Do I meet the minimum qualifications for Information Management Specialists?

To be considered as a candidate for the Information Management Specialist position, you must meet the minimum education and experience qualification requirements listed below.

Quiz
EducationSpecialized ExperienceCertificationCheck Your Level
Information Technology Degree (minimum Associate's degree) No Specialized Experience requiredNot required
----- OR -----
Non-Information Technology degree (minimum Associate's degree) Minimum of two (2) years of Specialized Experience within the last five (5) yearsNot Required
----- OR -----
U.S. military IT-related training or specialty Minimum of two (2) years of Specialized Experience within the last five (5) years.Not required
----- OR -----
 None of the above 

Notes

  1. In addition to education and experience requirements, candidates must also be able to pass a computer-based skills test.
  2. Approved IT degrees include the fields of Information Management, Telecommunications Management, Computer Information Systems, Networking, Data Processing, Computer Sciences, Mathematics or other related computer networking fields.
  3. Specialized Experience must be related to: working with computers, upgrading, repairing, replacing hardware and software components; or working with network devices, switches and routers; or performing Sys-Admin functions such as mail server maintenance; adding, deleting and assigning users to roles and providing direct assistance to customers, patch management and server maintenance; configuring or administering virtual network environment; the cloud; telecommunications or voice communications; information security; or Program Management for IT projects or Data Analytics experience..

Further, to be considered for the Information Management Specialist position, you must be willing to move around the world.

QuestionVerification
Are you willing to be mobile and available anywhere around the world, including moving one’s home base, uprooting children from school, etc., every 2-3 years, and having to re-establish friendships or professional contacts at new locations?
Furthermore, are you willing to spend time, often brief (e.g., few days) but occasionally prolonged (e.g., month or more) away from your family because of job responsibilities?
Factors Influencing Your Competitiveness

There are a wide variety of factors influencing who is offered a position as a Information Management Specialist. These include how well a candidate performs on the oral assessment, the number of vacancies, the number of eligible hires already in line, and the number of people who accept job offers. Even though there are no guarantees that anyone will be offered a position, there are certain evaluation factors used to distinguish between candidates.

Below is a list of some of the factors used to evaluate candidates. By rating yourself honestly, you can get an idea of how competitive you might be. When you are finished, click the "Submit" button to view an analysis of your competitiveness. The self-evaluation is a guide for your use only. The U.S. Department of State does not use, pass on, or even record and retain the information contained in this questionnaire.

Experience

Please rate yourself on the extent to which you possess the experience. Use the following scale:

ScoreExperience DescriptionTypical Years of Experience
5I am considered an expert in performing this task. Because of my expertise, I am normally the person who is consulted by others to train them in doing this task.3 years of direct experience
4I have routinely performed this task independently with little or no supervision.2 years of direct experience
3I have performed this task on the job with occasional assistance.1 year or less of direct experience
2I have had education or training in performing this task, but I have not yet performed it on the job.No experience
1I have not had education, training, or experience in performing this task.No experience

 

Experience12345
Experience with deploying IT solutions to offices world-wide, ensuring the new systems are fully operational and training users on new systems.
Experience with managing and operating classified and unclassified client/server solutions, desktop systems, messaging solutions, web-based technology, and databases.
Experience with installing, configuring, and supporting an organization's local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and Internet system, or a segment of a network system.
Experience with monitoring system and network performance to determine necessary adjustments and recommending improvements to systems and network configurations.
Experience installing, updating, troubleshooting, and training users on software.
Experience with installing replacement parts and performing repairs to hardware and peripheral equipment.
Experience with monitoring and analyzing security measures implemented on information systems, performing system scans, and diagramming of network infrastructure to understand security risks.
Experience with documenting and regularly updating information requirements, backup holdings, business continuity, and disaster recovery plans, policies, and procedures, and periodically testing these procedures.
Experience with answering questions, providing technical assistance, and resolving computer problems for clients in person, via telephone, or from remote locations.
Experience with diagnosing and resolving problems, including providing customer service at Tier One (initial), Tier Two (in-depth), and Tier Three (intensive) technology support.
Experience with keeping current with IT through reading and studying materials on information resources management and new and emerging technologies.
Please continue by rating your knowledge and skills.
Knowledge and Skills

Please rate yourself on the extent to which you possess the following knowledge and skills. Use the following scale:

ScoreKnowledge and Skills
5I am considered an expert in this knowledge or skill. Because of my expertise I am normally the person who is consulted by others to train them.
4I have knowledge or skill in this area and can use it on the job with little or no supervision.
3I have some knowledge or skill in this area and can use it on the job with occasional assistance.
2I have had education or training in knowledge or skill, but have not performed it on the job.
1I have not had education, training, or experience in this knowledge or skill.

 

Knowledge/Skill12345
Knowledge of networking, including local area (LAN) and wide area (WAN) networking, network operating systems, web technology, satellite technologies, and technology trends.
Knowledge of information security procedures, including encryption, information technology industry standards, and network protocols.
Knowledge of COTS (commercial off the shelf software), including office computer programs such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint.
Knowledge of personal computer and networking hardware, including how to provide maintenance and repairs.
Knowledge of customer service techniques and skill in customer service, teamwork, and coordination to actively help customers and colleagues.
Skill in determining the source of problems and applying corrective action by applying knowledge of personal computers, local area networks, and software to find innovative and cost-effective solutions to operational problems.
Skill in presenting complex, technical concepts in simple, everyday terms to non-IT colleagues and other stakeholders.
Skill in interacting easily with people from varied backgrounds, including people outside of your social, professional, or cultural group.
Skill in working positively with people within a government or commercial organization in order to promote harmony, cooperation, and good morale.
Amount of Self-Assessed Fit for Information Management Specialists

The table below indicates how well your self-indicated knowledge, skills and abilities, and experience fits with the requirements of the job and many of the factors with which candidates are evaluated.

Self-Evaluation of Competitiveness for Information Management Specialist

Score Key

Score (%)Amount of Fit
74-100High
47-73Medium
20-46Low

For salary, detailed job description and information on how to apply for this position, please review the IMS career track page.