Forest Service employees actively participated in the 32nd annual Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences Career Fair and Training Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 29–April 1.

MANRRS, which is dedicated to promoting academic and professional advancement for minorities in agriculture, natural resources and related sciences, was founded at Michigan State University in 1984. The Forest Service works closely with the organization to identify job opportunities for MANRRS students. Several Forest Service employees began their careers in the agency as members of MANRRS. There are 4,500 student and professional members spread out amongst 78 MANRRS chapters in 36 states, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Tina Terrell, Acting Associate Deputy Chief, was a founding member of the organization while a student at Penn State University.

As part of the conference, a presentation covering “Tips for Job Seekers” was successfully hosted by representatives from the National Collective Recruitment and Hiring team, Region 8 recruitment team, Civil Rights staff, and leaders from Research and Development.  The presentation included an overview of the Forest Service, details of the Pathways hiring authorities, and instruction and tips for creating profiles, building resumes and navigating the job application process through USAJOBS. 

The conference offered attendants a great opportunity to network ahead of the upcoming Pathways Intern Not-to-Exceed Hiring Event taking place April 6–12. The hiring event includes various series and grades for entry-level positions, for more information visit the Work for Nature site. MANRRS students are obtaining degrees in the following areas: Forestry, Plants/Soil Science, Biology, and Agriculture Education/Leadership/Communication.

The presence of the Forest Service at events such as the MANRRS Conference reaffirms the agency’s commitment to aspiring natural resources professionals while moving forward in building a multicultural workforce that reflects the American public.

The Forest Service will be in attendance to recruit at the 2018 MANRRS Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina.