WASHINGTON, D.C.—The USDA Forest Service is hiring students and recent graduates into forester, forestry technician and forestry intern positions in conjunction with the Society of American Foresters annual conference.

The Forest Service is a long-standing sponsor and attendee at the SAF conference. Every year, the agency hires hundreds of current and recently graduated college students into forestry-related Pathways programs, providing lifelong career paths in permanent federal employment.

Kayanna Warren, ecologist in the Pacific Southwest Region, began her career with the Forest Service at the 2012 SAF conference. As a recent graduate with a master’s degree in Forest Science, Warren applied for a job opening on USAJOBS and was selected to conduct an interview at the conference.

“They told me the process was an “on the spot hire”—they would call their first-choice candidate the next day and give them a half hour to say yes or no before moving on to the next,” said Warren. “Ultimately, when they called me, I knew the only right answer was to say yes. I started with the agency in that job: San Bernardino National Forest, San Jacinto Ranger District, as a forester. I was able to come into the agency as a recent graduate at a GS-09 level, which gave me a great start in the agency—and in a professional series, which is very helpful for the kinds of positions in my ideal career trajectory.”

At the SAF conference, attendees from across the forestry industry and in forestry-related education programs can learn about several topics related to natural resources. The Forest Service offers a variety of events and talks, ranging from sharing innovations in forest science to discussing prescribed fire planning.

SAF attendees can also explore several job opportunities across private and government sectors. The Forest Service offers webinars and live Q&A sessions covering USAJOBS, the application process, federal resumes, and hiring eligibilities and qualifications.

“I stayed in that first position for four years and gained knowledge, skills and competencies about my field and the agency. I moved to a career ladder position in the Regional Office afterwards as a forest health ecologist,” said Warren. “My advice for people looking to get hired to the Forest Service is to just apply, even if the first position is a stepping-stone in knowledge and skills to something later. There are lots of avenues within the agency. I think in some ways, we need people who are very invested in a particular place, but we also benefit from building skills in potential new employees with broad experiences. Don’t be intimidated by other people who seem to have the perfect qualifications.”

Apply for forestry positions on USAJOBS.gov Nov. 3-9. Applicants do not need to attend the conference to apply. To qualify for the Pathways program, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national, a current college student or recently graduated within the previous two years, and meet the qualification standards for the specific position. For help with submitting your application, please visit our jobs page for more information and webinars.