Civil Service - EO exams

bobbygirl

Thanks guys think Im going to find this tough was hard enough trying to think of the first examples and Im not great at waffling on either !!!

Sorry for all the questions but for attire would something like a blouse and skirt be ok or will it have to be a suit???

The_Conductor

bobbygirl wrote: »

Thanks guys think Im going to find this tough was hard enough trying to think of the first examples and Im not great at waffling on either !!!

Sorry for all the questions but for attire would something like a blouse and skirt be ok or will it have to be a suit???

Its a formal interview- so dress accordingly. There may not be any marks for attire, but you will give a bad first impression. Its safer to dress too formally, than it is to dress not formally enough. In practice the interviews tend to be held by older staff of at least a grade above that which you are being interviewed for. They will be a lot older than you (normally) and probably have more conservative ideas than you have. (If you are offered the job- you can see what everyone else is wearing and dress similarly yourself. I spent 7 years in a Policy Section where I had to dress in a formal suit most days- now in IT they'd look at me like I had two heads if I turned up in a suit (occasionally I do still wear a shirt and tie).

Re: the examples- they don't have to be in a work context- they can include hobbies you have, societies you've been a member of, school activities etc- literally any events in your life that you feel showcases the attribute they are examining you on. Remember its what *you* did- so its "I did" blah, and then "I did blah"....... They are looking at you and how you performed- not how they specific events unravelled.

Don't waffle- you won't get extra points- they will be a lot happier with someone who gets to the point, than someone who dances around the bush for a few minutes without ever hitting the point they are trying to make. But- you are not to talk in bullet-point style either.

Don't learn off your examples by rote- they will stop you as you go and ask for more detail (make sure you listen carefully to what they ask- and make sure you answer their question).

It would be a good idea to prepare a few examples- and then get a friend to practise them on.

If you've never done a structured interview before- there are some very good courses out there (Carr Communications do one specifically aimed at PAS and Garda interviews, other companies do similar).

Hope this helps,

Shane

Vanbis

bobbygirl wrote: »

Thanks guys think Im going to find this tough was hard enough trying to think of the first examples and Im not great at waffling on either !!!

Sorry for all the questions but for attire would something like a blouse and skirt be ok or will it have to be a suit???

I did the interview a while back and i was asked for other examples on my application form i sent with questions and examples they wanted. I think once you are prepared then with your answers and come accross well then you should have nothing to be nervous about. I wasnt nervous myself and was even more relaxed once i went into the room.

I heard back 2 weeks later and i was told i was successful.

I'm now waiting to get called up, but god knows when that will. I could be waiting another 2 months or 12 months which is the most frustrating part.

Good luck.

gary the great

Do a lot of talking and come across confident and sure of yourself. I never stopped going, they had to keep interupting me to ask new questions. Dont confuse this with talking ****e though!

And give a broad range of competancies, dont just stick to work related things.

Mrbrianmolko

I hear DFSA have approved 110 new staff to cope wth the extra workload, although I hear its only CO's and So's, but there may be a few EO's needed to i dont know.

Who said the civil service was handy, my God ive never worked so hard and been under so much stress as I currently am! One of yis can have my job if you want!!!

yerwon

Vanbis wrote: »

I did the interview a while back and i was asked for other examples on my application form i sent with questions and examples they wanted. I think once you are prepared then with your answers and come accross well then you should have nothing to be nervous about. I wasnt nervous myself and was even more relaxed once i went into the room.

I heard back 2 weeks later and i was told i was successful.

I'm now waiting to get called up, but god knows when that will. I could be waiting another 2 months or 12 months which is the most frustrating part.

Good luck.

Hey Vanbis, I'm just wondering - you did the interview for EO a while back and were successful but you've actually been told it will be between two and twelve months before you're called, is that right? What a wait! If I'm successful I'll have to remember to be patient...

Cadet? wrote: »

Hey yerwon,

You mind me asking what number you were on the Dublin panel?

107!

Aglomerado

Mrbrianmolko wrote: »

Who said the civil service was handy, my God ive never worked so hard and been under so much stress as I currently am! One of yis can have my job if you want!!!

Same here; I've been an EO for 2.5 years; have 10+ staff and responsibility for a lot of stuff besides... the pressure's unbelievable at times. The people are great though and the flexi time's handy so that keeps me going.

Vanbis

yerwon wrote: »

Hey Vanbis, I'm just wondering - you did the interview for EO a while back and were successful but you've actually been told it will be between two and twelve months before you're called, is that right? What a wait! If I'm successful I'll have to remember to be patient...

