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Information Technology Specialist, GS-2210
Definitions:
EXPERIENCE: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows: 2 yrs = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.)
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: A year of undergraduate education is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent of college study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite. GRADUATE EDUCATION: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
For GS-05:
Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-05 level:
**Successful completion of a full 4 year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree in computer science, information science, information systems management, mathematics, statistics, operations research, or engineering, or course work that required the development or adaptation of computer programs and systems and provided knowledge equivalent to a major in the computer field.
**OR 3 years or progressively responsible experience, one of which must have been equivalent to the GS-4 level, that provided a basic knowledge of data processing functions and general management principles that enabled the applicant to understand the stages required to automate a work process. Experience may have been gained in work such as computer operator or assistant, computer sales representative, program analyst, or other positions that required the use or adaptation of computer programs and systems.
**OR a combination of successfully completed progressive post-high school education and progressively responsible experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE)
For GS-07:
Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-07 level:
**One year of successfully completed graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or the equivalent) in computer science, information science, information systems management, mathematics, statistics, operations research, or engineering, or course work that required the development or adaptation of computer programs and systems and provided knowledge equivalent to a major in the computer field.
**OR Super Academic Achievement based on undergraduate study. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT)
**OR one year of appropriate specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal service that demonstrates performance of tasks such as: (1) Translating detailed logical steps developed by others into language codes that computers accept where this required understanding of procedures and limitations appropriate to use of a programming language; (2) Interviewing subject-matter personnel to get facts regarding work processes, and synthesizing the resulting data into charts showing information flow; (3) Operating computer consoles where this involved choosing from among various procedures in responding to machine commands or unscheduled halts; (4) Scheduling the sequence of programs to be processed by computers where alternatives had to be weighed with a view to production efficiency; or (5) Preparing documentation on cost/benefit studies where this involved summarizing the materials and organizing it in a logical fashion. For task examples 1-5, the level of work typically would have involved receiving clear, specific, and detailed instructions as to the methods, procedures, and guidelines to use.
**OR a combination of successfully completed progressive graduate level education, as described above, and specialized experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
For GS-09:
Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-09 level:
**Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education (36 semester hours, 54 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree in computer science, information science, information systems management, mathematics, statistics, operations research, or engineering, or course work that required the development or adaptation of computer programs and systems and provided knowledge equivalent to a major in the computer field.
**OR one year of appropriate specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service that demonstrates knowledge of computer requirements and techniques in carrying out project assignments consisting of several related tasks, such as typically is the case in development of minor modifications to parts of a system on the basis of detailed specifications provided. To be creditable, assignments must have involved completion of the following, or the equivalent: (1) Analysis of interrelationships of system components, (2) Planning the sequence of actions necessary to accomplish the assignment, and (3) Personal responsibility for at least a segment of the overall project. This level of work typically would have been performed following established methods and procedures or detailed instructions; using some judgment in applying analytical techniques, and would have required a good general working knowledge of ADP principles and methods.
**OR a combination of successfully completed progressive graduate level education as described above that is beyond the first year of graduate study and specialized experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
For GS-11:
Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-11 level:
**Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education (36 semester hours, 54 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to such a degree in computer science, information science, information systems management, mathematics, statistics, operations research, or engineering, or course work that required the development or adaptation of computer programs and systems and provided knowledge equivalent to a major in the computer field. **OR one year of appropriate specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service that demonstrates accomplishment of computer project assignments that required a range of knowledge of computer requirements and techniques; i.e., on the basis of general design criteria provided, experience in developing modifications to parts of a system that required significant revisions in the logic or techniques used in the original development. To be creditable, accomplishments normally would have involved the following, or the equivalent: (1) Knowledge of the customary approaches, techniques, and requirements appropriate to an assigned computer applications area or computer specialty area in an organization; (2) Planning the sequence of actions necessary to accomplish the assignment where this entailed coordination with others outside the organizational unit and development of project controls; and (3) Adaptation of guidelines or precedents to the needs of the assignment. **OR a combination of successfully completed progressive graduate level education as described above that is beyond the second year of graduate study and specialized experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
For GS-12:
Applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-12 level:
One year of appropriate specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service that demonstrates accomplishment of computer project assignments that required a wide range of knowledge of computer requirements and techniques pertinent to the position to be filled. Such knowledge is generally demonstrated by assignments where the applicant analyzed a number of alternative approaches in the process of advising others concerning major aspects of ADP system design, such as what system interrelationships must be considered, or what operating mode, system software, and/or equipment configuration is most appropriate for a given project. This level of work experience would reflect independence in planning and carrying out the assignment, selecting the approach or methodology to be used, resolving most of the conflicts that arise, and coordinating the work with others as necessary.
For GS-13:
Applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-13 level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service that demonstrates accomplishment of computer project assignments that required a wide range of knowledge of computer requirements and techniques pertinent to the position to be filled.
Examples of such experience may include: information systems analysis, design, testing, and implementation; integration of new applications with existing information systems, maintaining data integrity; translation of strategic planning objectives into tactical process plans; and coordination of applications development, special information systems projects, and new computer programs. The complexity of the aforementioned work examples typically required extensive modification and adaptation of standard procedures, methods, and techniques, and the development of totally new methods and techniques to address novel or obscure problems for which guidelines or precedents were not substantially applicable. This level of work experience would reflect wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment to perform work of marked difficulty and responsibility.