As a 2000 CRS Graduate Recruit, you will have the opportunity to perform research and analysis exclusively for the United States Congress on a confidential, nonpartisan basis. Working alongside CRS's team of nationally recognized analysts and information specialists, you will be assigned a variety of projects designed to hone your research and analytical skills, strengthen your writing and communications skills, and cultivate your understanding of the Congress and the legislative process. You will work closely with a supervisor who will ensure that your work assignments are substantive and consistent with your academic background and experiences. At the same time, you will be encouraged to take initiative in your work and to work independently when appropriate. Indeed, in the words of one recent Graduate Recruit:

"One thing I have enjoyed and that has also surprised me is the high level of autonomy we are accorded in our work. I have the flexibility to balance my research workload with training opportunities, for example. At the same time, my supervisor and other senior staff are very helpful and collegial in providing information and assistance that I cannot find on my own."

The exact nature and scope of Graduate Recruit projects will vary by position and subject area. However, the following descriptions provide general information on the type of work typically performed by CRS Graduate Recruits in various positions:

Policy Analysts: Graduate Recruit policy analysts are assigned a wide range of both short-term and longer-term projects. These projects typically include responding to congressional inquiries on legislative and policy issues in your assigned subject area, writing analytical reports and memoranda, assisting senior CRS analysts with research on major analytical projects, participating in meetings and briefings with congressional staff, and contributing to group analytical projects with senior analysts in your subject area. Most Graduate Recruit policy analysts describe their "typical day" as a combination of writing, reading, assisting congressional clients over the phone, meeting with one or more senior analysts to consult on a project, researching information on the web via in-house or commercial databases, and locating information in CRS division libraries.

Most of the jobs being offered under the 2000 Graduate Recruit Program -- 18 out of 21 positions -- fall into the policy analyst category. A complete listing of available policy analyst positions is contained on pages 8-10 of the Graduate Recruit application brochure.

Information Resource Librarians: As a Graduate Recruit information resource librarian, you will be assigned to a specific subject area in which you will provide specialized information support to both Members of Congress and CRS research staff. As an information "expert" in this subject area, you will provide bibliographic and reference assistance; advise Members of Congress and CRS research staff on information resources and reference tools pertinent to their speciality; provide training in various electronic resources; create and maintain web pages in your subject area; and participate in the planning and implementation of information outreach programs. For additional details on information resource librarian positions, please see page 10 of the Graduate Recruit application brochure.

Reference Librarians: Graduate Recruit reference librarians perform a variety of assignments, many of which are conducted with very quick turnaround. You will respond to congressional requests for information on a broad range of topics by searching print and on-line sources. You also will conduct Internet and commercial database searching, prepare written information products, and contribute to on-line resources on CRS's internal staff website. Additional information on Graduate Recruit reference librarian positions may be found on page 10 of the Graduate Recruit application brochure.

As a CRS Graduate Recruit, you will work with senior research analysts or information specialists in a collegial, "campus-like" environment that fosters and encourages collaboration across issues and disciplines. To facilitate this interaction, you will be assigned a mentor who will be available throughout the summer to provide informal counsel and guidance on work-related issues; acquaint you with CRS's culture, practices and procedures; share information on upcoming professional development opportunities; and introduce you to other colleagues in CRS. Graduate Recruit mentors typically are senior analysts or information specialists who work in or are knowledgeable about the subject areas to which Graduate Recruits have been assigned. In order to promote trust and ensure comfort in the mentoring relationship, your mentor will always be someone other than your immediate supervisor.

Graduate Recruits also are offered a number of training and orientation sessions during their initial summer experience. These include formal instruction from CRS experts on the legislative process, congressional procedure, and the federal budget process; briefings on issues of current legislative interest; and training on the various research tools used by CRS to conduct our work for the Congress, including on-line databases and the Internet.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to participate in special group activities with your fellow Graduate Recruits. These activities could include brown bag lunches with CRS analysts and information specialists; lectures by key Members of Congress and other national figures; personalized tours of the U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and the White House; and informal volunteer and social events in and around Washington, DC.

If selected as a 2000 Graduate Recruit, you initially will be hired as a temporary summer employee. Your summer employment will begin during the summer of 2000, following completion of the 1999- 2000 academic year, and will last for up to 120 days.

