To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/11/2025.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education described below:
Specialized Experience GS 6: Must have one full year of Specialized Experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of a Recreation Assistant. You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience is as followed: Skill in communication and interpersonal relations; maintenance of confidentiality of Veteran/Employee information, electronic and print; skill in performance improvement programs; skill to function in the medical center in a safe manner, including infection control and correct operation of equipment; knowledge of methods and techniques of recreation therapy programming in determining the interests of Veterans; skill in working with adaptive sports, crafts, hobbies, and games to plan outdoor and indoor recreation activities; skill in dealing with special populations with physical and mental illness; skill to implement treatment plans and make appropriate changes in programming.
Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:
Group leader, counselor, or similar work in public and private recreation programs for adults or children such as summer camps, local playgrounds, YWCA and YMCA clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, urban community centers, or resort recreational activities
Teacher's aide in elementary school recreation or physical education program, with emphasis on development of general recreational skills and abilities
Aid or assistant assignments in recreation while on active military service
Aid or assistant in the organization and administration of recreation activities, such as preparing activities calendars, maintaining attendance records, and providing information concerning schedules and activities
Summer aid in a State or national park, with duties related to the recreational activities of visitors to campsites, trails, picnic areas, nature and raft centers, and boating and fishing areas (e.g., demonstrating camping techniques and park safety, conducting nature tours, and overseeing farm animal areas provided for children)
Aid or assistant in a hotel or resort recreation service, with duties such as setting up areas for games, tournaments, and other organized group recreational activities.
OR
Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level, you must have one half year (9 semester hours) of graduate education that is directly related to the work of the position. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)
OR
Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education at the graduate level. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
- Communication
- Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
- Interpersonal Skills
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; religions; 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.
Note:
A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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.
Physical Requirements: The work requires moderately heavy physical exertion on an intermittent basis such as assisting a veteran in transfer activities; wheelchair to transport vehicle. There are also regular periods of standing and walking throughout the medical center and at off-station sites. Additionally, at times the work requires lifting, moving, and carrying of moderately heavy items and equipment for set-up or use by Veterans during recreational activities. Work is primarily performed in various medical center facilities; however, off-station resources within a reasonable radius are utilized. Incumbent must be alert to the potential for uncooperative, and unpredictable behaviors of Veterans. The incumbent may be the only medical center staff in the assigned work area. Appropriate safety precautions are taken depending on activities provided.
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/.