Secretary, GS-0318
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: One year of undergraduate education is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent of college study or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial, technical school, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite.
For GS-05:
Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-5 level:
**One year of specialized experience in or directly related to the position to be filled that equipped the applicant with the 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-04 level in the Federal service.
Examples of GS-4 level work may include: 1) establishing files or records; 2) making arrangements for meetings, travel, and hotels in accordance with instructions given; 3) reviewing outgoing correspondence for procedural, grammatical, and typographical accuracy; 4) receiving and referring phone calls and visitors; personally answering routine questions, such as those concerning standard office procedures. For examples 1-4, a designated authority provided assignments by generally indicating what was to be done, quantity expected, deadlines, and priorities. New, difficult or unusual work assignments were given with specific instructions. Initiative was exercised in carrying out recurring assignments. Problems and unfamiliar situations not covered by instructions were referred to a designated authority for decision or help.
**OR a full four years of progressive, successfully completed education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite may be used to meet the qualification requirements for GS-5.
**OR a combination of successfully completed post-high school education, as described above, and specialized experience, as described above, may be used to meet the qualification requirements for GS-5. Only progressive education in excess of the first 60 semester hours, 90 quarter hours or 1440 classroom hours (i.e., beyond the first two years) of a course of study is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION and SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE)
For GS-06:
Applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-6 level:
**One year of specialized experience in or directly related to the position to be filled that equipped the applicant with the 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: 1) controlling and reading all incoming correspondence, screening items to be handled personally, and forwarding the remainder to others for action; 2) receiving requests for information, advising when the information can be furnished, and personally providing authorized information from files and records or following up with others to see that non-routine information is provided; 3) arranging for large meetings or conferences including satisfactory time, reserving meeting rooms, and notifying participants; 4) requisitioning supplies, equipment and services for the office staff. For examples 1-4, assignments were given in terms of general instructions and desired results. Assistance was provided with unusual situations. Work was planned and carried out independently and in accordance with established instructions, priorities, policies and accepted practices. Judgment was used to select existing guidelines that were appropriate for the specific situation.
For GS-07:
Applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-7 level:
**One year of specialized experience in or directly related to the position to be filled that equipped the applicant with the 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-06 level in the Federal service.
Examples of GS-6 level work may include: 1) locating and summarizing information from files and documents as required or in anticipation of supervisor's needs; 2) reviewing publications, directives, and other materials that may affect the office and determining those that can be acted upon personally and taking necessary action; 3) composing correspondence; 4) reviewing documents prepared for supervisor's signature for conformance with procedures, grammar, format, and special policies and returning to originator when not in conformance with requirements. For examples 1-4, the supervisor provided assignments; determined the objectives, priorities, and deadlines; and assisted with unusual situations. Work was planned and carried out independently and in accordance with established instructions, priorities, policies and accepted practices. Judgment was used to select guidelines that were appropriate for the specific situation. When existing guidelines could not be applied, the problem was referred to a designated authority to handle.
For GS-08:
Applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-8 level:
**One year of specialized experience in or directly related to the position to be filled that equipped the applicant with the 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-7 level in the Federal service.
Examples of GS-7 level work may include: 1) scheduling appointments and making commitments for the supervisor to attend meetings or other gatherings, without prior approval; 2) interpreting and replying to nonroutine requests for information and reporting requirements; 3) serving as a buffer and liaison between the supervisor and other personnel based on written and unwritten office policy and practices. For examples 1-3, the supervisor determined the overall objectives and priorities of the work and assisted with unusual situations. Work was planned and carried out independently, handling problems and deviations in accordance with established instructions, priorities, policies, accepted practices, commitments and program goals of the supervisor. Interpretation and adaptation of the guidelines to specific problems was required. The work involved different and unrelated processes and methods. Work decisions required analyzing the subject matter, phase, or issues involved in each assignment.
For GS-09:
Applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-9 level:
**One year of specialized experience in or directly related to the position to be filled that equipped the applicant with the 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-8 level in the Federal service.
Examples of GS-8 level work may include: 1) controlling the supervisor's activities schedule: setting up or refusing appointments, accepting or declining invitations to meetings, arranging for representation by a subordinate official when that was desirable, briefing the supervisor on the subject matter prior to a meeting and assembling background information for the supervisor without direction; 2) shifting clerical staff in subordinate units to accommodate fluctuating workloads; 3) reviewing all correspondence for the supervisor's signature for grammar, construction, format, attachments, continuity of text, and compliance with the supervisor's viewpoint and advising writer's of inadequacies; 4) composing correspondence based on knowledge of supervisor's views and desires and signing correspondence for the supervisor in his/her absence when technical or policy content was previously cleared. For examples 1-4, work was assigned in terms of overall objectives and required responding to frequent deadlines, changing priorities, and/or office emergencies without supervision. Handled a wide variety of situations and conflicts independently, using initiative to determine approach to be taken or methods to be used. Used judgment to interpret and adapt guidelines in specific situations.
For GS-10:
Applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-10 level:
**One year of specialized experience in or directly related to the position to be filled that equipped the applicant with the 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-9 level in the Federal service.
Examples of GS-9 level work may include: 1) recommending changes in administrative policies; 2) devising and installing office procedures and practices affecting subordinate organizations; 3) developing material for the supervisor's use in public speaking engagements. For examples 1-3, work was assigned in terms of overall objectives and required responding to frequent deadlines, changing priorities, and/or office emergencies without supervision. Handled a wide variety of situations and conflicts independently, using initiative to determine approach to be taken or methods to be used. Used judgment to interpret and adapt guidelines in specific situations.