Federal

Student Volunteer

Commodity Futures Trading Commission Β· Other Agencies and Independent Organizations
Posted: Dec 5, 2025 Deadline: May 29, 2026 (Closes in 103 days days left)

About This Position

Unpaid internships with CFTC are offered year-round and can last from 12 weeks to 12 months. Duties vary based on the department and/or office in which the intern is placed. CFTC's Internship Program offers valuable experience that contributes to educational and professional growth, and may be applied in any future employment endeavor, including federal, state and local governments or in the private sector. Internships may begin as early as January 2026.

Qualifications

To meet the Student Volunteer requirements, you must be a student accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, degree) in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled). Applicants should have strong written, research and oral communication skills are required. Strong ability with programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint is required. All Education must be accredited by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants may verify accreditation at the following website: Accreditation. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by OPM accordingly. ***All requirements must be met by the day you enter duty*** ***All applications must be received via www.usajobs.gov***

Major Duties

The CFTC offers substantive work that gives interns an opportunity to demonstrate their skills through work experience. Interns may be placed in one of our Mission Support Offices. Duties may include: Perform various analytical assignments supporting special or ongoing projects, assist senior staff in consolidating data to prepare reports, and review and analyze dashboard/program activities. Develop and coordinate a variety of reports, actions, and correspondence applying concepts, principles, practices, and procedures of administrative actions and program analysis. Collect, research, and develop data-based findings and conclusions. Use automated tools to process and track requests. Identify feasible work management approaches that address required activities and timelines. Collect relevant information that is aligned with objectives and meets the goals. Conduct analyses aligned with tasks, identifies relevant information, patterns/inconsistencies, trends/relationships, interdependencies, and potential implications. Collaborate with Analysts/Specialists and other team members to address issues and/or concerns and will follow up to ensure needs are met. Contribute to team efforts through participation in activities/meetings, solicit and listen to others' opinions, and work collaboratively to accomplish team goals. Use office automation software to produce and prepare various materials, such as spreadsheets, plans, procedures, memoranda, letters, charts, databases, and presentations. Perform segments of the full range of budget, accounting, and finance administration work done in the organization. Obtain, compile, and summarize narrative information and quantitative data for use by others within an office. Provide administrative support to Human Resources, Financial Management, or Business Operations, or other administrative areas. Assist in purchase requisitions and travel requests. Marketing duties may include photography, video production, social media strategies, graphic design, promotions and print production. Other programs available and dependent on student's academic goals.

Conditions of Employment

To be eligible for this volunteer internship, all of the following requirements must be met. You MUST submit academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the eligibility requirements. (Unofficial is acceptable) If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation necessary to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility requirements described in this announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete, and you will be ineligible. A completed application will only be accepted via USAJobs. Applications will not be accepted via email. The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.” Key Requirements: Please refer to "Conditions of Employment." Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying. Starting on September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length. Learn more about the new resume requirements.

Education

You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. U.S. EDUCATION: Institutions located within the United States that have attained accreditation are listed on the U.S. Department of Education's website. To verify your institution's accreditation, please access this website: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.aspx A complete listing of all institutions, including those located outside of U.S. territories, may be found in Accredited Institutions of Post-Secondary Education, a handbook published annually by the American Council on Education (ACE). SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your application includes your: Responses to the online questionnaire Resume Current transcripts showing enrollment (REQUIRED - an unofficial transcript is acceptable) Writing sample could be required prior to interviews NOTE: You must maintain student eligibility and enrollment for the duration of the internship. If you cannot, you are ineligible for this program. Please review the "QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED" section of this vacancy announcement to ensure that you qualify for this internship. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Additional Information

OTHER INFORMATION: CFTC is seeking non-paid volunteers to encourage interest in public service careers and provide valuable work experience. As a non-paid volunteer, students will gain first-hand experience performing a variety of tasks related to supporting the activities of the Commission. Student Volunteers may work during the school year and/or during summer or school vacation periods. The nature of the volunteer assignment as well as the work schedule will be established once on-board.* Students seeking course credit for externship positions are responsible for coordinating in advance with their education institution. All candidates will be considered without regard to any non-merit reasons such as race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, lawful political affiliation, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, parental status, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors. As required by hiring office, you may be required to: Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. Successfully complete a background investigation. Relocation expenses will not be paid. Maintain a student status throughout the internship (be actively enrolled at an accredited 4-year college or university) *** If selected for this position, you will be required to report to a CFTC location for onboarding as well as returning equipment at the end of your internship. Per Agency's policy, you will be required to follow reporting procedures*** Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How to Apply

YOU MUST APPLY ONLINE: Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. You must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at USAJOBS.GOV. To begin, click the Apply Online button within the vacancy announcement and follow the prompts to create an account using LOGIN.GOV, if you have not done so already. LOGIN.GOV will walk you through each step of the account set-up and will automatically link your USAJOBS profile to LOGIN.GOV. Once you have established an account using LOGIN.GOV, you will then go back to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV user name and password to answer the questions, and submit all required documents. If you already have established an LOGIN.GOV account or want to return to your saved application go to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV user name and password to apply or view your profile. If you have problems completing your on-line application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please contact the Help Desk by e-mail at [email protected] or phone at 1-866.656.6831. The help desk is available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. The law prohibits public officials from appointing, promoting, or recommending their relatives. The law prohibits requesting, making, transmitting, accepting, or considering political recommendations for employment or other personnel actions for non-political positions. This includes recommendations from Members of Congress, Congressional employees, elected state or local officials, and political party officials and any recommendation based on party affiliation.

Required Documents

A complete application includes 1. A résumé, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note - If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation necessary to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility requirements described in this announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete, and you will be ineligible. You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of courses showing title, number of credits, and grade (if applicable) from an accredited college or university verifying proof of enrollment. Both official AND unofficial transcripts are acceptable as part of the application process. However, if you are selected, you will be required to provide an official transcript before you report to work. You must be attending a school than is an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which these criteria, please refer to www.ed.gov. If you are eligible based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency; more information may be found http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e4.asp#e4a. We recommend you get this process started as soon as possible to avoid delays in appointment if selected.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Student Volunteer position at Commodity Futures Trading Commission?
Salary details are available on the USAJobs announcement.
Where is the Student Volunteer job located?
This position is located in Washington, District of Columbia. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
To meet the Student Volunteer requirements, you must be a student accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, degree) in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled). Applicants should have strong written, research and oral ...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is May 29, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What does CT-00 mean?
CT-00 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.