SCNG
Human Resources Office
Technician Vacancy
Announcement Guide
Background
of the Technician Program.
The South Carolina National Guard
Technician Program is Federal Civil Service employment. Positions are available in the General
Schedule (GS) and Federal Wage System (WG/WL/WS) areas. General Schedule positions are administrative
in nature (white collar) whereas Wage Schedule positions are maintenance
oriented (blue collar). Federal
Technician positions have qualifications standards directed by the Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) and the National Guard Bureau (NGB). These standards cannot be changed. If you are interested in applying for a job,
you must “sell yourself”. It is YOUR responsibility to prove to the
Human Resources Office through your application that you qualify for a job and
should receive an interview.
The Application Process – Six Critical Steps.
Step
1: Do
your homework.
The key to a strong package is
attention to the Technician job announcement.
Review the vacancy announcement carefully. You may request a copy of the Position
Description for the position for which you are applying from the Human
Resources Office or Remote Designee. The
announcement summarizes the general and specialized experience, the minimum
educational, work and licensing requirements and lists both the general and
specialized qualifications essential to the position. Individuals must meet these mandatory
qualifications and indicate how they meet these qualifications. Failure to do so will result in the
application being returned as not qualified.
In order to hire you, we must be provided information on your education,
work experience, and personal background.
This information will be used to determine if you are qualified to apply
for a technician vacancy.
·
Option 2: Write a Resume – The resume can
be in any format, but must include
all information listed or the resume will be disqualified:
Announcement
Number: (Example:
05-155-E)
Job
Title and Grade: (Example: Computer Specialist)
Name: (Last name, first name, full middle name) Military Rank:
Unit: Military
Membership Status:
Other
names ever used (maiden, etc):
Mailing
address:
Day/Evening
phone numbers: use area codes
(include pagers/cell phones)
Social
Security Number:
Country
of Citizenship:
Federal
Civil Service:
If you have prior Federal Civil Service or are a current
Civil Service Employee, list the title, series, grade and inclusive dates of
your highest grade held. Example: Military Personnel Technician, GS-0204-07,
Education:
High
School: Name, city and state of last high school
attended, and year of graduation or GED
College/University: Name, city, and state, Major(s), type of
degree and year granted. If no degree
was earned, show number of semester or quarter hrs completed.
Work
experience:
Include the following information for any paid or non-paid work experience that is related to the job for which you are applying. Include your experience as a traditional guard member. List each job separately.
Job Title: (if Federal Civil Service, include Pay Plan,
Series, and Grade)
Employer or Organization, name and
address:
“From” and “To” dates of employment:
Supervisor’s name and phone number:
Average number of hours per week (or
month):
Current or last salary:
Indicate if we may contact your current
supervisor.
Job Description or Summary of Duties: Describe the work you perform(ed), skills
acquired (typing, computer input, etc.) and any certifications or licenses
earned (A & P, CPA, engineering certifications, etc.).
Other Qualifications:
1. Job related
training courses (title and date).
2. Job related
skills (other languages, computer hardware/software, tools,
machinery,
typing speed).
3. Job related
certificates and licenses, i.e. valid drivers license, (current only).
4. Job related honors, awards, and special accomplishments, leadership activities, public speaking, or Incentive awards, (give dates but do not send documents unless requested).
5. Job appraisal
ratings for the past three years.
__________________________________ __________
Signature Date
Resume
Format – cont’d
Applicants must sign their resume certifying to the accuracy of all information provided. (If you make a false statement in any parts of your application, you may not be hired, or you may be fired after you begin work. Also, you may be fined or incarcerated.)
·
If you are male, over age 18 and born after
·
If you are receiving a Federal annuity (military or
civilian) your salary or annuity may be reduced if you take a Federal job.
·
Also, if you take a Federal job, you must pay delinquent
debts, or your agency may garnish your salary.
·
Veteran’s preference in hiring does not apply to the
National Guard.
STEP 3: Make sure everything
is in your package.
General
and Specialized Qualification Requirements:
This is documented on the AGSC Form 86-R-E (SCNG Position
Vacancy-Required Data) Each position
requires a minimum number of months of specialized experience (paid or unpaid)
in order to be minimally qualified for the position. The experience listed will be used to
determine qualifications. It is
important to give a complete and detailed description of specific duties, responsibilities,
and accomplishments for each position held applicable to the job. Use complete dates to indicate the amount of
experience, i.e., 12 Jan 04 – 4 Mar 04.
If you held a position where you performed more than one type of work,
you should estimate the percentage of time you spent performing each type of
work. Use your own words to describe
your work experience rather than past job descriptions. While it is important that you provide as
much information about your qualifications as possible, it is equally important
to keep your application free of unnecessary materials.
·
DO NOT submit position descriptions.
·
DO NOT submit letters of recommendation or achievement.
·
DO NOT use appraisals or standards as proof of experience.
