Summary
Interested in a career in Human Resources? Join the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, as a Human Resources Specialist (Recent Graduate). You do not need a degree in Human Resources to apply. If selected, you will receive formal training, mentoring, and on-the-job experience while building the knowledge and skills needed for a rewarding career in federal human resources.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
This announcement is open to individuals who have graduated from a qualifying educational institution or certificate program within the past two years, or within six years for eligible veterans.
Current students who will complete all educational requirements by the end of December 2026 are also encouraged to apply.
Duties
As a GS-0201-07, your typical work assignments may include the following:
- Supporting the delivery of human resources services to employees, supervisors, HR staff, and program offices.
- Researching HR questions, gathering information, and assisting with recommendations consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and policies.
- Preparing and updating HR documents related to personnel actions, organizational changes, policy updates, and workforce activities.
- Collecting, verifying, entering, and maintaining personnel information in automated HR systems.
- Running reports to support workforce planning, compliance, and operational decision-making.
- Responding to customer inquiries and coordinating HR actions with internal stakeholders.
- Using spreadsheets, collaboration tools, dashboards, automation tools, and approved AI-enabled tools, when authorized, to support research, drafting, reporting, data organization, and workflow improvements.
As a GS-0201-09, your typical work assignment may include the following:
- Applying federal human resources principles and Merit System Principles to support employees, supervisors, and hiring managers.
- Collaborating with hiring managers and administrative staff to support recruitment and staffing activities.
- Preparing Requests for Personnel Action (SF-52s) and processing personnel actions.
- Assisting with recruitment, performance management, awards, and other HR programs.
- Participating in projects to improve HR processes and customer service.
- Preparing correspondence, memoranda, reports, and other HR documents.
- Maintaining personnel data using automated HR systems and spreadsheets.
- Responding to inquiries regarding HR policies, procedures, and personnel actions.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a United States Citizen or National.
- You must successfully pass a security/background investigation and drug screening.
- You may be required to complete a one-year trial/probationary period. See “Additional Information” section for specific details.
- Selective Service registration is required, see the "Additional Information" section for full details.
- A Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement is required.
- A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.
- Under Pathways Recent Graduate regulations, you are eligible only if you have graduated from an academic program of study or earned your degree within the last two years (or 6 years for veterans who could not apply due to active-duty service).
Qualifications
To qualify for the position of Human Resources Specialist (Recent Graduate), GS-0201-7/9you must meet both the eligibility requirements for the Pathways Recent Graduate Program and the minimum qualifications for the grade level(s) for which you apply.
Pathways Recent Graduate Eligibility. You must meet one of the following requirements:
- Have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctoral, vocational, or technical degree, certificate, or other qualifying postsecondary credential from an accredited educational institution.
OR
- Be a preference-eligible veteran whose military service prevented you from applying during the standard eligibility period. In this case, eligibility may extend up to six years after completing the qualifying degree or certificate. You must submit a DD-214 documenting the qualifying period of military service.
You do not need a degree in Human Resources to qualify for this position. We welcome applicants from many backgrounds! We encourage applicants from a wide variety of academic disciplines to apply, provided they meet the qualification requirements. Successful Human Resources Specialists come from many educational backgrounds, bringing diverse perspectives and experiences to the profession. Relevant experience may have been gained through:
- Coursework
- Internships
- Student employment
- Full-time or part-time work
- Military service
- Volunteer service
- Apprenticeships
- Research projects
- Leadership roles in student organizations
- Community involvement
- Other academic, professional, or life experiences that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to succeed
If selected, you will receive formal training, structured on-the-job learning, mentoring from experienced HR professionals, and ongoing professional development to help you build a successful career in federal human resources. Strong candidates typically demonstrate:
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Sound judgment, integrity, and attention to detail
- Strong customer service and interpersonal skills
- Ability to learn new systems, technology, policies, and procedures
- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Initiative, adaptability, and a commitment to public service
Grade-specific requirements: Applicants must meet Minimum Qualifications for the grade level(s) for which they are applying.
Applicants may qualify at the
GS-07 level based on one of the following:
- Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level that demonstrates experience performing administrative or human resources-related work, such as assisting with personnel actions, staffing activities, document preparation, records management, customer service, maintaining data, or performing similar support functions; OR
- Education: One full year of graduate education or Superior Academic Achievement: A bachelor's degree, AND meet one of the following:
- Grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for all undergraduate coursework or courses completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
- Grade point average of 3.45 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
- Class standing in the upper one-third of your graduating class, college, university, or major subdivision.
- Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies; OR
- Combination: A combination of qualifying graduate education and specialized experience.
Applicants may qualify at the GS-09 level based on one of the following:
- Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level that demonstrates experience supporting recruitment, staffing, personnel administration, HR advisory services, organizational management, business operations, or related administrative work involving research, analysis, customer service, document preparation, or process improvement; OR
- Education: Two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree, or a master's, LL.B., or J.D; OR
- Combination: A combination of qualifying graduate education and specialized experience.
You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/30/2026.
Your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet the qualification requirements and support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important information about resume requirements.
Education
To be eligible for an appointment, you must meet Education requirement A or B.
