In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Individual Occupational Requirements and Group Standard for Administrative and Management Positions.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in federal service which equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience is experience which may have been gained while assisting with the planning, organizing, coordinating, supervising, or evaluating community, industrial, outdoor, institutional, or other recreational programs; planning, establishing, or evaluating a recreational curriculum for junior college or higher academic levels; instructing in the principles and techniques of recreational program planning and management and serving in a leadership role in the programs and activities of local, regional, and/or national recreational organizations.
OR
EDUCATION: One full year of graduate level education in a major study which includes general recreation or one of the appropriate fields of recreation such as outdoor recreation; recreation and parks leadership; wild land recreation management; natural resources recreation; youth recreation; public, urban, or community recreation; special populations recreation (e.g., senior citizens, institutional, etc.); or physical education. YOU MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF YOUR TRANSCRIPT. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR TRANSCRIPT WILL RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING.
OR
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100 percent. To combine education and experience, determine the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level. Then determine the education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level. Finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. YOU MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF YOUR TRANSCRIPT. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR TRANSCRIPT WILL RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING.
To view qualifying educational requirements and/or combination of education, click on the following link:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0100/recreation-specialist-series-0188/
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
- Knowledge of the basic principles, procedures, and practices of operating an outdoor recreation program.
- Knowledge of common budgetary practices, procedures, regulations, and guidelines.
- Knowledge of safety and security regulations, practices, and procedures as relating to various outdoor recreation activities.
- Skill in preparing forms, schedules, and reports related to the obligation and expenditure of funds.
PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.
VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Physical Demands: Physical demands at this level apply generally to managers of small to medium size program specialty areas or segments of moderately large to large size program specialty areas. The lack of support staff requires that these recreation specialists physically exert themselves in organizing the physical environment for various recreation activities and in handling the tools and materials of such activities, although this generally does not involve lifting items over 45 pounds. (An effort is made to find assistance when the lifting of heavier objects is required.).
Work Environment:
This work environment is found in only a few recreation programs, as machinery requiring special safety precautions or activities dealing with such things as irritant chemicals are rarely involved. However, it is possible that, for example, a recreation specialist who directs all activities of a community center, while personally instructing in wood and metal work, would face moderate risks when using electric saws; or, when teaching photographic processing or furniture refinishing techniques, a recreation specialist would be using chemicals which could irritate the skin and which present some danger to eyes and lungs. Such conditions rarely exist, however, in the typical recreation program settings.