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APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM
those eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) in the location listed below.
ICTAP individuals are those Federal employees who have undergone a Reduction in Force (RIF).
IF YOU WERE NEVER A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE, YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS POSITION. THIS POSITION IS OPEN TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE UNDERGONE A REDUCTION IN FORCE (RIF).
Additional selections may be made for this vacancy within six months from the closing date of this announcement.
LOCATION
: This position is located at SSA Bessemer Field Office, 5475 Academy Way, Bessemer, AL 35022.
TYPE OF POSITION:
This position is being filled on a full time basis.
This position is temporary NTE one (1) year.
TRAVEL REQUIRED
RELOCATION AUTHORIZED
KEY REQUIREMENTS
- Must pass Meet and Deal panel interview
- Proof of ICTAP Eligibility Required
- Background and/or Security Investigation Required
- U.S. Citizenship Required
- Relocation Expenses will not be paid.
- Selective Service Registration. See Other Information tab.
DUTIES:
The Contact Representative (Service Representative) provides a full range of assistance to beneficiaries regarding all programs administered by the Social Security Administration. Provides information, advice or instruction about eligibility and benefits being paid under retirement, survivors, disability and Medicare insurance programs. Investigates case situations and reconciles discrepancies causing interruption in the receipt of monthly benefits. Identifies need for social services of people interviewed and refers them to appropriate private, nonprofit or government organizations. Initiates contacts with beneficiaries or others to obtain omitted reports and clarify inconsistent or incomplete reports.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
GS-5: Requires 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4 level.
GS-6: Requires 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level.
GS-7: Requires 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 level.
WHAT IS SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE?
For GS-5:
Experience performing all or most of the following tasks:
1.
Applying laws, rules or regulations and written guidelines; (
2)
Communicate orally in order to provide information, assistance, or instructions to members of the general public; (3) Writing correspondence in response to routine inquiries or requests for information; and (4) Operating a personal computer or computer terminal (includes input, retrieval and editing files).
For GS-6
: Experience independently performing all or most of the following tasks:
1.
Applying and interpreting laws, rules, regulations, and written guidelines; (
2)
Communicating orally with a large volume of people from different socioeconomic backgrounds in order to provide or elicit information; (
3)
Performing administrative and clerical processes using a computer to reconcile discrepancies; and (
4)
Writing correspondence in response to technical inquiries and drafting a variety of other written products.
For GS-7:
Experience independently performing all or most of the following tasks:
1.
Interpreting complex laws, regulations and written guidelines (e.g., Federal, State or County laws); (
2)
Communicating orally, with a large volume of people from different socioeconomic backgrounds in order to resolve problems and provide advice/guidance about program policies, benefits, etc.; (
3)
Performing administrative and clerical processes using a computer to reconcile discrepancies; and (
4)
Writing correspondence in response to complex inquiries for technical information and preparing a variety of other types of written work products.
Note: Part-time work is prorated in crediting experience (e.g., if you work 20 hours per week for a 12-month period), you will be credited with 6 months of experience.
In addition to the minimum qualifications, applicants must be eligible under one of the following categories:
Former Federal employees eligible under ICTAP.
Qualification requirements must be met by the closing data of this announcement.
Substitution of Education
If you have no specialized experience, you may be able to qualify for this position based solely on your education as indicated below:
For GS-5
level positions, only education
in excess
of the first 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. A Bachelor’s Degree is fully qualifying for GS-5.
Note: Verification of college course work will be required. If you are using education to qualify, you
must
submit copies of college transcript(s). Your education must have been completed at an accredited college or university. If your education was completed in a foreign institution, you must submit evidence that your education is of an acceptable quality (equivalent to the educational standards in this country.
If you are selected for the position, you must provide your original official transcript(s) prior to being appointed.
For more information on substituting education for experience, visit
https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/group-stds/gs-admin.asp
SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: MEET AND DEAL PANEL INTERVIEW
- After meeting the qualification requirements noted above, you will participate in a panel interview to demonstrate your ability to serve the public. To receive further consideration, you must demonstrate qualities such as clarity of speech, ability to listen, ability to establish confidence and put others at ease, and the ability to organize and express thoughts clearly. If you do not pass the panel interview, you will not receive further consideration and will not qualify for the job.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
The evaluation you receive is based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the questionnaire, which is designed to capture the desired competencies for this position. These competencies include oral and written communication, problem solving, and planning and organization. Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation. The questionnaire takes about 15 minutes to complete. To preview the questions, click the following link:
View Assessment Questions
Your application will be evaluated under the
Category Rating
method, based on your responses to the occupational questions in this document, which is designed to capture the desired competencies for this position.
If you meet the basic requirements for the position, your application will be evaluated and placed into one of three categories:
1- Qualified Category – Candidates who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements.
2- Well Qualified Category – Candidates who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and demonstrate a satisfactory level of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
3- Best Qualified Category – Candidates who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and demonstrate a high level of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
Candidates eligible for Veterans’ preference will be placed ahead of other candidates in the appropriate category for which they have been rated. Additionally, preference eligibles who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent and who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements will automatically be placed in the Best Qualified Category.
We recommend you use USA Jobs resume builder for submitting a resume to ensure you include dates of employment for each job listed (month/year) as well as average number of hours (e.g., 40 hours, 20 hours) worked per week. Note: You can copy and paste your existing resume into resume builder. Please review the Tips for Applying for additional guidance.
BENEFITS:
Social Security offers a comprehensive
benefits program
that you can customize for your individual medical and financial needs. In addition to traditional “dollars and cents” benefits, we offer a range of benefits to help you balance life with Social Security to life outside of work, please visit the following links for more information at
Jobseekers
or
Pay and
Benefits
.
Please visit our
Careers website
for additional information.
OTHER INFORMATION:
Selective Service:
If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you are registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See
www.sss.gov
.
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