A. Completed all requirements for a diploma, associate, bachelor, master, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or career or technical education program (including registered Apprenticeship Programs, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps, Climate Corps) within the previous two years.
OR
B. Was released or discharged from active duty within the previous two years, where the applicant is a veteran who, due to a military service obligation, was precluded from applying for a recent graduate position during any portion of the two-year eligibility period following completion of his/her degree or certificate requirements, provided that not more than six years have transpired since the applicant completed the requirements for a degree or certification.
You must submit an academic transcript from your academic institution showing the date that you most recently completed the academic requirements described above.
*For Accredited Post-Secondary Institutions, click Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs
*For Registered State Apprenticeship Programs Information, click State Apprenticeship Programs
*For Other Apprenticeship Programs, click Apprenticeship Programs
*For Industry-Endorsed Certificate Programs, click Career One Stop Certificate Finder
Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.
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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.
Additional information
Additional selections may be made from this announcement.
Probationary or Trial Period (as applicable): As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:1) your performance and conduct;2) the needs and interests of the agency;3) whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and4) whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request an RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. To determine if you need an RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire.
Applicants who require a reasonable accommodation to complete the writing assessment must notify HR by email before the scheduled assessment time and before HR transmits the writing prompt. Applicants should contact HR as early as possible to allow sufficient time to coordinate the accommodation.
EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.
Selective Service:If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at:www.sss.gov.
Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to Jenna Solorzano at Jenna.Solorzano@usdoj.gov. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the job opportunity announcement closes (at 11:59 pm ET on 10/30/2026, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted, the information will be compared against your responses to the application questionnaire to determine your eligibility for Federal employment, and then whether you are qualified for this particular position.
Applicants will be required to complete a USA Hire Assessment. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics):
- Accountability
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
Scenario Based Writing Assessment: This vacancy utilizes a multi-hurdle approach. The first assessment includes a passing score of
80 based on the minimum level of required proficiency across critical competencies. You must meet or exceed the passing score to move on to the next hurdle.
Applicants who score
80 or better on the first assessment, will be contacted via email by Human Resources (HR) one week after the vacancy announcement closes
(Friday, November 6, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST), to complete a scenario-based writing assessment.
At the scheduled assessment time, HR will email the applicant a Microsoft Word document containing the writing prompt. Applicants must use the provided Word document to prepare their response and return the completed document to HR by replying to the same email. Applicants will have
30 minutes from the time HR transmits the document to complete and return their response. If the assessment is not received within the allotted 30 minutes, you will be rated as ineligible.
The assessment will be scored on a 100-point scale. Scoring will be based on grammer, spelling and puntuation. Applicants must receive a score of at least
80 out of 100 to pass.
Applicants must complete the assessment independently, using only their own knowledge, judgment, and writing skills. They may not receive assistance from another person or use outside resources or tools to prepare, develop, edit, or revise any part of their response. Prohibited assistance includes, but is not limited to, assistance from friends, family members, colleagues, or other individuals; internet searches; reference materials; writing or editing services; and artificial intelligence (AI) or similar tools (SI). Use of prohibited assistance will result in disqualification.
Suspected use of prohibited assistance will be reviewed and handled on a case-by-case basis and may result in disqualification.
If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13092877.
Required Documents
It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility.
Resume
Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
- Official position title,
- Employer name and contact information,
- Start and end dates (including month and year),
- Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
- A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
If you leave out important information, we may not be able to credit your experience, and you may be rated ineligible.
Transcripts - All Applicants: You must submit a copy of your transcripts showing proof of degree completion within the last two years (or six years for veterans who's active-duty service prevented them from applying). If you are currently enrolled, and will be graduating by
December 2026, please submit a copy of your current transcript showing the total amount of credits you have earned and your cumulative GPA. Please avoid submitting protected PDF files as these may contain security features that prevent DOJ from viewing the document.
The following documents are ACCEPTED for this vacancy:
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- Other Documents
- PCS Orders
- Performance Appraisal
- Proof of Marriage Status
- Reasonable Accommodation Documentation
- Resume
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
These are documents that may be required for some applicants, based on what eligibility you are applying for or if you are using education to qualify. The list below provides additional information describing common documents that are accepted and provides a link to learn more about the specific details of that type of documentation.
- Veterans Preference:When claiming a veteran-related preference eligibility, you must submit specific documents based on the type of preference claimed. You may need to submit any of the following forms: SF-15 (Application of 10-point Veterans Preference), DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), and a VA Disability Letter. Please see USAJOBS Veterans Preference for more details.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59PM (EST) on 10/30/2026 to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
- Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
If you are qualified and received a score of 80 or higher, you will receive a
scenario-based writing assessment b
y email on Friday, November 6, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST. Applicants who pass the second assessment will be referred to the hiring manager for selection. Please monitor your email and check your spam folder to ensure you do not miss the email.
NEED HELP?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or
Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.
DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here:
https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policyNext steps
You will receive e-mail notifications as your application status is updated. However, you can also see your application status any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account and looking on the "Applications" page. Click the position title to expand the display for each application in the list. Click here to learn more about checking your application status,or see what each application status means.
We strive to extend a final offer of employment within 90 days from the close of this announcement. Additional selections may be made from this announcement within 90 days.