Hey Yerwne

I wasn't given a time, i was just saying i could get called in 2 months or 12 months. I supose it all depends on when they come around to me and have a position available which will be the same for everyone else.

channelsurfer

one thing to be careful is that you must pass both the written and interview. if you fail the written then you dont pass. the written one can be a bit tricky you are under time pressure. make sure you dont write the date that you do the interview. its spelt out what date you should write and DONT sign your own name. you would be surprised the amount of people that sign their own name on the letter they have to write.
the questioning at the interview will be intense none stop but they will guide you to the write reply if you listen to them carefully.
best of luck

bobbygirl

Just thought Id give an update after all my questions about the interview!! Got a message today to say Ive been successful !! In shocjk as thought Id made a bit of a mess of the whole thing especially the letter but my 2 interviewers were really nice so could have been lucky...

Anyone else heard anything since or started a job??

Bill2

Hi,

Just wanted to give people a quick update on this competition, looks like it's moving... allbeit very slowly.
I was placed 9th on one of the panels a couple of months ago and when i rang today for an update i was told i'm now 3rd, so if it continues in this vein i hopefully will be hearing something in the new year... fingers crossed.
So don't give up hope, has anyone else checked it out lately to see was there progress??

applicant

I rang them two weeks ago and they told me that the number called for interview had not changed since I called last (about 2 months ago). Not sure about the whole thing anymore. Didn't expect it to take so long
as I am finding the recruitment process very frustrating along with the fact that you don't really know where you could be sent.

The_Conductor

applicant wrote: »

I rang them two weeks ago and they told me that the number called for interview had not changed since I called last (about 2 months ago). Not sure about the whole thing anymore. Didn't expect it to take so long
as I am finding the recruitment process very frustrating along with the fact that you don't really know where you could be sent.

Its unfortunate- but its a reflection of the dire straits the government finances are in. There is now talk of a supplementary budget for government departments, further reducing their 2009 allocations. There will be appointments sooner or later- but its very much a waiting game. People are retiring/dying the whole time- even with a reduction in budgets- eventually people do need to be recruited. I can only imagine your frustration with the waiting- but do hang in there.

Vanbis

bobbygirl wrote: »

Just thought Id give an update after all my questions about the interview!! Got a message today to say Ive been successful !! In shocjk as thought Id made a bit of a mess of the whole thing especially the letter but my 2 interviewers were really nice so could have been lucky...

Anyone else heard anything since or started a job??

Hi Bobbygirl, Well doing on passing and getting through, but i wouldnt get you're hopes to much. I went through the same process and heard back a week later i passed and was now on a waiting list, that was over two months ago and i am still waiting.

Cadet?

Got the email below just a few days ago. More or less the same place as they were 2/3 months ago. Quite disappointing, but at least it looks like panel will be open till 2010......My god, all this waiting for an INTERVIEW!


Dear Cadet?,

For the Dublin Region we have sent out Interview Preparation Questionnaires (IPQs) to candidates up to Order of Merit 204. Approximately the first 131 candidates have been interviewed. For the Limerick Region we have sent out IPQs to the first 40 candidates on the Order of Merit. Approximately 28 candidates have been interviewed. There are currently no vacancies for the Dublin Region for the Executive Officer (Open) competition and there is currently one vacancy for Limerick.

The lifetime of the Executive Officer Open Competition is normally two years which would be 2010. At this stage we would not be able to say if this panel will be extended.

Unfortunately I would not be able to give an estimate of when you would be called for interview. We call candidates for interview based on vacancies and we currently have a panel in place for both Dublin and Limerick so it is unlikely that interviews will be arranged for these regions in the near future.

Regards,

Very helpful PAS worker

yerwon

I had the interview two and a bit weeks ago and was told I was successful - rang them up and was told there are five people ahead of me for Dublin and no vacancies at the moment...

From the most recent comments it here it looks like five people ahead of me could well mean months and months of a wait! Disappointing, but I can live with it once I end up getting a position!

Would people think the panel might move more after Christmas?

The_Conductor

yerwon wrote: »

Would people think the panel might move more after Christmas?

To be honest- the 2009 pay element of department budgets are a hell of a lot tighter than the 2008 ones were (an additional 4% cut- with more planned in the supplementary budget). Vacancies will arise- but just don't expect it to happen immediately.

bobbygirl

To be honest Im not really in a hurry .Probably suits me better if I didnt get called for a while as Im studying at the moment and sounds like this job could be way more stressful than what Im doing now !!

I havent heard anything though about placement did you email them to find out where you were on it?

