Make an impact while you learn. The Semester of Service Program gives students a volunteer, project-based opportunity to support real Federal missions, gaining hands-on experience and career-ready skills. Students must be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited institution with permission to participate. In this project, you'll support an IT Service Experience Enhancement Project.
Summary
Make an impact while you learn. The Semester of Service Program gives students a volunteer, project-based opportunity to support real Federal missions, gaining hands-on experience and career-ready skills. Students must be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited institution with permission to participate. In this project, you'll support an IT Service Experience Enhancement Project.
Open to post-secondary students currently accepted for enrollment, seeking a diploma/degree in an trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution on a full or half-time basis as defined by the educational institution. Must obtain high school diploma or GED prior to starting.
The government-wide "Semester of Service" Student Volunteer Program, as authorized under 5 U.S.C §31114 and 5 CFR Part 308, enables Federal agencies to engage students in unpaid, project-based assignments of limited duration. These assignments are designed to align with each agency's strategic priorities, offering participants practical experience within Federal operations while supporting the advancement of targeted initiatives.
Under OCIO staff supervision, the student will assess and improve a defined, non-mission-critical IT service or content area (e.g., a small SharePoint site section, a set of self-help articles, or a read-only dashboard). The student will gather baseline metrics and user feedback, review current materials/processes, and produce clear documentation and recommendations.
Deliverables include concise findings report, draft improved artifacts (e.g., revised content or a prototype), an implementation checklist, and a handoff packet. The scope is time-bound and limited to fit the student's term; no production changes, access modifications, policy decisions, or inherently governmental functions are performed by the intern-approvals and any implementation are completed by federal staff.
In order to be eligible for this opportunity you must be able to obtain academic credit from your institution OR a third-party stipend of at least $15.00 per hour or higher if the locality you are selected for has a higher minimum wage than $15.00.
Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S National studying in the U.S. or abroad. International students on valid visas may participate if they meet applicable immigration, visa, and agency authorities and have three years of residency in the United States.
Be enrolled not less than half-time in an accredited trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution.
Be in good academic standing as defined by your institution.
Commit to volunteering 8 - 20 hours per week for a minimum of 90 days.
Agree to volunteer. This position is unpaid. No compensation, stipends, or hiring preference will be granted from this work. You may use this volunteer experience to qualify for future jobs you choose to apply for.
Agree to understanding volunteers are not Federal employees.
In order to be eligible for this opportunity you must be able to obtain academic credit from your institution OR a third-party stipend of at least $15.00 per hour or higher if the locality you are selected for has a higher minimum wage than $15.00.
For minors aged 16 or 17: If selected for a student volunteer position, you must also submit a work permit prior to coming onboard.
Qualifications
Applicants will be considered based on their knowledge, skills or abilities related to project needs. Specifically, applicants should demonstrate:
Clear written communication and editing in plain language; ability to create concise how-to guides
Fundamental data skills: Excel/Google Sheets (sorting, filtering, basic formulas, simple charts; pivots a plus)
Familiarity with common workplace platforms (Office 365, SharePoint/OneDrive, Teams) and organizing content
Attention to detail and strong documentation habits (change logs, assumptions, version control)
Ability to learn new tools quickly and follow checklists/standard operating procedures
Professional collaboration skills: ask clarifying questions, accept feedback, and escalate issues appropriately
Time management and organization to meet a defined, time-bound scope under supervision
Awareness of basic cybersecurity, privacy, and data handling principles (training provided)
Education
To qualify, you must be enrolled not less than half-time in an accredited trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution. You also must be in good academic standing as defined by your institution. Attach a copy of your transcripts to your application package for verification.
If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation necessary to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility described in this announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete, and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.
An academic year of undergraduate education is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in an accredited college or university and vocational or technical institution.
See the Required Documents section of this announcement. If you do not submit a transcript (unofficial or official) indicating your possession of the required education, you will not be considered for this position.
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.
If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.
If the student is not currently enrolled or is between academic programs, the student may have a brief interim period of not more than five months during which the student must demonstrate a bona fide intention of continuing to pursue a course of study immediately after the interim period has ended. This documentation may be provided through an official letter from the academic institution confirming the student's status as a continuing student, or similar documentation.
Graduating seniors from high school, college or graduate school who are not continuing their education will not be considered eligible.
Additional information
Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.
The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.
As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION.
Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the Required Documents section for additional requirements.
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.
This is an unpaid volunteer experience. A Student Volunteer is not an employee of the Federal Government for any purposes other than injury compensation and laws relating to the Federal Tort Claims Acts. Therefore, service time is not creditable for leave accrual or any other federal employee benefits. Students are not eligible for noncompetitive conversion to positions in the Federal service.
Student Volunteers are eligible to receive transit benefits.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants are encouraged to address their education, experience, and motivation for applying for this opportunity with the Department of Labor on their resume. Experience is defined as paid, unpaid, volunteer, and lived experience as it demonstrates the knowledge, skills or abilities related to project needs in this announcement.
The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, and other lived experience, as it demonstrates the knowledge, skills or abilities related to the project needs in this announcement. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.)
Agency personnel will make the final determination concerning your referral status. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your vacancy question responses. Failure to do so may result in your removal from consideration.
This is an unpaid volunteer experience. A Student Volunteer is not an employee of the Federal Government for any purposes other than injury compensation and laws relating to the Federal Tort Claims Acts. Therefore, service time is not creditable for leave accrual or any other federal employee benefits. Students are not eligible for noncompetitive conversion to positions in the Federal service.
Student Volunteers are eligible to receive transit benefits.
The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Your resume (two or fewer pages) showing:
Your work experience to include start and end dates.
Education information, such as the name of your school and dates of attendance.
Any knowledge, skills or abilities you've gained through education that relate to the project
Proof of current enrollment not less than half-time in a trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution.
Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted.
Do not upload password-protected documents.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), all your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.
Paper applications and supplemental documents submitted in any other manner without prior approval from the vacancy contact will not be considered. Click here for information on Reasonable Accommodations.
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
200 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20210
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position.
After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Your resume (two or fewer pages) showing:
Your work experience to include start and end dates.
Education information, such as the name of your school and dates of attendance.
Any knowledge, skills or abilities you've gained through education that relate to the project
Proof of current enrollment not less than half-time in a trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution.
Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted.
Do not upload password-protected documents.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), all your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.
Paper applications and supplemental documents submitted in any other manner without prior approval from the vacancy contact will not be considered. Click here for information on Reasonable Accommodations.
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
200 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20210
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position.
After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
