New York State Department of Civil Service Announces Open-Competitive Examination Open to the Public

Student Loan Control Representative 1

THE LIST RESULTING FROM THIS EXAMINATION WILL BE USED FOR VACANCIES IN THE ALBANY AREA ONLY.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before January 21, 2017, you must have two years of debt collection experience.

Qualifying Experience: Experience in debt collection, where the majority of collection activities include regular contact with borrowers, lending institutions, and/or third parties for the collection of delinquent and/or defaulted loans. Activities include experience with incoming and outgoing calls, personal contact; skip tracing and negotiations of payment arrangements. This experience is usually obtained from a collection agency or various other institutions that have a collection department within the institution and its primary function and activities are related to debt collection.

Non-Qualifying Experience: Experience limited to loan origination, customer service related to inquires about loan balances, payment due dates, loan payoff amounts, or other maintenance of accounts or inquiries about the account are considered non qualifying experience.

Important: As the processing fee is non-refundable, verify that you entered the correct examination number and title on your online or paper application prior to submitting. If you apply online, you should immediately review your email confirmation notice to verify that you applied for the correct examination. If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT received by the Department of Civil Service. No late applications will be accepted after the filing deadline has passed.

Notes

1. If you pass the examination for No. 26-179 Student Loan Control Representative 1 (Spanish Language), you will be required to demonstrate your Spanish language proficiency at a level that will ensure your ability to perform properly the duties of the position. Only enough candidates to fill current vacancies will be called to the proficiency test.
2. If you submit an application for No. 26-179 Student Loan Control Representative 1 (Spanish Language), an application will automatically be submitted for you for No. 26-178 Student Loan Control Representative 1 at no additional cost.
3. Important: Work schedules vary, but staff at the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation will be required to work some evenings and weekends. At the State University of New York at Albany in Rensselaer, staff may be required to work some evenings and weekends.
4. Appropriate part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis.
5. New York State residence is not required.

The Positions

These positions exist in the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation in Albany and the State University of New York at Albany in Rensselaer (Capital Region). There are 18 vacant positions with the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation and 5 vacant positions with the State University of New York at Albany in Rensselaer (Capital Region).

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Duties

As a Student Loan Control Representative 1, under supervision of a Student Loan Control Representative 2, you would perform a variety of collection activities requiring regular contact with borrowers, lending institutions, and third parties for the prevention and collection of defaulted student loans. You would be working in an environment using the current technology, software, and automated telephone operations to handle large volumes of incoming and outgoing phone calls. You would interact with customers via inbound and outbound calls, and would be responsible for the collection of delinquent and defaulted student loans. This may require you to explain the collection process; access computer systems in order to provide detailed explanations of accounts; update borrower account information; answer questions concerning the provisions and requirements of the student loan program; prepare written responses to requests for information; provide technical information on other collection options such as settlements; explain actions available to collect the debt; perform skip tracing activities utilizing the current technologies available; and obtain other pertinent information required to resolve cases. Other duties include but are not limited to negotiating payment arrangements, reviewing financial documentation, and initiating and determining the next step in collection actions. You would be expected to act in a calm, courteous, and reasonable manner even under very difficult, highly stressful, and at times, confrontational circumstances. All calls are subject to monitoring for quality assurance.

As a Student Loan Control Representative 1 (Spanish Language), under supervision of a Student Loan Control Representative 2, you would perform the above duties in which a significant portion of your contacts would be with Spanish speaking customers.

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Subject of Examination

There will be a written test which you must pass in order to be considered for appointment. The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

1. Evaluating conclusions in light of known facts - These questions will consist of a set of facts and a conclusion. You must decide if the conclusion is proved by the facts, disproved by the facts or if the facts are not sufficient to prove or disprove the conclusion. The questions will not be specific to a particular field.
2. Public contact principles and practices - These questions test for knowledge of techniques used to interact with other people, to gather and present information, and to provide assistance, advice, and effective customer service in a courteous and professional manner. Questions will cover such topics as understanding and responding to people with diverse needs, perspectives, personalities, and levels of familiarity with agency operations, as well as acting in a way that both serves the public and reflects well on your agency.
3. Understanding and interpreting written material - These questions test how well you comprehend written material. You will be provided with brief reading selections and will be asked questions about the selections. All the information required to answer the questions will be presented in the selections; you will not be required to have any special knowledge relating to the subject areas of the selections.
4. Arithmetic computation with calculator - These questions test for the ability to use a calculator to do basic computations. Questions will involve addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. You may also be asked to calculate averages, to use percents, and to round an answer to the nearest whole number. You should bring with you a hand-held battery- or solar-powered calculator for use on this test. You will not be permitted to use the calculator function of your cell phone.
5. Laws, Rules and Regulations pertaining to the maintenance of loans and the collection of consumer loans* - These questions are designed to test for knowledge of laws, rules and regulations pertaining to the maintenance and collection of consumer loans.

*The Fair Credit Reporting Act can be found in West���s United States Code Annotated Title 15, Section 1681 et seq. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act can be found in West���s United States Code Annotated Title 15, Section 1692 et seq. Copies of these publications are available at most large libraries, Schools of Higher Education and the New York State Library, as well as on the internet:

Fair Credit Reporting Act: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode15/usc_sup_01_15_10_41_20_III.html

Fair Debt Collections Practices Act: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode15/usc_sup_01_15_10_41_co_V.html

Your final score must be 70 or higher in order to pass. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime veterans' and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits to your final passing score.

Important: The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies may communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your examination results and canvassing you for interest in appointment. It will be important for you to keep your email address, phone number and mailing address current by logging into https://www.cs.ny.gov/home/myaccount.

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How To Apply

If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT processed.

Additional Information

New York State is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the State of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or arrest and/or criminal conviction record unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Appointment to many positions in State government require candidates to undergo an investigative screening. This may include a thorough character investigation, a Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Record History Check, a Child Abuse Registry clearance, or other similar procedures. Candidates may be fingerprinted and may be required to pay any necessary fees for that procedure. Depending on the nature of the job, the criminal convictions discovered, or any falsified or omitted information revealed, the investigative findings may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment.

Eligibility for Employment

You must be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of appointment and throughout your employment with New York State. If appointed, you must produce documents that establish your identity and eligibility to work in the United States, as required by the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Religious Accommodation

Most written tests are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the test on the announced test date, due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under “Religious Accommodation.” We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following day).

Reasonable Accommodations in Testing

It is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to provide equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their application. Further information is available from the Test Administration Unit of the Department of Civil Service. In the Albany area, call 518-457-2487. Outside of the Albany area, call toll free at 1-877-697-5627. For TDD services, call NY Relay at 711 (requires a fee) or 1-800-662-1220.

Admission to Examination

Notice to appear for the test may be conditional as review of applications may not be made until after the test. If you have not received your notice to appear for the written test three days before the date of the test, call 518-474 6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627.

Multiple Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day

If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date to make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All tests will be held at the state examination center. For your convenience, contact information for all local civil service agencies is available on our website at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

Do not bring cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices to the test site. The use of such devices at the test site in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas could result in your disqualification.

S2/tb2 ICC-vla
Issued: 11/4/2016

This announcement is subject to amendment or cancellation without notice. Do not copy it, or post it to any other site, but link to it instead.

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