Key Terms

Agency

The employing organization.

Agencies are summarized into four categories:

1. Cabinet Level Departments
2. Large Independent Agencies (1000 or more employees)
3. Medium Independent Agencies (100 to 999 employees)

Small Independent Agencies (less than 100 employees)

Career

Federal Employees who have worked for a Federal Agency for 3 years or more.

Career-Conditional

An employee with status who has been employed with 3 years or less of service.

KSA

KSAs...Knowledge, Skills and Abilities...a list of special qualifications and personal attributes that you need to have for a particular job. In federal personnel guidance, KSAs are defined as the factors that identify the better candidates from a group of persons basically qualified for a position.

Knowledge statements refer to an organized body of information usually of a factual or procedural nature which, if applied, makes adequate performance on the job possible. A body of information applied directly to the performance of a function.

Skill statements refer to the proficient manual, verbal or mental manipulation of data or things. Skills can be readily measured by a performance test where quantity and quality of performance are tested, usually within an established time limit. Examples of proficient manipulation of things are skill in typing or skill in operating a vehicle. Examples of proficient manipulation of data are skill in computation using decimals; skill in editing for transposed numbers, etc.

Ability statements refer to the power to perform an observable activity at the present time. This means that abilities have been evidenced through activities or behaviors that are similar to those required on the job, e.g., ability to plan and organize work. Abilities are different from aptitudes. Aptitudes are only the potential for performing the activity.

New Hires

Appointment of an employee from outside of the Federal government; a transfer-in from an Excepted Service position or a transfer-in from one type of Federal service to another (e.g. left a Competitive Service position in one agency to take an Excepted or Senior Executive Service position at another agency).

1. Competitive Service Appointment
   Appointment to a position that is governed by civil service law, but not a part of the Senior Executive Service.

2. Excepted Service Appointment
   Appointment to a position that is not part of the Competitive Service or Senior Executive Service. These positions are exempt by law, Executive order, and OPM regulation.

3. Senior Executive Service
   Appointment to a managerial or supervisory position above the GS-15 level in which the employee performs executive functions. These positions do not require Presidential or congressional approval.

Location

The official duty station of an employee. Locations in the United States are defined in terms of states and counties (or county equivalents). Locations outside the United States are defined in terms of countries and U.S. territories.

Status Candidate

An employee who has competed for a permanent Federal position and was hired to the appointment.

Transfers

Movement of a single employee, or group of employees, from another agency with a break in service of 3 days or less.

1. Individual Transfer
   Transfer-in of an individual employee.

2. Mass Transfer

Type of Appointment

An employee's appointment in terms of permanence and competitiveness.

Reinstatement Eligibility

If you previously worked for the federal government in a career or career-conditional appointment you may have reinstatement eligibility.

Reinstatement allows you to reenter the Federal competitive service workforce without competing with the public in a civil service examination. You may apply for any open civil service examination, but reinstatement eligibility also enables you to apply for Federal jobs open only to status candidates