Vanbis wrote: »

Hi Bobbygirl, Well doing on passing and getting through, but i wouldnt get you're hopes to much. I went through the same process and heard back a week later i passed and was now on a waiting list, that was over two months ago and i am still waiting.

Vanbis

bobbygirl wrote: »

I havent heard anything though about placement did you email them to find out where you were on it?

I have not sent a e-mail or phoned to see how long i could be waiting but i know its going to be a while with the current climate. Anyone know who i could ring to find out anymore information on my were i might be in a list etc. PM welcomed

cee_jay

Cadet? wrote: »

Got the email below just a few days ago. More or less the same place as they were 2/3 months ago. Quite disappointing, but at least it looks like panel will be open till 2010......My god, all this waiting for an INTERVIEW!


Dear Cadet?,

For the Dublin Region we have sent out Interview Preparation Questionnaires (IPQs) to candidates up to Order of Merit 204. Approximately the first 131 candidates have been interviewed. For the Limerick Region we have sent out IPQs to the first 40 candidates on the Order of Merit. Approximately 28 candidates have been interviewed. There are currently no vacancies for the Dublin Region for the Executive Officer (Open) competition and there is currently one vacancy for Limerick.

The lifetime of the Executive Officer Open Competition is normally two years which would be 2010. At this stage we would not be able to say if this panel will be extended.

Unfortunately I would not be able to give an estimate of when you would be called for interview. We call candidates for interview based on vacancies and we currently have a panel in place for both Dublin and Limerick so it is unlikely that interviews will be arranged for these regions in the near future.

Regards,

Very helpful PAS worker

I had an interview the start of September, was placed 14 in Limerick and 20 in Cork - today I received a letter stating I have been successful and am being assigned to a position in Limerick - am delighted!

The_Conductor

cAr0l wrote: »

I had an interview the start of September, was placed 14 in Limerick and 20 in Cork - today I received a letter stating I have been successful and am being assigned to a position in Limerick - am delighted!

Well done- best of good luck in your new position.

cee_jay

smccarrick wrote: »

Well done- best of good luck in your new position.

Thank you! It couldn't come at a better time as I am being made redundant on 19th December. Such a relief having that lifted from my shoulders right now.

The_Conductor

cAr0l wrote: »

Thank you! It couldn't come at a better time as I am being made redundant on 19th December. Such a relief having that lifted from my shoulders right now.

Its good the way things worked out for you. I was in a similar position when I was offered my job 8 years ago- my previous post had been outsourced to India. I'm guessing you are going around with a big smile on your face!

S.

bobbygirl

Another question

Did anyone who was successful in the interview get any feedback about how they did in the post or where they were placed??

cee_jay

bobbygirl wrote: »

Another question

Did anyone who was successful in the interview get any feedback about how they did in the post or where they were placed??

No, just got an email through on publicjobs saying:
"I am pleased to inform you that you have reached the qualifying standard and have been placed on the order of merit.

You will come under consideration for appointment to the position of Executive Officer in the Civil Service when and if vacancies arise."

Nolanger

Well done - hope you enjoy working in a dole office

jamella

I emailed last week to check the up to date position and was told I'm number six on the Cork panel, I was number nine so that's good however there are no current vacancies but fingers crossed none the less. I also asked about interview feedback and was told it would be posted out to me. I guess its just a waiting game now!!!

dublin15

Hi,

Just have a quick question, I have been 1st on the Dublin Panel since the middle of November... (I no it seems strange that a single position hasn't come up in over 2 months!!). Im currently working as a clerical officer and last week PAS sent my final clearance to my personnel section. I was just wondering how long it usually takes for final clearance to be processed and could this mean they have a job in the pipeline?;)

The_Conductor

dublin15 wrote: »

Hi,

Just have a quick question, I have been 1st on the Dublin Panel since the middle of November... (I no it seems strange that a single position hasn't come up in over 2 months!!). Im currently working as a clerical officer and last week PAS sent my final clearance to my personnel section. I was just wondering how long it usually takes for final clearance to be processed and could this mean they have a job in the pipeline?;)

Its not strange to be honest- quite simply while there is no official embargo on recruitment- given that department's budgets for pay have been cut- there is no money there to recruit new staff, irrespective of needs.

Final clearance can take 1-2 weeks.

I would not make any assumptions- until such time as you get a letter of offer from the PAS.

Well done on getting first on the panel.

S.

yerwon

I'm a CO at the moment and am 6th on the panel - another CO in my office is 7th... we are not holding our breath at this stage. Social Welfare really is our only hope but I know they've already been looking for people from other departments, Justice at least.

