CITY CORRECTION JOB REOPENED FOR FILING

Starting Salary $30,705; 1,500 Hirings in '08; Written Test Nov. 3; Need College or Military Duty

Filing has just restarted for an exam leading to Correction Officer jobs, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services said.

Applications must be submitted by Aug. 15 for the latest round of filing. Individuals who apply by then will be eligible for the Nov. 3 written exam.

Jobs By Spring '08

A successful candidate would probably be processed over a three-to-four-month period," said DOC spokesman Michael Saucier. The department is looking to hire 1,400 to 1,500 candidates over the next year, he added.

The starting salary for Correction Officer is $26,667, which rises to $34,742 after six months, for combined first-year compensation of $30,705. The top salary is $63,309 after 5-1/2 years on the job.

Candidates must have completed 39 college credits or two years of full-time U.S. military service, and must have a high school diploma or GED by the time they enter the training academy. Individuals with a high school diploma who have two years of experience as a city, state, or Federal law-enforcement officer may also qualify.

To be appointed, candidates must be at least 21 years old. Applicants must be 17-1/2 by the end of the filing period to take the exam. Appointees need to have a state driver's license and must be residents of New York City or Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Orange, Rockland, or Putnam counties.

What Test Covers

The multiple-choice exam will test candidates' abilities in written comprehension and expression, problem identification, basic arithmetic, and deductive and inductive reasoning. It will also gauge candidates' abilities to order information, determine where they are in relation to an object, and visualize how something will look after it is moved or changed.

In addition, candidates must pass a background check, a psychological evaluation, a physical exam, and a drug-and-alcohol screening. A $75 fee for fingerprint screening is required for the background investigation. Appointees will have probationary status for 24 months and must complete a training course. Correction Officers have to pass an annual firearms test. They are required to work nights, weekends, and holidays.

Appointees must qualify and remain certified for firearms usage for the duration of their employment. A firearms qualification test will be administered annually to determine qualification. New hires must complete a 24-month departmental probationary period.

Further information can be obtained by calling 1-877-NY1-BOLD; online at www.nyc.gov/dcas , or by writing the DCAS Application Center, 18 Washington St., New York, N.Y., 10004.