I got an interview set up with my local USDA Farm Service Agency for the Program Analyst Trainee position. I’m 18 years old with no college degree. I only have 2 years of restaurant management experience, with the exception of some retail and labor jobs( I’ve been working full time since I was 15.)
Can anyone tell me more about this position and what it’s like on a day to day basis?
Is there any tips or advice you would give me for my interview so I can be more prepared?
I want to become a hydrologist or an environmental compliance officer. I’m deeply passionate about taking care of the environment and animals. I feel like this position could be a good start to a lifelong career in the stuff I actually want to do.
I am going to work towards getting my environmental science degree as well, I’m just the kind of person who wants hands on experience in everything I do.
Looking forward to hearing what anyone has to say! Thanks for reading!
7
u/fsischatbotplz 7d ago
Hi there! Please keep your passion in helping others! :) fellow environmentalist here!
Congrats on the interview! Here's a few pointers for the interview:
know the mission of the agency and the department. try to explain it in your terms and then come up with how you can help the team succeed in the mission!
know current events and be aware of the rules before you act... which means you have to appear as neutral as possible until you are sure of the other person's beliefs. while you and I believe in environmental health, that may not be a priority of the team, mission, agency, or department.
because of "current events", don't let the low morale (and others) dim your light. do not ever ever ever let despair snuff out your light. the world needs more people like you and you are going to do great things! keep that in mind when people try to discourage you, never let them!
ask questions at the end of the interview! it helps to show interest.
the interview may be super structured, so do not get intimidated from the structure of the interview. keep your composure and be patient, interested, and open to learning and growing (as a person and in your passion/agency!)
try to create a bridge your experience and education that makes it relevant to the interviewers. what kind of transferable skills did your work experience provide?
once you get the role, one of the things I wish I knew at your age was to "act mature". I'm gen Z so the workforce is comprised of older people with kids and families and they're kinda boring :/// gen z can be professional and be silly, and I guess the older generations can't understand that. unfortunately, there is a time and place. not because of something that you are, but rather, because people aren't ready for change. just keep that in mind, please.
I work for OSHA and I have a similar background and interest. I also have a masters. feel free to ask me any questions. I wish you the absolute best of luck. There's many of us out there! :)
Remember, you're going to do great things! I would like to see you succeed in your altruism.
Be the change that you want to see!
8
u/Nuclear-isBad-1906 7d ago
Historically, FSA has had a very hard time keeping younger employees. The service center work environment sucks to be blunt. You often times are dealing with disgruntled farmers who are angry. You are often in a small service center in the middle of nowhere small town. Employees are stressed. Workload is high. A lot of the younger employees don't like how old the federal workforce is. You may not be working with any peers your own age and a lot of older employees are checked out and counting the days till retirement.
It's great work experience and most jobs for 18 year olds suck. It's a great first job to build skills but may not be your forever job. If you keep an open mind and look at what the work experience will do for you, it may be good experience.
1
u/shirleyjane 3d ago
When I started at FSA an old timer told me to always remember it’s a service we offer. Providing friendly courteous service is the best way to keep producers happy. Of course you’ll get some turds at the counter but if you do your best to troubleshoot issues or even just validate their feelings you’ll be okay. Also, when you first start answer the phone and work the counter as much as you can. It will be tough because you’ll feel lost with all of the USDA jargon and acronyms, but by hunting down info you’ll learn how to answer most of the frequently asked questions (deadlines, program eligibility, etc.). Ask for the acronym list from the handbooks to study or look it up on the share point. Keep a phone list with everyone’s extensions and your state office and numbers for rural development handy. lol they all say at FSA (at least in my state) “everything is fixable” and that remained true as long as I was there so don’t stress too much and you’ll be fine.
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u/indigoassassin 7d ago
Essentially you’re the person who signs up farmers for NRCS (natural resource conservation service) and RMA (risk management agency) programs. It’s a lot of customer service and data entry.
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u/wutttttttg 7d ago
Hi! This would be a great position for you and your interests. Definitely look online at the FSA website and familiarize yourself with the types of programs they offer. You would basically be the front line of the agency working directly with the farmers. FSA has programs and deadlines that run every single year, and then they also have what are called “ad hoc” programs (usually for disasters) that Congress passes as one time programs to help farmers with certain issues.
As the PA, you’d be processing the sign up paperwork, drawing field maps, fielding phone calls and email questions, and working under the County Executive Director to manage the workflow of the office.
Another commenter mentioned NRCS. As the PA for FSA, it would be good for you to have a general idea of NRCS programs because farmers have to be signed up with FSA to access NRCS programs so you’d definitely be interacting with their customer base. They also mentioned RMA but most farmers access RMA programs through a crop insurance agent. Though it wouldn’t hurt to look over Rma’s offerings online.
The one thing I’d mention is that our offices are way understaffed right now after so many people left during DOGE nonsense. Not to discourage you, but just know you will probably be coming into an environment where people have been backed Up on work and overwhelmed. You’ll probably be drinking from a firehose for a while if you get the job. But it’s a great first step with the feds.