Student Trainee (Cyber Apprentice)

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens, Current Students, Recent Graduates, and Veterans

As a Student Trainee (Cyber Apprentice) at the GS-2299-7 some of your typical work assignments may include:

• Training & Development: Participates in formal and on-the-job training (OJT) programs to learn organizational cyber defense operations, policies, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Shadows senior specialists to develop practical skills in threat analysis and incident response.
• The trainee assists in monitoring cyber defense systems (e.g., intrusion detection, firewalls). Learns to identify potential security events and conduct initial triage to differentiate between benign and potentially anomalous activity.
• Incident Response & Analysis: The position involves analyzing routine security alert for more complex incidents, the trainee is responsible for gathering data and compiling event timelines.
• The trainee executes mandated vulnerability scans on production systems. Categorizes scan results (e.g., missing patches) and performs basic maintenance, patching, and configuration checks on cyber defense tools.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service http://www.sss.gov
• Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
• Work Schedule: Full time
• Overtime: Occasionally
• Tour of Duty: Flexible
• Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Non-Exempt
• Financial Disclosure: Not Required
• Telework Eligibility: This position is not telework eligible
• This position is non-critical sensitive; employee must have or be able to obtain and maintain a SECRET security clearance which requires a favorably adjudicated SSBI or equivalent.
• Work may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft.
• Selectees will need to sign a service and mobility agreement
• A Selectee’s acceptance of their tentative job offer serves as their registration in the apprenticeship program.

Qualifications

You may qualify at the GS-07, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service:

• Applying practical, foundational knowledge of IT security principles, underlying network protocols (e.g.,
  TCP/IP, DNS), and threat signatures;
• Explaining basic network architecture concepts;
• Applying Foundational knowledge of general information security concepts, common threats, incident handling methodologies, and basic vulnerability management strategies;
• Applying logical reasoning to analyze technical data, troubleshoot basic system or network issues, and drawing supported conclusions from raw information;
• Clearly communicating technical concepts, both verbally and in writing, to draft basic reports and collaborate effectively within a team environment.;

OR

B. I have 1 full year of graduate level education OR Superior Academic Achievement and a Bachelor's Degree;

Superior Academic Achievement is based on:
(1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR
(2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR
(3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The DoW Cyber Apprenticeship program is a full time, one-year, 40 hour work week program which when completed may provide the opportunity to be converted to a permanent position in the competitive service. If the agency chooses to convert them, successful graduates of the Apprenticeship Program will be placed in a career ladder position, with promotion potential up to GS-12.

To be eligible for conversion, participants must also meet the following requirements as an Intern/Apprentice:
- Be a United States citizen;
- Complete the one-year Cyber Apprenticeship Program to include classroom, technical and on-the-job training conferring to a Registered Apprenticeship Program Certificate (480 hours).
- Meet the qualification standards for the position to which she or he will be converted;
- Receive a favorable recommendation by an official of the agency or agencies in which she or he served; and
- Meet any agency-specific requirements, as specified in the Participant Agreement.

Cyber Apprenticeship Program Requirements
Technical Training: Completes all required technical training, interactive labs, and coursework specified by the DoW Cyber Apprenticeship Program (via the selected industry or academic partner pathway) independently and within established deadlines.

Developmental Participation: Participates actively in required mentoring sessions, developmental assignments, and performance reviews to track progress toward the target work role competencies.

Certification Attainment: Maintains academic and programmatic good standing, actively applying learned principles to daily operational tasks. Prepares for and successfully attains the required foundational industry certifications (e.g., CompTIA or EC Council) and DoD 8140 basic-level qualifications by the conclusion of the one-year Cyber Apprenticeship Program.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documents, to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and evaluate your relevant work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, identified below, required for this position.

Competencies:

• Attention to Detail
• Flexibility
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Problem Solving
• Self-Management
• Technology Application

If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire Assessment. This additional online assessment is required and must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement unless you have requested Reasonable Accommodation for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Your results will be kept on record for one year when applying for future jobs that require the same USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.

A list of qualified applicants will be created and sent to the selecting official. All applicants reviewed and/or referred will receive a notification letter.

Based on the results of this evaluation, you will be placed in one of the following quality categories:

Best Qualified: This highest category will be used for those candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position, including any selective placement factors and/or appropriate quality ranking factor(s), as determined by the job analysis.
Highly Qualified: This higher category will be used for those candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that exceed the minimum qualifications of the position, including any selective placement factors and/or appropriate quality ranking factor(s) as determined by the job analysis.
Qualified: This lowest category will be used for those candidates that meet the minimum qualifications of the position, including all selective placement factors and appropriate quality ranking factor(s) and are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the position. Candidates may require extensive training and/or orientation in order to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Category-Rating

Names of the candidates in the Best Qualified category will be sent first to the hiring manager for employment consideration. Applicants in other categories will be referred in accordance with category rating procedures.

Veterans Preference: If you are entitled to veterans preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. If you are entitled to veterans' preference and qualified for the position, your name will be placed above non-preference candidates on a list sent to the hiring manager for employment consideration. Qualified veterans' preference eligible with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category depending on the position and grade level of the job.

For information on entitlement seeFeds Hire Vets - Job Seekers - Veterans.

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc.). Your complete application includes your COMPLETE resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

The following documents are REQUIRED

1. Your resume:

• IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. Must include the work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted by an applicant, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed for qualifications and referred for selection consideration, if eligible. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. Page margins should be 0.5 inches, and font styles must be legible. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text. We recommend using a font like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.
• Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

2. Transcripts:

• College transcript (s), required if qualifying based on education. We accept unofficial transcripts, as long as they contain your name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned.

3. SF50

• All current and former civilian Federal employees should submit a copy of your most recent SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc.

4. Veteran's Documents:

• If applying using veteran's preference or under a Veteran's hiring authority you must submit the following documents: DD214 showing character of service, SF-15 Form and VA letter showing final percentage, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty.

PLEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility:
https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DODCustomersRequiredSupportingDocumentation.pdf

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