Gain Experience

To be eligible to participate in WRP for the current recruitment cycle, you must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be a current U.S. Citizen.
• Be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at UCSB on a full-time basis (part-time students are eligible under if the reduced course load is due to a disability/COVID-19 OR if taking less than a substantially full-time load in last quarter prior to graduation) OR have graduated with a degree on or after April 1, 2022.
• Be a student with an intellectual, severe physical, or psychiatric disability under the "Schedule A" hiring authority (all students at UCSB who are registered with the Disabled Students Program are instantly eligible; consult the "Schedule A" Checklist for details).

Please submit your Registration Request by Tuesday, October 15, 2024 by clicking on the Student Registration button on the WRP Website and completing the initial registration form for New Student Registration. No late registration forms will be accepted.

Your next deadline comes up quickly; please see Step 2 for the required steps.

Once you have received an email confirming that your New Student Registration has been approved, log into the WRP website to submit your Student Application (Note: You must use the link in your email to login the first time).

You must submit the following application information and documents by Thursday, October 17, 2024:

• Identification and Contact Information
• Resume (Traditional Format OR Federal Format); you are encouraged to utilize Document Review from Career Services for general feedback
• Transcript (Official or Unofficial)
• Academic Information including major, degree, GPA, number of credit hours, credit type, etc.
• Disability Category (for statistical purposes only, not shown to federal agencies)
• Optional: Supporting documents, such as letters of recommendation, writing samples, and "Schedule A" letter
   

If you require accommodations for your upcoming Informational Interview (see Step 3), please email the WRP Coordinator indicated on this page by the above deadline. Example accommodations include:

• ASL Interpreter
• Captioning Services
• Video Interview
• Written Interview
• Extended Time

All candidates who register and apply by the above deadlines will be contacted via email in late October to schedule a 30-45 minute Informational Interview with a WRP Recruiter, which will take place between Monday, October 28, 2024, through Wednesday, November 20, 2024. All interviews will be conducted remotely, either virtually or via phone.

The Informational Interview is not a job interview, but a safe space for candidates to receive brief mentorship on their career goals and resume. WRP Recruiters do not evaluate candidates, but instead provide advice, feedback, and guidance about careers in federal service.

Here is how to prepare for your Informational Interview:

• Review the WRP Student Information Interview Guide and research careers in federal agencies you are interested in.
• Create a list of questions you would like to ask about careers in federal service for your specific goals (you can begin by exploring career options on USAJobs).
• Practice the general process of asking and responding to questions using your free Big Interview account and tips on how to Do Informational Interviews. 
• Find a quiet space and begin the session on time as scheduled (instructions will be provided via email).
   

To maintain your candidacy in the recruitment process, it is required that you respond to all communications within a timely manner and conduct your Informational Interview at the time that is scheduled. For questions at any point during this process, please email the WRP Coordinator indicated on this page.

Begin taking steps to obtain a "Schedule A" letter. The "Schedule A" letter is not required in the WRP application process, but candidates must confirm that they are eligible for "Schedule A" and they should have a "Schedule A" letter on hand or be working to acquire one in fall. Candidates will not upload this letter to the WRP website, but should be prepared to provide it to an agency’s Human Resources official when it is requested prior to receiving an offer of employment. WRP candidates cannot be hired by federal agencies through "Schedule A" without a "Schedule A" letter.

Here are the recommended guidelines on "Schedule A" letters for WRP:

• Must be written and signed by a licensed medical professional, certified vocational rehabilitation professional, or any federal/state agency that issues or provides disability benefits. 
• Must state that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability. Does NOT need to state the specific nature of the disability, detail any medical history, or explain needs for accommodation. (Note: The simpler the letter is, the better.)
• Must be printed on official letterhead in a format similar to this Sample "Schedule A" Letter.
   

Note: If you are registered with the Disabled Students Program (DSP), you are able to use the same letter that you submitted for DSP eligibility, if you feel comfortable and if it follows the above guidelines. Alternatively, you can obtain a new letter that follows the recommended format. "Schedule A" letters do not expire, though you should confirm that the certifying entity can still be reached at the contact information provided.

In mid-December 2024, all candidates who complete Steps 1-3 will be placed into a government recruiting database and can be contacted by various federal agencies for interviews or direct offers of employment between December 2024 and June 2025 for summer positions, and up until December 2025 for permanent positions. Please note that placement into the recruiting database does not guarantee that candidates will be contacted for interviews or employment offers, however, past candidates from UCSB have received follow-up offers from federal agencies.

If you are contacted with an offer of employment and you accept, it is important to note that "Schedule A" hires have a probationary period of two years. You will be able to inquire about this further with an agency's Human Resources official during the hiring process. We also encourage you to review our Don't Get Scammed tips to identify warning signs of potential scams regarding job offers, as scams can occur with any form of job searching.

To gain the most benefit from WRP, we recommend that you utilize a proactive job search strategy to introduce yourself and Make Targeted Connections with federal agencies. In your introduction, you can choose to share that you have earned the "Schedule A" hiring authority through WRP, which can make the hiring process more direct for any federal position. You can explore career options further on the USAJOBS page for Individuals With Disabilities, as well as any resource within the USAJOBS platform.