State of Maryland

A Job Service Specialist I is the intermediate level of work in the field of workforce development.  Employees in this classification are responsible for conducting interviews with persons seeking employment and for providing assistance to employers needing qualified personnel to fill vacancies.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive moderate supervision from a Job Services Specialist Supervisor or other designated supervisor.  The work may require travel to various employer work sites in order to promote use of public workforce development services.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Job Service Specialist I and Job Services Specialist II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Job Service Specialist I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Job Service Specialist II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Interviews job applicants to determine occupational qualifications and classifications and analyzes work experience, education and vocational training and degree of job readiness;

Evaluates an applicant’s qualifications such as education, experience and skills, in order to select only those applicants for referral who are qualified for vacancies reported by employers;

Advises applicants on workforce development program policies and procedures and offers guidance on techniques of applying for jobs;

Conducts counseling interviews for job applicants who are experiencing problems in occupational choice or occupational adjustment;

Appraises applicant’s suitability for a variety of job openings available and assists applicant in choosing between alternatives, then refers applicant to employer;

Receives job orders from employers and determines job content, skills and abilities required and other occupational data necessary for selection of qualified workers;

Evaluates need for specialized or technical services by applicants and employers, and arranges for services to meet these needs;

Solicits employers to develop a job for a specific applicant or group of applicants and encourages employers to modify selection requirements to enable acceptance of disadvantaged applicants;

Promotes the continuing use of the public workforce development service or special programs for the disadvantaged by employers;

Develops and maintains working relationships with employers in an effort to solicit interviews for specific applicants, provides special recruitment services, keeps abreast of current and potential employer needs, and promotes a greater mutual understanding of programs and services;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the workforce development programs in the Department of Labor;

Knowledge of local workforce development policies, procedures and techniques;

Knowledge of interviewing principles and techniques;

Knowledge of a wide variety of occupations and their required qualifications or those of an industrial occupational category;

Knowledge of current local and Statewide employment practices, trends and opportunities;

Knowledge of the principles and techniques of employment counseling;

Knowledge of community resources including training and employment facilities;

Knowledge of the Unemployment Insurance Law of Maryland;

Ability to analyze work qualifications of applicants and evaluate job work requirements;

Ability to work with employers in developing jobs;

Ability to motivate applicants to improve their employability;

Ability to communicate effectively with agency staff and the general public;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public, applicants, employers, and representatives of other agencies.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: One year of experience in the field of workforce development, taking job orders, conducting job-ready interviews, registering job applicants, verifying job referrals, conducting vocational placements, performing unemployment adjudications, or appraising job applicants for employability.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute education at an accredited college or university, at the rate of thirty credit hours may be substituted for the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute active duty military recruiting experience or career counseling experience on a year-by-year basis for the required education.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit F, Social and Human Service Professionals classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.   An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance levels in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.