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Career Mobility OfficeInformation PacketCareer Mobility OfficeNew York State Department of Civil ServiceAlbany

Career Mobility OfficeWho we are The Career Mobility Office (CMO) provides services related to career mobility to all New York Stateemployees, agencies, and authorities.The CMO: Works with New York State employees to help them stay continuously employed in the face oforganizational changes.Provides customized career counseling for careers and jobs in demand within New York Stateagencies.Develops career tools and resources that provide State employees with information relevantto career planning and development.The (CMO) also assists New York State agencies with their workforce training and redeploymentneeds.Services to agencies include: Working with agencies that want to develop retraining programs that will give their employeescareer mobility options. Assisting agency personnel with the redeployment of employees affected by reductions-inforce or reassignment.The Career Mobility Office (CMO) is funded by negotiated agreements between New York State,the Civil Service Employees Association, Inc. (CSEA),and the Public Employees Federation, AFL-CIO (PEF).Policy direction, program administration, and additional funding is provided by theGovernor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER)and the Department of Civil Service (DCS).

CMO Workshop Presentations:The Career Mobility Office offers several free workshops, upon agency request, to State employeesrelative to career mobility. These workshops are:Understanding the Civil Service Merit System:This workshop (3.5 hours in length) teaches State employees the basic rules and guidelines thatgovern mobility within the State and how Civil Service Law works. It will show employees how theycan advance in their careers by using the Merit System. Participants will learn about commonterminology, the examination process, eligible lists, canvass letters, probation, leaves of absence,voluntary transfer, and reinstatement.Resume Basics:This workshop (3 hours in length) helps employees develop a career plan related to the State’sworkforce needs by instructing employees on the value of a well written resume and providing themwith the tools to prepare one. This workshop guides State employees on the basics of how toprepare a resume that reflects their knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant to the job they areseeking. Participants will learn what is included in a resume; the different styles of resumes;common rules; and the common mistakes to avoid.Interviewing Tips and Techniques:This workshop (3 hours in length) teaches State employees that an interview provides an opportunityto communicate face to face with a potential employer. Participants will learn how to presentthemselves as a professional; understand what to expect and what is expected of them; and alsohow to prepare to answer the tough questions by reviewing and practicing interviewing skills.GOT-IT Demo:This workshop (1 hour in length) is a live web demonstration of GOT-IT, (the Glossary of Titles Inquiry Tool). The site helps State employees find information on job titles, occupations, careerladders, and career mobility or to find out where titles are located within the state.The following abbreviated, pre-recorded webinars are available on theStatewide Learning Management System (SLMS) for State employee use: Best Practices for Resume and Interview Preparation: Review basics ideas on how to present yourknowledge, skills and abilities in a professional way, whether on paper or in person. This webinar willreview resume types and preparation relevant to the job you are seeking, tips to improve yourinterviewing skills, and helpful resume and interviewing resources. Glossary of Titles – Inquiry Tool (GOT-IT) demonstration: See description above. Understanding the Merit System: See description above. If you do not have access to a computer, please contact your agency’s Personnel or Training Officeto arrange a viewing of the webinars.

What is the Merit System?The Merit System is part of New York State Civil Service Law, designed as a method of recruiting,appointing and promoting staff by allowing them to compete for positions based on merit and fitness-- wherever possible through a competitive examination process.In 1883, New York State was the first state in the nation to implement such a system, which hasproven to be a foundation of modern government, and for well over a century, merit and fitness hasbeen the yardstick by which career State employees are hired and promoted. Through this system,public employees are chosen on the basis of their competence. The high standards envisioned bythe system's founders are a reality today and hold bright promise for the future.Governor Theodore Roosevelt, who later became President, was a firm proponent and moving forcein the establishment of the merit system and it was during the tenure of Governor Al Smith that theDepartment of Civil Service was established to handle the functions of finding, developing andretaining the people best qualified to do the work of New York State's government.In addition to providing the State with a trained, capable and motivated workforce, Civil Service playsa key role in assisting the Governor and the Legislature in developing human resource policies. Inaddition, the Department partners with the Governor's Office of Employee Relations in strategicallyplanning for the workforce of tomorrow.ExaminationsThere are four types of examinations that the Department of Civil Service offers: Open-competitivePromotionTransitionContinuous RecruitmentOpen-competitive examinations are open to anyone who possesses the minimum qualifications aslisted on the examination announcement. Although generally thought of as examinations that are“open to the public”, State employees are also eligible to take them if they meet the minimumqualifications.Promotion examinations are open to permanently appointed State employees. There are two typesof promotion exams, interdepartmental and departmental. Interdepartmental examinations are opento permanent qualified employees across agencies. Departmental promotion examinations are opento permanent State employees of a specific agency.Transition examinations are open to permanently appointed State employees. They are used toallow State employees to “transition” from one career to another.Continuous Recruitment examinations may be either open-competitive or promotional. They areused when there is a constant need to fill positions.