Hope it comes through for you dublin15!

gary the great

There not looking for EO's in Social Welfare though, the 115 staff are CO's and So's

The_Conductor

gary the great wrote: »

There not looking for EO's in Social Welfare though, the 115 staff are CO's and So's

Any of the higher ranking staff have been seconded from other government departments- but almost everywhere is operating on a shoestring- no-one who retired in almost 2 years has been replaced- while there may not be any recruitment as people may be used to- something is going to have to happen, because the basic operation of many sections and divisions are slowly coming asunder.

Isa2009

Hi,

Just wondering how you all applied for the EO exams? Just through the publicjobs website alerts or what?

Ta!

The_Conductor

Isa2009 wrote: »

Hi,

Just wondering how you all applied for the EO exams? Just through the publicjobs website alerts or what?

Ta!

The job alerts thingy isn't the most reliable- your best bet is to check the publicjobs.ie website periodically, to see if anything is coming up. To be perfectly honest- jobs are going to be few and far between in the current climate- but do keep an eye out nonetheless.

Abstar

Hi guys - wondering if anyone can clear something up for me:

I see a lot of people are saying where they placed in different areas - Cork, Dublin, Limerick etc. Now this might be a very stupid question (!) but ... at what part of the process did you select the area - or was it selected based on where one lives? I did the EO exams back in May/June last year and got the email telling me I'd ranked just outside the top 200 for the EO in revenue and outside the top 400 for the general EO competition. While I'm pretty sure I'm unlikely to be called when I'm that far down the pecking order(!), I'm just curious that there was no area specified on my email. Am I missing something???!

dublin15

Hi

After being told I was 1st on the Dublin panel in November and on several occasions since, I contacted PAS to see if there was any update. I was advised that I am now number 2 on the panel!

It seems that the person who placed ahead of me on the panel was offered a position, which was subsequently cancelled as a result of budget cuts.

I'm gutted (although probably not as gutted as the person whose position was cancelled!) I really thought that there was light at the end of the tunnel but now i'm not so sure.

What is the likelihood of the government recruiting anyone from this panel considering they are trying to save on public expenditure?

InReality

I'm sorry to hear that, its very bad luck.
Its impossible to say but I would guess the top 2 on a such a wide ranging panel would still get a call this year.

Nolanger

Might have been mentioned already here but if you're on the EO (ict) panel then forget it:



The Revenue National Committee has told management it wants the Open EO Panel suspended in an effort to protect promotional opportunites in the context of the budget cuts announced by Revenue Chairman Josephine Feehily.

In response to the CPSU it was agreed it would be best to build in house expertise and reduce dependency on consultants but training costs could prove prohibitive. Intended to proceed to recruit some ICT staff from the PAS Open EO ICT Panel (Note: The CPSU has secured a commitment from Finance that this Panel will NOT be used pending conclusion of discussions on our call for the holding of a new InterD EO/JSA Competition and CO Programmer Competitions coupled with a commitment to ending the widespread use of ICT consultants)

www.cpsu.ie

The_Conductor

Nolanger wrote: »

Might have been mentioned already here but if you're on the EO (ict) panel then forget it:

Definitely forget it.
Most of the recent EO ICT external appointments were people on the AO ICT panels who were contacted by the PAS and offered EO ICT instead...... There are 2 court cases ongoing at present as a result of this practice.

dublin15

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone knows what impact this embargo will have on external panels such as this EO one.

If its a full embargo does that mean no recruitment whatsoever for the duration or can there be exceptions to this?

Also, would existing panels be put on hold for the duration of the embargo, continuing once it is lifted or do they simply close, leaving anyone on them to reapply again?

Sorry for all the questions, just I have no idea what to expect. Tried to contact the PAS to get some information but they advised that they havent had any official notification of the embargo and therefore have no idea how it will/may effect existing panels.:rolleyes:

The_Conductor

Its a defacto embargo- rather than an official one. All recruitment has to be sanctioned by the Department of Finance. At present they simply are not sanctioning any recruitment. The panels have a set lifespan, in certain circumstances they can receive a temporary extension (typically for a 3 or 6 month period). Once this expires a new competition is called and new panels constituted (irrespective of whether the people on the old panels are placed or not). The argument for doing this is that the very best people who are currently available will have the option of applying- whereas they might not have been available when the previous competition was originally called. A lot of people who might not have considered the civil service because of the salaries, see it in an entirely different perspective in a recession!

Hope this helps,

S.

Vanbis

Anyone when or if they might he hiring again anytime soon? I had a interview before x-mas and was successful and received a letter to confirm but nothing else. I know with the recession everything has changed for the worse.

