Referral Certificate General Information

                                                                                                                                                  Documenting Selection

Selecting supervisors must follow the instructions on the referral certificate to properly document a selection. Each certificate must be signed and annotated with the action taken beside each candidate’s name on the certificate. The annotation consists of placing one of the following notations beside the name of each referred candidate: Selection (S), Non-selections (NS), Declined Consideration (DC) or Declined Selection (DS). The last two notations require the identification of a specific coded reason from the reverse of the certificate form.

Selection. Determine the selection criteria to be used at the beginning of the process and apply it equitably to all candidates. You may narrow the number of candidates by career brief review. You may interview all, none, or only the top candidates (if a bargaining unit position, check with the CPF for labor advice). If you choose to interview, ask questions that relate to the knowledge, skills and abilities of the position. Additional interview guidance is available at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/dpc/doclib/internal_interview_guidance.pdf. Previous supervisors may also be contacted regarding a candidate's qualifications, adverse or disciplinary actions and past or present performance problem. Before a selecting official may announce a selection, the Civilian Personnel Flight (CPF) must complete these actions: 1) make the job offer 2) arrange the release date.

Notifying Candidates. Referral and non-select letters are not required since candidates are able to access information via the web or interactive voice response system (IVRS) and check the status of their self nomination.

Affirmative Employment Plan (AEP) Information. Each certificate will be accompanied by a separate document containing a profile of referred candidates by ethnicity and gender in addition to an Air Force-wide series representation profile. While there is no requirement to select a member of an underrepresented group, selections must be made without discrimination or favoritism.

Acquisition Information. For acquisition positions, certification information is listed in the sixth career brief section, titled “Occupational Certification”; contracting information is listed in the third and second to last sections (“Contracting Information Warrants” and “Technical Appraisals”); and acquisition corps information is the last career brief section titled, “Corps Status”.

Returning Your Certificate

Once you've made a selection and the CPF has made the job offer, annotate the certificate using the appropriate Action Code and fax the signed certificate to the CPF within 10 days of the selection for forwarding to the career program. Retain the referral/career briefs and any other documentation used in the selection process for a minimum of 90 days.

If you choose not to use the certificate, fully document the reason, sign the certificate and return it without action. No action may be taken to request a new certificate until after the previous certificate’s expiration date.

[Quick Reference Guide Home Page]

Air Force Personnel Center | Randolph AFB, TX 78150