Eligible ListsAfter an examination has been held, candidates who have passed are placed on an eligible list.Candidates are placed on the eligible list in descending score order.Candidates are selected off of the eligible list using the rule of three.The rule of three means that agencies count down the first three people on the list. These threepeople plus anyone else at the third person’s score are the eligibles they can consider.For example: Here is an eligible #2#2#2#5#5Count down the first three people on the list. This brings you to Steve. Mary, Bill and Steve areeligible to be considered plus anyone else at Steve’s score, which in this case includes Mike.Therefore the candidate pool is Mary, Bill, Steve, and Mike.ProbationWhen appointed off of an eligible list into a permanent position, employees will serve a probationaryperiod. In general, the length of the probation period is six to 12 months.Leaves of AbsenceIf you are currently a permanent employee and have been appointed from an eligible list, you maybe entitled to a leave of absence from your current position.There are two types of leaves of absence available to permanent employees: mandatory anddiscretionary.Mandatory leaves of absence are those required by Civil Service Law or policy. Mandatory leavesare granted to employees who are: promoted or transferred to a position in which they must serve a probationary periodappointed to a temporary, provisional, or contingent permanent basis to another positionwithin their agencyabsent for reasons specified in the Military Lawunable to perform the duties of their position due to disabilityDiscretionary leaves may be granted by an agency for up to two years and are at the “discretion” ofthe agency. Discretionary leaves may be requested for educational leave or to accept a provisionalor temporary appointment in another agency.

When or if you return from a mandatory or discretionary leave, your rights are to the title you held inyour agency and county of employment. There is no obligation on the part of the agency to give youyour old job back.TransfersA transfer is the movement of a permanent competitive class employee from a position in one title toa position in a different title or from a position in one agency to a position in another agency. Bothpositions must be within the competitive class. Transfers occur with the consent of the employeeafter nomination by the appointing agency and the approval of the Department of Civil Service.Approval by the agency from which the employee is transferring is not required in order for thetransfer to occur.To be able to transfer, employees must generally have had at least one year of permanent service intheir current title or at their current salary grade. The transfer can be to the same or any lower salarygrade, but cannot be to a title more than two salary grades (or one M grade) higher than their currenttitle. Employees who are currently serving probation are eligible to transfer. Transfers may not beapproved if mandatory reemployment lists exist for the title to which transfer is sought.The Civil Service Law (CSL) defines three different kinds of transfers:CSL Section 70.1 allows transfer without further examination from one title to another when asufficient degree of similarity exists between the minimum qualifications, tests and/or duties of thespecific titles involved. The appropriateness of transfer is decided on a title-by-title basis at therequest of personnel offices of state agencies. This section of the law also allows employees totransfer to another agency in the same title.CSL Section 70.4 allows transfer to a title which is not similar, but where the employee meets thequalifications for the title. Usually the employee must pass an examination open to the public for thetitle before transfer can be approved.CSL Section 52.6 allows transfer between administrative titles at the same or similar salary grade.Administrative titles are those involving law, personnel, budgeting, methods and procedures,management, records analysis, or administrative research.

VOCABULARY WORDS AND TERMSCLASSIFIED SERVICEPositions in the civil service that are not in the unclassified service; the classified service is divided into fourjurisdictional classes: competitive, non-competitive, exempt, and labor.COMPETITIVE CLASSThe jurisdictional class composed of positions for which it is practicable to determine the merit and fitness ofapplicants by competitive examination. Positions are in the competitive class unless the Civil ServiceCommission specifically places them in a different jurisdictional class (see Sec. 44 of the Civil Service Law).CONTINGENT PERMANENT APPOINTMENTA permanent appointment or promotion to a position left temporarily vacant by the leave of absence of thepermanent incumbent of the position; such appointees have the same rights as permanent appointees; acontingent permanent employee may be displaced by the return of the permanent incumbent. (The termcontingent permanent is not used in the Civil Service Law or Rules; rather, rule 4.11 refers to "permanentappointments to encumbered positions.")ENCUMBENTPermanent employee who has rights to the position (“hold”) but is actually working in another position.EXEMPTThe jurisdictional class of positions deemed impracticable to fill by tests of any kind. No minimum training andexperience requirements are established for exempt positions. There is only a small percentage of jobs in theexempt jurisdictional class and employees in these positions have no civil service rights.INCUMBENTPermanent employee currently serving in a position. A permanent employee on leave from a position is saidto encumber a position.LABOR CLASSThe jurisdictional classification designated for positions for which competitive tests are impracticable becauseof the unskilled nature of the duties. Minimum qualifications for labor class positions are generally notestablished. However, applicants for positions in this class may be required to demonstrate their ability to dothe job.NON-COMPETITIVE CLASS (NC)The jurisdictional classification designating positions not in the exempt or labor classes and for which it isfound by the Civil Service Commission to be not practicable to ascertain the merit and fitness of applicants bycompetitive examination. For a position in the non-competitive class, an agency may appoint a person whomeets the minimum qualifications of training and experience.PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENTA non-permanent appointment to a competitive class position which may be made when there is noappropriate or viable eligible list.UNCLASSIFIED SERVICEPositions specified in Section 35 of the Civil Service Law that are outside the jurisdiction