Clarification from the agency

Recent Graduates-Individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute within the last 2 years or 6 years for veterans. Alumnae of Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Job Corps, Peace Corps, and certain AmeriCorps Programs are also eligible to apply. The transcript must demonstrate the date that the degree was conferred. You must have graduated by May of 2026 to be eligible for selection.

This is a developmental position, and the incumbent is a member of the Federal Communications Commission developmental STEM Pathways Recent Graduate Program. The incumbent serves in a developmental capacity as an Information Technology Specialist performing progressively responsible assignments in support of agency IT infrastructure, enterprise systems, cybersecurity operations, and network services. The incumbent performs conventional IT assignments involving analysis, configuration, integration, troubleshooting, and implementation of IT systems and services. Work requires application of established IT methods and adaptation of guidelines to resolve non-routine technical issues.

Conditions of employment

• Education-Transcripts Required.
• US Citizenship.
• Suitable for employment as determined by a background investigation.
• Serve a probationary period of one year, if applicable.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
• Non-Veterans must have received qualifying degree within 2 years.
• Veterans must have received qualifying degree within 6 years.
• Financial disclosure statement may be required upon assuming the position.
• Resume must not exceed two pages and must meet resume format criteria.

Recent Graduates who obtained a qualifying associate, bachelors, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution, within the previous 2 years.  (In support of Veterans Recruitment efforts, some exceptions to the 2-year window apply to veterans whose military service obligation precluded application during any portion of the 2-year application window.)

In order to be considered for this position, applicants must within the previous 2 years, have completed a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. 

Preference eligible veterans who were precluded from applying due to their military service obligation begin their 2-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed 6 years from the date on which they completed their degree or certification.

College Transcripts (For Positive Education Required positions and if qualifying based on education and or experience and education.), if applicable.

Please note your resume must thoroughly support your qualifications for this position.  Your resume is an integral part of the process for determining if you meet the basic qualifications of the position and determining if you are to be among the best qualified.

Preference eligible veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree due to military service obligation may apply up to six years after degree or certification.

This is a Recent Graduates position in the Pathways Program. This program provides an entry-level developmental experience with the potential to lead to a career in the Federal Government after successfully completing the Program. Upon completion of the developmental program, Recent Graduate appointees may be non-competitively converted to a term or permanent position without further competition.

ALL CURRENT/FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CURRENT FCC EMPLOYEES MUST provide a legible Personnel Action, SF-50, that verifies your status and highest permanently held grade.  If an SF-50 is not submitted, the application will be rated as ineligible.

CURRENT FCC EMPLOYEES-To request a copy of your SF-50 please send an email to PersonnelRecordsRequest@fcc.gov

More information about the Recent Graduates Program can be found here: http://www.usajobs.gov/StudentsAndGrads.

Qualifications

Interested candidates should be passionate about the ideals of our American republic, committed to upholding the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution, and committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government. Hiring decisions will not be based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Applicants must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.  Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.  

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA

GS-5: Bachelor's degree.

GS-7: One full year of graduate level education OR Superior Academic Achievement OR one year of specialized experience which is equivalent to the GS-5 grade level OR a combination of both qualifying education and experience. Specialized experience is defined as:

1. Experience providing technical support for hardware, software, and/or network systems.

GS-9: Master's degree or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree OR one year of specialized experience which is equivalent to the GS-7 grade level OR a combination of both qualifying education and experience. Specialized experience is defined as:

1. Experience troubleshooting and resolving software, operating system, and/or network connectivity issues; and
2. Experience analyzing recurring system issues.

GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR one year of specialized experience which is equivalent to the GS-9 grade level OR a combination of both qualifying education and experience. Specialized experience is defined as:

1. Experience administering and maintaining operating systems, enterprise applications, and/or network services.
2. Experience diagnosing and resolving moderately complex system, network, and application issues.
3. Experience implementing security controls (such as patches).

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work.  You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

*EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION-UNOFFICIAL OR OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE SUBMITTED.  CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT SUBMIT THEIR TRANSCRIPTS WILL BE DEEMED AS INELIGIBLE.*

FOREIGN EDUCATION: To receive credit for education outside the U.S., you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Optional Four Essay Questions

At the time of application, applicants have the option of answering the following four short, free-response essay questions.

