Employment Counselor

*Salaries have been updated to reflect the most updated negotiated contract.

Due to current testing space limitations, candidates may need to travel to a test site to take this examination. Candidates will be notified of their test site location on their admission notice.

Appointees who work in the five boroughs of New York City or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties will receive an additional $3,026 annual downstate adjustment. Appointees who work in Dutchess, Orange, or Putnam Counties will receive an additional $1,513 annual mid-Hudson adjustment.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before October 21, 2023, you must have a:

Either A: master's degree in career counseling, clinical psychology, community counseling, counseling, mental health counseling, psychology, rehabilitation counseling, school counseling, or social work;

Or B: master's degree in career development, counseling education, educational leadership, health education, higher education, human development, or psychology education AND one year of full-time qualifying employment counseling experience as described below;

Or C: bachelor's degree in career counseling, career development, clinical psychology, community counseling, counseling, counseling education, educational leadership, health education, higher education, human development, mental health counseling, psychology, psychology education, rehabilitation counseling, school counseling, or social work AND two years of full-time qualifying employment counseling experience as described below.

Qualifying experience: For the purposes of this examination, employment counseling experience is defined as establishing a oneto- one employment counseling relationship, including gathering customer information and relating it to the labor market; selecting, utilizing, and analyzing results of career assessments; and developing and implementing employment plans.

Examples of non-qualifying experience include but are not limited to: Experience performing recruitment; academic advisement; classroom instruction; interviewing customers for unemployment, health insurance, or public assistance benefits, etc.; case management where the major responsibility is coordination of services; and home visits for health and welfare are NOT considered qualifying experience.

• If you expect to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2024, you can take the multiple-choice test. You MUST submit proof of successful completion of the educational requirements to the appointing authority at the time of the employment interview or you will not be considered for appointment. Failure to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2024, may result in your removal from the eligible list.
• Your required educational credentials must have been awarded by an educational institution accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the United States (U.S.) Department of Education/Secretary of Education. If awarded by an institution outside of the U.S. and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of companies that provide these services (fees must be paid to the company you choose) can be found at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm
• If verifiable, we will accept and prorate appropriate part-time and volunteer experience.
• New York State residency is not required.

Additional Requirements for Appointment:

• Language Proficiency: If you pass the examination and apply to a title which requires language proficiency, you must demonstrate your language proficiency at a level that will ensure your ability to perform the duties of the position properly. The proficiency test will only be given to enough candidates to fill current vacancies.

The Positions: These positions exist in Department of Labor and are located statewide.

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Duties

As an Employment Counselor, you would provide career counseling and career development information to individuals looking for employment. You would teach job search skills and provide job search techniques; assess transferable skills; assist in career planning; provide job development training and other referrals; counsel individuals and groups with barriers to employment; and provide follow up services as needed. You would also promote Department of Labor (DOL) services to the community and other interested parties.

As an Employment Counselor (Spanish Language), you would provide the same services as an Employment Counselor. In addition, you would work with Spanish speaking customers, and you must be aware of cultural barriers in relation to employment services for Spanish-speaking customers.

Note: If you submit an application for an examination with a language parenthetic, an application will automatically be submitted for you for the non-language examination.

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Subject of Examination

To be considered for appointment to this title, you must pass the multiple-choice test. The multiple-choice test evaluates your knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in the following areas:

1. Preparing written material - These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.
2. Interviewing - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in obtaining information from individuals through structured conversations. These questions require you to apply the principles, practices, and techniques of effective interviewing to hypothetical interviewing situations. Included are questions that present a problem arising from an interviewing situation, and you must choose the most appropriate course of action to take.
3. Principles and practices of employment counseling - These questions test for knowledge and understanding of the principles, practices, and techniques of employment counseling. Questions may include such topics as counseling individuals and/or groups on employment-related issues; providing support, advocacy, and accountability; and developing job opportunities throughout the community.

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

Admission To The Test: If approved for a multiple-choice test, you will receive an admission notice which will indicate your assigned test date and the way your test will be administered. Your test may be administered with paper and pencil or online at a state test site using a state-provided Chromebook. You cannot request to change your scheduled day or request a specific type of test administration.

Applicants are required to have a Personal NY.gov account and keep their email address up to date. The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies will communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your test arrangements, 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

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 unlawful 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, arrest and/or criminal conviction record, or any other category protected by law, 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 multiple-choice 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 multiple-choice test three days before the date of the test, email us at AdmissionNotices@cs.ny.gov. Please provide your first and last name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number, and we will provide you with the information you need to attend your multiple-choice test. If you have an issue other than not receiving your admission notice, please contact our office at (518) 474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627. Please leave a clear concise message and provide your first and last name, last four digits of your social security number and a daytime phone number.

Taking State and Local Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day

If you have applied to take a multiple-choice test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this multiple-choice 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: https://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm.

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

The use of cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices at your personal testing site or in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas, except as expressly authorized by the Department of Civil Service, could result in your disqualification.

S3/TB1 DAA-ctc
Issued: 8/4/23
*Amended: 8/21/23

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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