IT Cybersecurity Specialist (Recent Graduates)

A USAHIRE ASSESSMENT is required as part of your application (see How To Apply). The SSA Recent Graduates Program provides Recent Graduates with entry-level developmental experience and is designed to lead to a career in the federal government. Upon successful completion of the program, you may be non-competitively converted to a term (not to exceed 1-4 years) or permanent appointment.

Qualifications: READ THIS ENTIRE SECTION TO ENSURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE QUALIFICATION AND APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS POSITION. To meet Minimum Qualifications for this IT Cybersecurity Specialist position, you must: (1) demonstrate eligibility for the Recent Graduates Program, (2) demonstrate the required IT Competencies, (3) demonstrate Specialized Experience and/or optional education AND (4) meet or exceed the cut-off score on the USAHire Assessment (see HOW TO APPLY). (1) ELIGIBILIY To be eligible for the Recent Graduates Program, you must have successfully completed a course of study resulting in a degree (associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical) or have successfully completed a qualifying certificate program from an accredited educational institution. Your degree/certification must have been conferred within the 2-year period preceding this announcement (i.e., not prior to November 2024). Veterans who were unable to apply within the 2-year Recent Graduates eligibility period due to military obligations may begin the 2-year eligibility period upon discharge from active duty if supported by a DD-214. The new eligibility period may not extend beyond 6 years from the date a qualifying degree or certificate was conferred. (See REQUIRED DOCUMENTS to ensure you provide appropriate documents.) ONLY APPLICANTS WHO DEMONSTRATE ELIGIBILITY AS A RECENT GRADUATE WILL BE EVALUATED (see transcript requirements under EDUCATION below) (2) IT COMPETENCIES You must demonstrate the following IT Competencies either through work (paid or unpaid) or specific IT-related education or training: Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services. Interpersonal Skills - Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations Reasoning - Identifies rules, principles or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions. Teamwork - Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals. (3) SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE Specialized Experience for this IT Cybersecurity position is the performance of basic IT cyber duties or education/training pertaining to incident monitoring and detection; compliance and audit support; documentation and reporting; system testing coordination and/or user support and access management. GS-07 Specialized Experience must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-05 OR (if your experience is on another federal pay scale OR outside of federal service) by performing duties at a level of responsibility and difficulty equivalent to GS-05. Credit will be given for relevant unpaid and/or part-time work. Your resume must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities for each position held. Specialized Experience for this GS-07 entry level position can be demonstrated by: -- assisting with diagnosing user needs and resolving entry-level IT incidents, -- demonstrating basic literacy in IT security methods, system protocols and protective requirements and -- gathering facts, analyzing system behavior and handling unscheduled halts or routine system errors. If you have this experience (either from a job or performed as part of your education or training), you must describe, in your own words, the tasks you perform that demonstrate it. Reviewers cannot assume you perform duties you don't describe. In lieu of specialized experience, you can meet requirements with a bachelor's degree that (1) shows Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) or (2) was followed by at least 1 full academic year of graduate level education. (See EDUCATION) GS-09 Specialized Experience must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-07 OR (if your experience is on another federal pay scale OR outside of federal service) by performing duties at a level of responsibility and difficulty equivalent to GS-07. Credit will be given for relevant unpaid and/or part-time work. Your resume must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities for each position held. Specialized Experience for this GS-09 mid-level IT Cybersecurity position can be demonstrated by: -- performing basic vulnerability scanning and analyzing network traffic alerts; -- implementing basic security controls on systems or networks; -- managing user permissions and implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA); -- assisting with minor system modification and security component analysis; and -- participating in IT security assessments and drafting routine incident and status reports. If you have this experience (either from a job or performed as part of your education or training), you must describe, in your own words, the tasks you perform that demonstrate