Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Human Resources Specialist (Staffing/Classification), GS-0201

Definitions:

EXPERIENCE: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows: 2 yrs = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.)

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION:  A year of undergraduate education is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent of college study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite.

GRADUATE EDUCATION:  In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

 

For GS-07:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-7 level:

One year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, the required specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal service.

Examples of GS-5 level work may include: serving as a trainee in assisting higher level Specialists in the initial review of applications to determine that eligibility and basic qualification requirements have been met for specific positions; determining veterans’ preference; entering/modifying vacancy announcements using an automated recruitment system; ensuring personnel actions are appropriately coded; and responding to questions from applicants.

**OR applicants may substitute successful completion of one full year of graduate level education which provided the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work.

**OR combination of successfully completed graduate level education and experience that which meets the total qualification requirement for the GS-07 level. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE).

**OR Superior Academic Achievement: (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO QUALIFY FOR SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT).

 

For GS-09:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-9 level:

One year of specialized experience in or directly related to this position that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. To be creditable, the required specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service.

Examples of GS-7 level work may include:  applying knowledge of fundamental recruitment and placement practices; providing advisory services in the areas of staffing, special employment programs, and classification; determining eligibility and qualification requirements of job applicants for specific positions; developing vacancy announcements; reviewing personnel actions for accuracy; and researching personnel and pay issues.

**OR applicants may substitute successful completion of 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education or Master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.B or J.D). (36 semester hours, 54 quarter hours, or the equivalent).

**OR a combination of appropriate specialized experience (as described above) and graduate education (as described above) that is beyond the first year of progressive graduate study to meet the qualification requirements. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE).

 

For GS-11:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-11 level:

One year of specialized experience in or directly related to this position that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. To be creditable, the required specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service.

Examples of GS-9 level work may include:  researching, interpreting, and applying appropriate Federal laws, regulations, policies and guidelines in the area of recruitment, placement, and classification; providing management advisory services related to recruitment, placement, and classification; developing job analysis and assessment tools; analyzing personnel needs of an organization and recommending solutions to staffing problems; reviewing recommendations for promotion/reassignment to determine eligibility; and analyzing, evaluating and classifying positions to assign occupational series and grade.

**OR applicants may substitute successful completion of 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.M, if related). (54 semester hours, 81 quarter hours, or the equivalent).

**OR a combination of appropriate specialized experience (as described above) and graduate education (as described above) that is beyond the second year of progressive graduate study to meet the qualification requirements. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE).

 

For GS-12:

Applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-12 level:

One year of specialized experience in or directly related to this position that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. To be creditable, the required specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service.

Examples of GS-11 level work may include: providing a broad range of advisory services in the areas of recruitment and placement, position management, classification, targeted recruitment, special employment programs, and workforce planning; working with hiring managers to develop a recruitment strategy that will attract a highly qualified diverse applicant pool that meets the needs of the organization; analyzing, evaluating, classifying positions to assign occupation series and grade; performing job analyses to establish and validate rating, ranking, and selection criteria; and conducting briefings and training sessions for a variety of audiences.

 

« Return to Qualifications List