Residence Requirements:

RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS: THERE ARE NO RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THIS EXAMINATION. Preference in certification may be given to candidates who have been a resident of the jurisdiction in which the appointment is to be made for one month preceding the date of the eligible list certification and who are residents of the jurisdiction at the time of appointment. Non-residents may be required to become a resident of the appointing municipality if local law so states. At present there are two vacancies at Erie 1 BOCES with a salary of $40.13 per hour. *Salaries at other municipalities or agencies may vary.

A promotion examination will be held at the same time as this examination. The list resulting from the promotion examination will be used first but appointments from this open competitive examination are anticipated. Use of the list may be suspended after it is one year old for any position which it is practical to fill through a new promotion examination.

Examples of Duties:

A Chief Microcomputer Technical Support Specialist assists the Network Manager in administering a program for the design, development and implementation of computer applications and local area network operating systems; oversees the development, support, and implementation of Local Area Networks (LAN) and their related operating systems; supervises the installation, customization and maintenance of approved vendor supplied software for Local Area Network operations; coordinates operations with the Senior LAN and WAN specialists to maintain optimal network performance; formulates and prepares LAN System documentation; studies and evaluates new methods and procedures to determine the adaptability to LAN/WAN technology; develops training plan for technicians and specialists in the efficient use of computer hardware, network management tools, and LAN/WAN technology; provides direction and support for all subordinate staff assigned to the area of responsibility; addresses staffing issues including recruitment, interviewing staff and makes hiring recommendations; administers employee performance reviews as required; maintains employee scheduling to assign the proper qualified staff for customer needs as requested; ensures proper tracking and recording of services provided for accurate billing purposes.

Qualifications:

Candidates must meet one of the following requirements on or before the date of the written test:

A. Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered four year college or university with a Bachelor’s degree and four years of experience in data processing which included at least one year of experience in programming and/or maintenance of vendor supplied operating software and, one year of experience in the installation and maintenance of LAN operating systems; or:

B. Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered two or four year college or university with an Associate’s degree in Data Processing, Computer Science, Business Administration or related field and six years of experience in data processing which included at least one year of experience in programming and/or maintenance of vendor supplied operating software, and one year of experience in the installation and maintenance of LAN operating systems; or:

C. Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and eight years of experience in data processing which included at least one year of experience in programming and/or maintenance of vendor supplied operating software, and one year of experience in the installation and maintenance of LAN operating systems; or:

D. An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of (A), (B) and (C).

Notes:

NOTES: 1. Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting the experience requirements. 2. Your degree and/or col1ege credit must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university or one recognized by the New York State Education Department as following acceptable educational practices. A grade of "D" or better is necessary for a course to be credited as successfully completed. If your degree and/or college credit was awarded by an educational institution outside of the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to this Department for a list of acceptable companies providing this service; you must pay the required evaluation fee.

The New York State Department of Civil Service has not prepared a test guide for this examination. However, candidates may find information in the publication "How to take a written test" helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at: www.cs.ny.gov/testing/localtestguides.cfm

Subjects of Examination:

A written test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas:

1. Administration: These questions test for knowledge of the managerial functions involved in directing an organization or an organizational segment. These questions cover such areas as: developing objectives and formulating policies; making decisions based on the context of the administrator's position and authority; forecasting and planning; organizing; developing personnel; coordinating and informing; guiding and leading; testing and evaluating; and budgeting.

2. Principles And Practices Of LAN Administration: These questions test for knowledge of procedures and terminology applicable to administering a local area network (LAN). They cover such subjects as installing, configuring and upgrading a network; establishing user accounts and assigning access rights; monitoring network performance and troubleshooting; dividing networks and linking to other networks; creating and documenting procedures for users; and establishing and maintaining network security. The questions are not specific to any particular LAN.

3. Preparing Written Material: These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.

4. Project Management: These questions are designed to test for techniques and concepts of project management. They may cover, but not necessarily be confined to, management of systems development, management by objectives, project scheduling and control techniques (e.g., PERT), characteristics of organizations and of the systems life cycle, and the development of data processing standards.

5. Supervision: These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of a work unit toward predetermined objectives. The concepts covered, usually in a situational question format, include such topics as assigning and reviewing work; evaluating performance; maintaining work standards; motivating and developing subordinates; implementing procedural change; increasing efficiency; and dealing with problems of absenteeism, morale, and discipline.

6. Systems Analysis And Design: These questions test for techniques and concepts of computer systems analysis and design. They cover such subjects as feasibility and applications studies, systems development tools and software, the systems life cycle, types of systems (e.g., client/server, Web-based), controls, and systems documentation, testing, and implementation.

**IMPORTANT APPLICATION FEE - READ CAREFULLY**

A $20.00 filing fee is required for this exam. The required fee must accompany your application. Send or bring check or money order made payable to Erie County Personnel Department and write the examination number(s) on your check or money order. Do not send or bring cash, as the County cannot be responsible for cash payment. As no refund will be made, you are urged to compare your qualifications carefully with the requirements for admission and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified.