ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
OPEN-COMPETITIVE EXAM NO. 60032090
APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED UNTIL: EXAMINATION WILL BE HELD:
April 11, 2025 May 3, 2025
ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATIONS: Applications must be received by the City of Ithaca Human Resources Department no later than 4:30 PM EST on the last filing date indicated above. Applications must be submitted electronically through our online application program at https://ithaca-portal.mycivilservice.com. We do not accept paper applications, faxed applications, e-mailed applications or photocopies of applications.
APPLICATION MATERIALS REQUIRED: A City of Ithaca application and copy of high school and college transcript.
VACANCIES: Currently, there is one (1) vacancy in the City of Ithaca and one (1) vacancy in the Ithaca City School District. The eligible list established as a result of this examination may be used to fill this vacancy and any future vacancies that may occur during the life of the eligible list.
RESIDENCY: There are no residency requirements for this position. Preference in certification may be given to candidates who are residents of the municipality in which appointment is to be made, provided that the candidate is a resident of such municipality at the time of examination and remains a resident of such municipality continuously thereafter, up to and including the dates of certification and appointment.
SALARY: $45,470 - $54,055 (35 Hours) – City of Ithaca
$27.50/Hour - Ithaca City School District
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: The work involves responsibility for performing a wide variety of administrative activities and tasks in support of an office or agency program. Specific tasks vary depending on the functional area and program objectives of the agency to which the employee is assigned, but the Administrative Assistant position is characterized by substantial contact with agency clients and/or the general public to explain program services, requirements, etc., by managing complex records systems and by assisting administrators and professional staff in the performance of the more routine, less difficult and highly structured tasks required of these administrative positions. The work is performed under the general supervision of a higher level administrator according to clearly defined guidelines and instructions. Supervision may be exercised over the work of clerical assistants. Does related work as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Either:
- Possession of an Associate’s degree and two (2) years of clerical, administrative or office management experience which shall have involved maintaining electronic records in a database or spreadsheet application and preparing reports; or
(b) Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and four (4) years of clerical, administrative or office management experience which shall have involved maintaining electronic records in a database or spreadsheet application and preparing reports; or
(c) An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of (a) and (b).
Note: College degrees must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education and/or U.S. Secretary of Education. If an applicant’s degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, the applicant must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found at https://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. Applicants are responsible for payment of the required evaluation fee.
If you expect to complete the educational requirement within six (6) months of the date of examination, you can be admitted to this examination. If successful on the examination, you will not be certified for appointment until you have submitted proof of completion of the requirements to the Civil Service Commission. Proof must be submitted within eight months of the date of examination. Failure to do so will result in removal of your name from the eligible list.
Special Requirement for Appointment in the Ithaca City School District: Per Chapter 180 of the Laws of 2000, and by Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, to be employed in a position designated by the Ithaca City School District as involving direct contact with students, a clearance for employment from the State Education Department is required.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Applicants may be required to undergo a State and national criminal history background investigation, which will include a fingerprint check, to determine suitability for appointment. Failure to meet the standards for the background investigation may result in disqualification.
SCOPE OF THE EXAMINATION: A test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas.
- Name and number checking
These questions test for the ability to distinguish between sets of words, letters, and/or numbers that are almost exactly alike. Material is usually presented in two or three columns, and you will have to determine how the entry in the first column compares with the entry in the second column and possibly the third. You will be instructed to mark your answers according to a designated code provided in the directions.
- Operations with Letters and Numbers
These questions test for skills and abilities in operations involving alphabetizing, comparing, checking and counting. The questions require you to follow the specific directions given for each question which may involve alphabetizing, comparing, checking and counting given groups of letters and/or numbers.
- Customer service
These questions test for knowledge of techniques used to interact with other people, to gather and present information, and to provide assistance, advice and effective customer service in a courteous and professional manner. Questions will cover such topics as understanding and responding to people with diverse needs, perspectives, personalities, and levels of familiarity with agency operations, as well as acting in a way that both serves the public and reflects well on your agency.
- Understanding and interpreting written material
These questions test for the ability to understand and interpret written material. You will be presented with brief reading passages and will be asked questions about the passages. You should base your answers to the questions only on what is presented in the passages and not on what you may happen to know about the topic.
