This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/472541200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
FOR RECENT GRADUATE ELIGIBILITY: The transcript(s) or official letter from the registrar's office must include the date your degree or certificate was conferred. Applications will not be considered without this documentation. NOTE: Copies of degrees, certificates, and diplomas are not considered acceptable documents to determine Recent Graduate eligibility.
Once selected for the Claims Specialist position in SSA, you will contribute to the Agency's mission through direct and personal service to the public. This includes speaking with beneficiaries about their rights under the Social Security laws, gathering facts and evidence to establish eligibility for benefits, making critical decisions to determine the amount of benefits paid to individuals, and using state-of-the-art computer technology to access and update information about claims.
Desired skills: written and oral communication, interpersonal, analytical, problem solving, decisiveness and automation.
This position is located in the Opelika, AL Social Security Office at 1800 Corporate Drive, Opelika, AL 36801.
Note: This position is being filled on a full-time basis. This is a 2-year developmental program. After successful completion of the program, you may be noncompetitively converted to a permanent appointment.
Additional selections may be made within six months from the closing date of this announcement.
This is a career-ladder position leading to the GS-11 grade level.
06/20/2017 to 06/27/2017
$40,684 - $52,893 per year
GS 07
Few vacancies in the following location:
Not required
No
Recent Graduates
Full-time - Full Time
11
No
SB-1976480-17-RLC PATH(RG)
472541200
Claims Specialists conduct interviews with the public to obtain, clarify, and verify information about initial and continuing eligibility for retirement, survivors, disability, health insurance benefits, and eligibility for supplemental security income including State supplements. In addition, they resolve discrepancies, clarify issues and make final decisions for initial and post-entitlement for benefits and payments; adjudicate and authorize entitlement or disallowance actions at all levels of difficulty and complexity under programs administered by SSA; and use state of-the-art technology to access and update claims information.
SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR
Competency Assessment Interview Process Panel Interview: Applicants will be required to participate in a panel interview (after basic eligibility determination) to demonstrate an aptitude for meeting and dealing with the public. Applicants must pass this interview process in order to be found fully qualified for this position and receive further consideration for selection. This interview will cover typical situations, which might be encountered on the job, in person or over the telephone. Candidates must demonstrate qualities such as clarity of speech, ability to listen, ability to establish confidence and put others at ease and the ability to organize and express thoughts clearly. If you do not pass the Competency Assessment Interview Process panel interview, you will not qualify for the job.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
If you are using experience to qualify, you must have:
For GS-7: Fifty-two weeks of specialized experience in 1) assisting individuals in establishing their entitlement to receive benefits; 2) adjudicating, authorizing or reconsidering claims; 3) representing benefit programs before the general public; 4)evaluating benefit program operations to assess the integrity and quality; or 5) interpreting program requirements and formulating policies, procedures and guidelines.
Note: Part-time work is prorated in crediting experience (e.g., if you work 20 hours per week for a 12 month period, you will be credited with 6 months of experience).
SUBSTITUTING EDUCATION: If you are qualifying for this position based on completed education at an accredited U.S. college, university, or other educational institution, you must provide a copy of your transcripts or other proof of education. NOTE: Education completed in a foreign institution must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs. It is the applicant's responsibility to acquire U.S. Certification and provide it at the time of application. For a list of Credential Evaluation Services, log on to: Credential Evaluation Services.
GS-7: One full year of graduate level education in any field. One year of full-time graduate education is defined as 18 earned semester hours or 27 earned quarter hours. A combination of graduate level education and the specialized experience as described above OR a Bachelor's degree and superior academic achievement in any field can be applied as a substitution. Superior academic achievement is based on:
If you are selected for the position, you must provide your official college transcripts prior to being appointed.
Experience and education as described above may be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirements. Experience and education should be computed as percentages of the overall requirements and must equal to 100 percent when combined.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you are registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
Individuals with disabilities may call us via Federal Relay using the (voice) contact telephone provided.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
The evaluation you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. Your resume and supporting documentation may be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire, which is designed to capture the desired competencies for this position.
Numerical scores will be assigned on a scale of 100. Each applicant who meets the qualification requirements for the position will be assigned a rating of 70 or more and will be eligible to receive further consideration for an appointment. Preference eligible veterans scoring 70 or more will receive additional points for veterans' preference.
We recommend you use USAJobs resume builder for submitting a resume to ensure you include dates of employment for each job listed (month/year) as well as average number of hours (e.g., 40 hours, 20 hours) worked per week. Note: You can copy and paste your existing resume into resume builder. Please review the Tips for Applying for additional guidance.
Note: Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation. To preview the questions, click the following link: View Assessment Questions
All supporting documentation must be received by the closing date of the vacancy announcement to claim certain types of preference or qualify on the basis of education.
VETERANS' PREFERENCE: If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your military discharge certificate (DD 214 member 4 copy), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other proof of eligibility. To be acceptable, the document must show Character of Service. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference based on a service-connected disability, you must submit the required documentation specified on the reverse of the Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference (SF 15). Applicants claiming derived preference must submit the SF-15 and the required documentation specified on the reverse of the SF 15. Preference will be granted based on the documents received. For more information visit: Feds Hire Vets Vet Guide
PROOF OF EDUCATION: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts with the course title, number of credits, grade, and date of completion. To qualify, the degree or certificate must be from an accredited college or university, or qualifying career or certificate program. Education completed in a foreign institution must be certified as equivalent to coursework completed at a U.S. college or university. Certification of equivalency must be submitted at the time of application. The transcript(s) or official letter from the registrar's office must include the date your degree or certificate was conferred. Applications will not be considered without this documentation. NOTE: Copies of degrees, certificates, and diplomas are not considered acceptable documents to determine Recent Graduate eligibility.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Tuesday, June 27, 2017.
To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log into your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents to upload your documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.
NOTE : Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in an ineligible rating.
To fax supporting documents you are unable to upload, complete the United States Government Application Cover Page using the following 1976480. Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.
If you cannot apply online:
1. View and print the occupational questionnaire: View Occupational Questionnaire,
2. Print the 1203FX (Form C) to provide your responses to the occupational questionnaire; and
3. Fax the completed 1203FX and supporting documents to 1-478-757-3144. Your 1203FX will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.
Due to our security procedures, our office will not accept any applications submitted via email or standard mail. The email address is listed only for inquiries about the position or the How to Apply process.
Once you have successfully submitted your occupational questionnaire, you will receive the following email notifications concerning your application status: (1) Receipt of application; (2) Result of qualifications review and if Referred/Not Referred to the selecting official; and (3) Selected/Not Selected for the position.
If you applied incorrectly or submitted an incomplete application, we will be unable to send you notifications regarding the status of your application. Please read the How to Apply instructions carefully to ensure that you submit a complete application.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/472541200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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SSA Recent Graduates Program Eligibility Requirements
The SSA Recent Graduates Program (Program) provides Recent Graduates with entry-level developmental experience and is designed to lead to a career in the Federal government. To be eligible for the Program, applicants must have completed all requirements of an academic course of study leading to a qualifying associates, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the 2 years preceding the closing date of this announcement. Preference-eligible veterans who, due to military service obligations, were precluded from applying to the Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period are entitled to a full 2-year period of eligibility upon release or discharge from active duty. In no event, however, may the eligibility period extend beyond 6 years from the date on which the preference eligible veteran completed the requirements of an academic course of study.