Anyone know if after a certain amount of time if you had to sit the Aptitudetest and go for another interview process or is just a matter of waiting and hoping?

stevoman

Vanbis wrote: »

Anyone when or if they might he hiring again anytime soon? I had a interview before x-mas and was successful and received a letter to confirm but nothing else. I know with the recession everything has changed for the worse.

Anyone know if after a certain amount of time if you had to sit the Aptitudetest and go for another interview process or is just a matter of waiting and hoping?

not looking so good at the moment im afraid. current internal panels are basically gone by the wayside and the embargo looks as though the wont be hiring at all.

The_Conductor

Vanbis wrote: »

Anyone when or if they might he hiring again anytime soon? I had a interview before x-mas and was successful and received a letter to confirm but nothing else. I know with the recession everything has changed for the worse.

Anyone know if after a certain amount of time if you had to sit the Aptitudetest and go for another interview process or is just a matter of waiting and hoping?

Officially there is an embargo in place, which is due to expire in Jan 2012. There has been a defacto embargo in place for the past 2 years however- and with the new early retirement scheme also announced- its entirely possible that as whole divisions are denuded of people (keep in mind the average age is already in the 50s)- that it may become unavoidable to recommence recruitment.

Vanbis

smccarrick wrote: »

Officially there is an embargo in place, which is due to expire in Jan 2012. There has been a defacto embargo in place for the past 2 years however- and with the new early retirement scheme also announced- its entirely possible that as whole divisions are denuded of people (keep in mind the average age is already in the 50s)- that it may become unavoidable to recommence recruitment.

Thanks for the quick replys. I should've applied a year before and might have had my foot in the door. I'll just wait and see what happens in the coming moths.

BurnsCarpenter

I know there's nothing happening for now but does anybody know if there's a chance the current panels might be used?
Or is there likely to be a whole new competition by the time they start hiring again?

Cheers.

The_Conductor

BurnsCarpenter wrote: »

I know there's nothing happening for now but does anybody know if there's a chance the current panels might be used?
Or is there likely to be a whole new competition by the time they start hiring again?

Cheers.

Until such time as another competition is called- the existing panels are in existence. So- yes, there is always a chance if you're on a current panel that you'll get called (I'm on a number of panels), however- it would be better to be realistic and not have any expectations- and keep an eye on the Publicjobs.ie website.

nevaeh.aaric

You wouldn't be so kind as to tell me if any of those counties you got placed in was Dublin?
I only applied and I've gotten a reply with my placing. I'm just wondering if other people have gotten yet so I work out whether I've made the cut!

Thanks.

caarp

K_P wrote: »

I find the problem is there are usually one or two options that are obviously ridiculous, along the lines of nesf's one above. The remaining three are all very similar. One of the sample questions is:

Scenario 1

You are working in a Government department on a busy project for which there are tight time deadlines.  It is now Friday afternoon and you have an important task to complete by Monday afternoon.  This involves preparing a report for the Minister about an important issue that the Minister needs to respond to.

A senior manager newly appointed to a different but related area in your department, asks you to photocopy a very large amount of material, to be ready first thing Monday morning.

You have no staff of your own and the staff who work with this senior manager have expressed their dissatisfaction with having to do additional work for you in the past.

Do you,


A. Approach the senior manager’s staff directly and ask them to carry out the photocopying work, indicating that it relates to their area of work.

B. Ask your own manager to return the photocopying work to the senior manager on your behalf, having explained the pressures that you are under.

C. Explain the pressures that you are under to the senior manager indicating that you cannot manage an extra task in the time frame.

D. Accept the work from the senior manager but do not do it, and explain to the senior manager later on that you were under too much pressure to do so.

E. Come in over the weekend and do the photocopying work yourself for the senior manager.

I would consider options D and E to be the if-you-pick-these-I'm-amazed-you-even-found-the-test-centre answers. But then A, B and C are very similar. Having said that I'd probably go for C.

I'm a bit nervous of this section as I did an EO competition a few years ago. To be honest I didn't put too much effort in as I had just been told a few days previously that I had got another job. I still did well in the verbal and numerical sections but fell down on the job simulation. I was straight out of college at the time though. Now that I've a few years working I reckon I might be a bit more prepared.

Hi there KP!
I'm applying to the next round of EO positions and was wondering if you have any feedback from your experience please?  Were you successful and do you have any advice you might be willing to give?  I really want to be successful in this competition but the last time I applied, I didn't pass this particular section.  I was gutted.  Do you have any advice on this particular test, in terms of what are they looking for?  Any help would be tremendously appreciated.  MTIA