- Working with office records
These questions test your ability to work with office records. The test consists of two or more sets of questions, each set concerning a different problem. Typical record keeping problems might involve the organization or collation of numerical data from several sources; maintaining a record system using running balances; or completion of a table summarizing data using totals, subtotals, averages and percents. You should bring with you a hand-held battery- or solar-powered calculator for use on this test. You will not be permitted to use the calculator function of your cell phone.
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 'General Guide to Written Tests' helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.
NOTE: Most Civil Service examinations do not require the use of a quiet, hand-held calculator or slide rule; however, candidates have the option of bringing a battery-operated or solar-powered calculator to the test room unless specifically notified that their use is prohibited. Devices with typewriter keyboards, spell checkers, Personal Digital Assistants, Address Books, Language Translators, Dictionaries, or any similar devices are prohibited. Use of Calculators is recommended for this Exam.
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION - CANDIDATES WITH DISABILITIES - MILITARY MEMBERS:
Applicants whose religious beliefs or military service prevent their taking examinations on the scheduled date and candidates with disabilities who require special accommodations to take the test should indicate the need for special arrangements on their application. Candidates who are called to military service after filing an application should send requests for an alternate test date to the City of Ithaca Human Resources/Civil Service Department before the test date.
Military Service Members: If you apply for an examination during the filing period but are on active military duty on the date the examination is scheduled, you may request a military makeup examination. Contact the City of Ithaca Human Resources/Civil Service Department for more information. If you are on active duty or discharged after the filing period has begun, you may apply for the examination up to ten days before the test date.SECTION 23.2 STATEMENT: This examination will be prepared and rated in accordance with Section 23(2) of the Civil Service Law. The provisions of New York State Civil Service Law, Rules and Regulations dealing with the preparation and rating of examinations will apply to this examination.
TIME AND PLACE OF THE EXAMINATION: Approved candidates will be notified by mail regarding the time and place of the examination. If notice of approval or disapproval is not received three (3) days prior to the exam date, please call the City of Ithaca Human Resources/Civil Service Department at (607) 274-6539.
MULTIPLE EXAMINATIONS SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME DAY: If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date, so they can make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All examinations for positions in State government will be held at a State examination center.
VETERANS CREDIT: Veterans or disabled veterans who are eligible for additional credit must submit an application for veterans credit with their application for examination or at any time between the dates of their application for examination and the date of the establishment of the resulting eligible list. Applications for veterans credit are available from this office. Veterans credits can only be added to a passing score on the examination.
Effective January 1, 1998, the State Constitution was amended to permit a candidate currently in the armed forces to apply for and be conditionally granted veterans credit in examinations. Any candidate who applies for such credit must provide proof of military status to receive the conditional credit. No credit may be granted after the establishment of the list. It is the responsibility of the candidate to provide appropriate documentary proof of military service, and verification that the candidate received an honorable discharge or was released under honorable conditions in order to be certified at a score including veterans credits.
ADDITIONAL CREDIT FOR CHILDREN OF FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY: In conformance with section 85-a of the Civil Service Law, children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty shall be entitled to receive an additional ten points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent has served. If you are qualified to participate in this examination and are a child of a firefighter or police officer killed in the line of duty in this municipality, please inform this office of this matter when you submit your application for examination. A candidate claiming such credit has a minimum of two months from the application deadline to provide the necessary documentation to verify additional credit eligibility. However, no credit may be added after the eligible list has been established.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION
- Falsification of any part of your employment application will result in disqualification.
- Applicants must answer every question on the application and make sure that the application is complete in all respects. Incomplete applications will be disapproved.
- Candidates who wish to take more than one examination must submit an application for each examination. If you are cross-filing for another examination to be held on the same date, please indicate this on the application and specify the examination title and number, and the jurisdiction offering the other examination.
- Appointments from an eligible list must be made from the top three candidates willing to accept appointment. The duration of an eligible list may be fixed for a minimum period of one (1) year and a maximum period of four (4) years.
- It is the responsibility of the candidate to notify the City of Ithaca Human Resources/Civil Service Department of any change in address. No attempt will be made to locate candidates who have moved.
Issued by: City of Ithaca Civil Service Commission
March 18, 2025
The City of Ithaca is committed to Equity and Inclusion. We encourage those with similar values to apply.