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
3. How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

Applicants will be required to certify that they are using their own words, and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]). The responses to each question cannot exceed 200 words per question.

Veterans preference applies.  Preference eligible veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree due to military service obligation may apply up to six years after degree or certification.

This is a Recent Graduate position in the Pathways Program. This program provides an entry-level developmental experience with the potential to lead to a career in the Federal Government after successfully completing the Program. Upon completion of the developmental program, Recent Graduate appointees may be non-competitively converted to a term or permanent position without further competition.

More information about the Recent Graduates Program can be found here: http://www.usajobs.gov/StudentsAndGrads.

Guidance For All Applicants

At the time of application you are required to take an external skills-based assessment which is based upon government-wide recognized competencies. Should you receive a passing score of 70 or higher, your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the OPM qualification requirements for this position. What is the Rule of Many The FCC adheres to the Rule of Many. The Rule of Many means that more than one applicant can be referred to the hiring manager, not just the top few, nor will candidates be placed into scored qualification categories (i.e. Best Qualified, Fully Qualified, Minimally Qualified). Everyone who meets minimum qualifications and scores 70 or higher may be referred, even if many applicants qualify. There is no fixed limit on how many people can be referred.

What This Means for Applicants

• You do not need to be the highest scorer.
• You do need to meet qualifications and score at least 70.
• Multiple applicants can be considered fairly.
• Selection is based on overall qualifications, not just test scores.
• Veterans preference applies.

In compliance with Executive Order 14170, Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service resumes must not be longer than two pages in length. The resume must address minimum qualifications and other requirements listed in the job announcement.

Resumes must include all of the following information outlined below:

Contact Information

Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number.

Relevant Work Experience

• Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions)
• Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 –08/2022)
• The number of hours you worked per week

Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement.

Resumes must be formatted as outlined above. If the two page resume criteria and/or the resume formatting requirement is not met candidates will be rated as ineligible and will not be referred for hiring consideration.

The FCC is providing the following applicant resume resources: 

• Applicant Guidance on the Two-Page Resume Limit
• USAjobs-How to Write a Federal Resume

Your resume must clearly document how you meet the specialized experience in order to meet the minimum qualification requirements for this vacancy. Some positions require supplemental document(s). All required supporting documents MUST be received by midnight U.S. Eastern Time of the closing date of the announcement, as specified in this announcement. If you do not submit a required document (e.g. transcripts, etc.) your application will be considered incomplete and you will not receive further consideration. Additionally, you may not receive the special consideration, e.g. Vet's Preference, for which you may be eligible without the appropriate supporting documentation.

Once you apply to this vacancy you will be prompted by the system to upload the documents. If you are unable to upload the required documentation, contact the HR Specialist listed on the vacancy announcement prior to 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement. 

Electronic Supplemental Documents Required:

1. Current Federal employees, including those eligible for noncompetitive transfer or reassignment, must provide an electronic copy of Personnel Action, SF-50, that verifies your status and highest permanently held grade.

ALL CURRENT/FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CURRENT FCC EMPLOYEES MUST provide a legible Personnel Action, SF-50, that verifies your status and highest permanently held grade.  If an SF-50 is not submitted, the application will be rated as ineligible.

CURRENT FCC EMPLOYEES-To request a copy of your SF-50 please send an email to PersonnelRecordsRequest@fcc.gov

2. Veterans MUST upload and submit a Member 4 DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty" or a "Statement of Active Service". The type of discharge must be annotated. Disabled veterans MUST upload and submit the VA letter and/or Schedule A letter which demonstrates the overall percentage of disability. Any/all documentation verifying or confirming veterans preference or non-competitive eligibility as a veteran must be uploaded and submitted electronically at the time of application. If veterans preference is claimed but the appropriate documentation is not provided to substantiate the veterans preference claim, the veterans status will be adjusted to reflect "non-veteran".

3. College Transcripts (For Positive Education Required positions and if qualifying based on education and or experience and education.), if applicable. For positions which require education as a qualifying factor, transcripts MUST BE SUBMITTED.  If the transcript is not submitted, the application will be rated as ineligible.

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