At the end of your summer experience, you will receive a formal written evaluation from your supervisor. If that evaluation indicates that you performed successfully, you will then be considered for placement in a permanent position with CRS upon completion of your graduate degree. For students who already have completed their degree requirements, the conversion to a permanent position could occur immediately at the end of the summer. Otherwise, the conversion to a permanent position will be delayed until such time as the student's degree requirements are completed.

CRS Graduate Recruit positions are paid federal jobs. Your salary will be commensurate with your education and experience and will follow the standard federal government "GS" pay scale. Salaries for Graduate Recruit policy analysts typically start at the GS-7 ($27,508- $35,760 per annum), GS-9 ($33,650-$43,747 per annum), or GS-11($40,714-$52,927 per annum) level. Salaries for Graduate Recruit reference librarians and information resource librarians typically start at the GS-7 or GS-9 level. [These salary figures do not include an anticipated cost of living increase in January 2000.]

The benefits available to you during the initial summer portion of the Graduate Recruit Program consist of four hours of annual leave (vacation) and four hours of sick leave per two-week pay period. Once you are converted to a permanent position, you will become eligible for the full complement of federal health, life, and retirement benefits, as follows:

Health Insurance: As a federal employee, you may choose from a wide selection of health benefits plans. Coverage under these plans is immediate and is provided without a medical examination or restrictions due to age, current health, or pre-existing medical condition. The cost of your health insurance plan is shared by you (through payroll deductions) and the Library of Congress.

Life Insurance: The federal government offers employees basic life insurance coverage under the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Plan (FEGLI). Employees pay two- thirds of the cost of this coverage; the Library of Congress pays the remaining one-third. Additional coverage is also available, at full cost, for the employee's self and family members.

Retirement Benefits: In addition to traditional social security and other basic retirement benefits, the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) offers you the opportunity to contribute up to 10% of your basic pay to a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). The TSP operates much like a 401-K plan. You may contribute up to 10% of your basic pay to your choice of three investment funds. The Library of Congress will match your contributions to the TSP up to the first 5%. Earnings in TSP accounts grow tax free until they are withdrawn.

As Library of Congress employees, there are other benefits available to Graduate Recruits, including book borrowing privileges from the Library's general collections, membership in the Library of Congress Federal Credit Union, and access to the Library's many events and exhibits. The Library also operates a "Little Scholars" child development center for children ages 3 months to 5 years. The center's facilities are located just blocks from the Library, and first priority for enrollment is given to children of Library of Congress employees. Graduate Recruits also have the benefit of working in a prime Capitol Hill office location. Located directly across the street from the U.S. Capitol, CRS is just minutes away from the House and Senate congressional office buildings, the National Mall, the Smithsonian, Union Station, the Supreme Court, and all modes of public transportation.

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits to joining CRS as a policy analyst under the Graduate Recruit Program is the potential for rapid advancement. Once you are converted to a permanent position, you will have the potential, through annual promotions, to reach the highest GS salary level available, the GS-15 (currently $80,658 - $104,851 per annum). Your advancement will be based solely on your own performance. As you meet the requirements of the next highest grade, you will be promoted based on your own merit and accomplishment. You will not have to compete for promotions against your colleagues, nor will you have to serve in a supervisory role in order to be promoted. In the words of one CRS Graduate Recruit:

"The CRS promotion ladder is truly outstanding. I was hired as a GS-11, and was promoted by one GS-level every year. Thus, I reached the GS-15 rung of the promotion ladder in just four years. There are few government agencies that can match such a rapid rise, and I don't believe there are any private sector organizations that can provide the combination of good pay, great benefits, ability to have a full life outside the office, and collegial working environment that I have found at CRS."

CRS reference librarians and information resource librarians have similar potential for rapid advancement -- Graduate Recruits hired under these positions are eligible, through annual promotions, to reach the GS-13 salary level (currently $58,027 - $75,433 per annum). Promotions beyond these levels, to more senior positions, are also possible, but are not part of the regular promotion ladder. These promotions depend on the level of skill required by the position, the budget situation, and the availability of vacant positions. Typically, senior positions are filled through open vacancy announcements using the regular competitive hiring process.

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