Dear Bureaupat,

I just received my SF-50 and I'm mystified. Where do I find the occupational series designation on the SF-50?

Dear Mystified,

Every once in a while I get a question that I can answer with a straightforward answer. I'm happy to report that your question is one of them, which is good because it's Monday morning and I'm not yet ready for another week of government complexities.

For readers to whom "occupational series" is a new term, here's a quick explanation: The Office of Personnel Management has established occupational groups and series for both white collar jobs under the General Schedule (GS) as well as blue collar positions, also known as Wage Grade (WG). The designations are a way to classify the kind of work being done by the U.S. government, the subject matter of the work, the level of difficulty and responsibility, and the qualification requirements.

Now back your your question...

Your occupational series — your specialized line of work — can be found in Block 9 of the SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action. For a complete listing of all the occupational groups and series, see OPM's Handbook on Occupational Groups and Families.

Yours in Gov,

Bureaupat

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