Telecommunications Technician

In order to qualify for this position at the GS-5 level, you must meet one of the following:

EXPERIENCE: 1 full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Telecommunications Technician and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience where you were responsible for operating a telephone switchboard to receive incoming calls, dispatching emergency personnel to scene of emergency, monitoring and testing alarm system(s), entering data into a computer, using a paging system, and maintaining records. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. ~OR~

EDUCATION: Successfully completed four (4) years of education above the high school level in any field which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. Transcripts must be submitted at time of application. ~OR~

COMBINATION: Equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. Transcripts must be submitted at time of application.


You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Communication
• Information Assurance
• Stress Tolerance
• Telecommunications

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Physical Requirements: The position requires long periods of sitting at a switchboard during heavy call periods until relieved. You must be physically able to activate various alarms and computers located in the telephone switchboard room. You will log emergency calls and other related information as necessary. A psychological evaluation is required to ensure operators are stable and able to handle emergency calls under stressful conditions.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.