Interdepartmental promotion examination open to all qualified employees of New York State.

Stores & Mail Operations Supervisor
Office Assistant 3
Office Assistant 3 (Calculations)
Office Assistant 3 (Human Resources)

For Promotion in State Departments, Facilities, and Agencies

1. Within Promotion Units
2. Within Entire Departments
3. To Other Departments

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before July 15, 2017, you must be a qualified employee of New York State and have had three months of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service in a clerical, keyboarding, or paraprofessional* title allocated to Grade 7 or higher. Qualifying titles are available at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/announcements/37837titles.cfm. Only the title(s) listed is qualifying for this examination(s).

*Only paraprofessional titles in an office environment will be considered qualifying. Service in a direct care title is not qualifying experience. Examples of non-qualifying titles are: Developmental Disabilities Secure Care Treatment Aide 1, Direct Support Assistant, Food Service Worker 1, Licensed Practical Nurse, Mental Health Therapy Aide, Security Services Assistant, Youth Division Aide 2, and Youth Division Aide 3.

If you were permanently appointed to a qualifying title on or before April 15, 2017, and have served continuously in this title since that date, you are eligible to file for this examination.

Qualifying Experience for Appointment from the Eligible List

After one year of the service described in the Minimum Qualifications, successful candidates will be qualified for appointment from the eligible list.���

IMPORTANT: Unless waived, you must pay the non-refundable processing fee. For information on fee waivers, visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/appinfo.cfm##Fee. It is important that you 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.

Note

1. Background Investigation/Justice Center Review: In some agencies, the names of all prospective employees will be:
   
   • Checked against the Staff Exclusion List (SEL) maintained by the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Prospective employees whose names appear on the SEL as having been found responsible for serious or repeated acts of abuse or neglect will be barred from appointment and may have their names removed from the eligible list(s) for the title(s);
   • Investigated through a Criminal Background Check (CBC). All convictions must be reported. Conviction of a felony or misdemeanor or any falsified or omitted information may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case will be determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of state and federal laws;
   and may be:
   
   • Screened against the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). Prospective employees whose names appear on the SCR may be barred from appointment. (NY Social Services Law, Section 424a.)
   You will be responsible for payment of all required fees.
2. Medicaid and Medicare: Some agencies require that, in order to be eligible for appointment and to maintain employment, you cannot be listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of the Federal and/or State Medicaid and Medicare exclusion lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program). If you are appointed and subsequently listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of these lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally-assisted program), you may be terminated from your employment.

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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:	For Examination Numbers
	37-837	37-838	37-839	37-840
1. Office management - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices of planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of an office and directing those performing office activities so as to achieve predetermined objectives such as accomplishing office work within reasonable limits of time, effort, and cost expenditure. Typical activities may include but will not be restricted to: simplifying and improving procedures, increasing office efficiency, improving the office work environment, and controlling office supplies.	X	X	X	X
2. Supervision - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of a work unit toward predetermined objectives. The concepts covered, usually in a situational question format, include such topics as assigning and reviewing work; evaluating performance; maintaining work standards; motivating and developing subordinates; implementing procedural change; increasing efficiency; and dealing with problems of absenteeism, morale, and discipline.	X	X	X	X
3. Understanding and interpreting written material - These questions test for the ability to understand and interpret written material. You will be presented with brief reading passages and will be asked questions about the passages. You should base your answers to the questions only on what is presented in the passages and not on what you may happen to know about the topic.	X	X	X	X
4. Storeskeeping and inventory control - These questions will test for general knowledge of storeskeeping and inventory control in a governmental setting including knowledge used to monitor rates of inventory usage; determine inventory order quantities and re-order points; assess the criticality of stores items; minimize obsolescence and spoilage; and respond appropriately to changes in availability and usage.	X
5. Understanding and interpreting tabular material - These questions test your ability to understand, analyze, and use the internal logic of data presented in tabular form. You may be asked to perform tasks such as completing tables, drawing conclusions from them, analyzing data trends or interrelationships, and revising or combining data sets. The concepts of rate, ratio, and proportion are tested. Mathematical operations are simple, and computational speed is not a major factor in the test. 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.			X
6. Personnel principles and practices - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices used in performing procedures and in addressing issues that are part of the personnel function in a governmental agency, and in responding to general questions about the personnel function.				X
7. Office record keeping - These questions test your ability to perform common office record keeping tasks. The test consists of two or more ���sets��� of questions, each set concerning a different problem. Typical record keeping problems might involve the organization or collation of data from several sources; scheduling; maintaining a record system using running balances; or completion of a table summarizing data using totals, subtotals, averages and percents. 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.		X

If you pass, your seniority credit(s), if any, will be included in the computation of your final score. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime Veterans' credits to your final passing score.

Creditr for Seniority

Seniority is credited at the rate of one credit for each five-year period (or fraction thereof), excluding the first year of service.

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Duties

As a Stores & Mail Operations Supervisor, you would work as a second level supervisor over lower level clerical staff, vehicle operators, and/or unskilled staff, in the performance of office support and clerical work, or manual labor, related to storing, receiving, and distributing goods, materials, commodities, or other property.

As an Office Assistant 3, you would perform office support and clerical work to meet the requirements of agency programs. Such work may consist of, but not be limited to: data entry; math or calculations; mail, supply, and inventory-related tasks; keyboarding and other document preparation tasks; answering telephones; completing forms; assisting customers; creating or assisting in the preparation of reports, charts, graphs, and tables; and other related activities. This work is accomplished in accordance with applicable procedures, rules, regulations, and laws. Office Assistants 3���s typically act as second-level supervisors within a large clerical or office support operation and generally supervise two or more Office Assistants 2.

As an Office Assistant 3 (Calculations), you would spend most of your time supervising mathematical operations, and/or clerical activities related to mathematical operations. These activities may include creating spreadsheets, using calculators, and retrieving information from various computer databases, including the Statewide Financial System and/or Microsoft Access or similar computer database software package. The duties may incorporate, but are not limited to, financial (including record-keeping, bookkeeping, and reconciliation activities), purchasing, or statistical functions. Positions at this level act as the head of a clerical operation, typically functioning as second-level supervisor.

As an Office Assistant 3 (Human Resources), you would spend most of your work time performing activities related to human resources management. This work may closely resemble that of other Office Assistants, and tasks may encompass the broad range of Office Assistant tasks. Positions at this level typically supervise two or more subordinate staff.

Additional vacancies may include various language proficiency positions (Chinese, Creole, Haitian, Italian, Korean, Russian, or Spanish Language). The eligible lists would be used to fill those positions, and eligibles must demonstrate proficiency in the Various Language Proficiencies at a level that will ensure their ability to perform properly the duties of the position.

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 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.

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

Eligibility for Examination

To be considered a qualified employee eligible to compete in this examination, you must be employed in, or on leave from, the specified department or agency on a permanent or contingent permanent basis in the competitive class, or in the non-competitive class or labor class if specifically noted on this announcement (or be on an appropriate preferred list), and have the specified time in the specified title or salary grade. You may not compete in a test for a title if you are permanently employed in that title (unless you are still on probation) or in a higher direct line of promotion.

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.

S1/TA1 MXT-dah
Issued: 4/28/2017
��� Revised Material: 5/5/2017

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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