·
DO list job related training courses (title and year).
·
DO list job related skills (other languages, computer
hardware/software, tools, machinery, typing speed, possess valid drivers
license).
·
DO list job-related certificates and professional licenses
(current only)
·
DO list job-related honors, awards, and special
accomplishments (leadership activities, public speaking, Incentive awards)
(indicate dates but do not submit documents unless requested)
·
DO list appraisal ratings for the past three years.
If additional space is required to complete any item on the application, a blank sheet of 8 ½ X 11 paper can be used. Remember to include your name and announcement number on each sheet.
Rating
Factors – Specialized Job Elements (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities): Members who meet the general
qualifications requirements will be further evaluated based on the Specialized
Qualifications (Job Elements), which are considered essential to perform the
duties and responsibilities of this position.
Each Job Element must be addressed by the applicant and must be
submitted with the application package in order to be considered for the
position. It is recommended to complete a
separate sheet(s) addressing each Job Element so that the members’ experience
is clearly explained.
Example
of Job Element #1:
·
Civilian experience:
Enter “From” and “To” dates of employment, where, job title, complete
description of work experience that provided that Knowledge Skill or Ability
(KSA).
·
Active duty experience:
Enter “From” and “To” dates of employment, where, job title, complete
description of work experience that provided that KSA.
·
National Guard traditional experience: Enter “From” and “To”,
where, job title, complete description of work experience that provided that
KSA.
Remaining
Job Elements (same format)
Substitution
of Education for Specialized Experience:
Certain
positions allow for substitution of education for experience. Appropriate college transcripts must be
submitted with application if specified by the vacancy announcement. However, do not include copies of
Certificates of Training unless specifically requested in the vacancy
announcement.
Other Qualification Requirements: If required on the vacancy announcement,
applicants for the position must also list and certify other characteristics
required such as engineering certifications, typing speed, valid drivers
license, CDL, etc.
STEP 5: Make sure you mail or hand carry your
application to arrive at HRO by the close of business on the closing date. Applications submitted via government
fax machine or in a postage paid government mailer or envelope will not be
accepted. Feel free to contact
the HRO staff at any point during the application process at the following
locations:
·
Hiring
Process:
Upon receipt, all applications are
placed in the position vacancy announcement file. After the closing date, it will be reviewed
by the Personnel Staffing Specialist to determine minimum qualifications. If over 10 applicants are found qualified by
the staffing official, a Qualification Review Board (QRB) may be conducted to
determine the best-qualified candidates. Qualified or best qualified candidates
packages will be forwarded to the selection official to conduct the selection
process in accordance with the Merit Placement Plan and Labor-Management
Contract. Applications will not be
returned, and will not be transferred to another vacancy file. A new application must be submitted for each
vacancy announcement.
Conditions of
Employment:
After an applicant is selected for a position and prior to the applicant being placed in an excepted technician position, he or she must either be or become a member of the South Carolina Air or Army National Guard.
Vacancy Announcement Application
Checklist
|
Check-Off |
Questions for Review |
|
|
Neat
and carefully prepared package? No binders or covers. |
|
|
Is
the position open to your military rank or category (officer, WO, enlisted)? (Enlisted
applying for officer positions must provide evidence of eligibility of
approval for commission, degree, age, and qualifications) |
|
|
Are
you within the area of consideration? |
|
|
Is
the job title and announcement number on your application? |
|
|
If
applicable, did you include your series and grade beside your job title in
the WORK EXPERIENCE section? (i.e.
WG-8852-10, etc.) |
|
|
Clear
and detailed description of duties and responsibilities? |
|
|
Customized
application to specific jobs rather than your entire work history? |
|
|
Are
all acronyms and abbreviations that are not commonly known to all audiences
spelled out? |
|
|
Did you complete the AGSC Form 86? (mandatory form for
consideration)
|
|
|
Did
you address all Specialized Experience Job Elements within the application or
on a separate sheet of paper with FROM and TO dates and job title? |
|
|
Did
you include your AFSC (Air NG) or MOS (Army NG) for drill status experience
or previous military experience? (Part
time, National Guard experience counts as full time experience (ex 12 drills
= 1 yr experience) (From and To dates, job title, and duties for each
AFSC/MOS is required. |
|
|
If
your experience encompassed more than one job function, did you list the
percentage of time in each function? |
|
|
Did
you list all colleges and universities attended? (List
semester or quarter hrs) |
|
|
Did
you list dates for each period of experience?
(From
and To dates) |
|
|
Did
you list other qualifications and dates? (Incentive awards, appraisal ratings
for the past three years, valid licenses, certifications, etc.) |
|
|
Does
your resume/application have an original signature and date? |
|
|
Did
you complete an SF 181 (Race and Origin Identification)? |
|
|
Make
sure your application is received by COB on the closing date of the
announcement and make copies for your records. |