Permanent Defence Forces Recruitment 2015

billy few mates

I know we've discussed it here about the recruitment for the DF being treated as two completely different competitions, but its beyond a joke, and in the current economic climate should be viewed as completely unacceptable as this lack of joined up thinking is hitting potential candidates in the pocket.
Take for example the lad I know who has his heart set on a career in the DF, he applied for the Army and the Navy in the recent recruitment campaign. He was called for an Army fitness test in the summer which he passed easily, three days later he had to make his way to Cobh where he again easily passed the exact same fitness test....
He then went through the interview process for both branches and and although he did not get a medical for either, he has been told that he is on the panel for both.
At the time he had to pay €50 to the doctor to get his form signed to say that he was healthy enough to take the fitness test.

In the meantime he's recently applied for the Air Corps apprenticeship scheme and has now been called up for another fitness test and again has been asked by his doctor for €50 to have the form signed to say that he can undertake the fitness test....!
This is pure madness in this day and age, surely they could find a way to centralise at least part of the recruitment process to ensure candidates don't have to go through all this trouble and expense when a little communication between branches of the DF could avoid all this?
This lad is currently a 'flat broke' student and is seriously considering cancelling the test as he can't afford to pay out another €50 to the doctor to have the form stamped so that the DF can test him to find out something that they already know.....!

Any thoughts....?

CZ 453

billy few mates wrote: »

I know we've discussed it here about the recruitment for the DF being treated as two completely different competitions, but its beyond a joke, and in the current economic climate should be viewed as completely unacceptable as this lack of joined up thinking is hitting potential candidates in the pocket.
Take for example the lad I know who has his heart set on a career in the DF, he applied for the Army and the Navy in the recent recruitment campaign. He was called for an Army fitness test in the summer which he passed easily, three days later he had to make his way to Cobh where he again easily passed the exact same fitness test....
He then went through the interview process for both branches and and although he did not get a medical for either, he has been told that he is on the panel for both.
At the time he had to pay €50 to the doctor to get his form signed to say that he was healthy enough to take the fitness test.

In the meantime he's recently applied for the Air Corps apprenticeship scheme and has now been called up for another fitness test and again has been asked by his doctor for €50 to have the form signed to say that he can undertake the fitness test....!
This is pure madness in this day and age, surely they could find a way to centralise at least part of the recruitment process to ensure candidates don't have to go through all this trouble and expense when a little communication between branches of the DF could avoid all this?
This lad is currently a 'flat broke' student and is seriously considering cancelling the test as he can't afford to pay out another €50 to the doctor to have the form stamped so that the DF can test him to find out something that they already know.....!

Any thoughts....?

My buddy went for both the Army and Navy.He did one fitness test in the naval base which was used for the army as well.He did the same thing with the medical except he did the medical with the army which covered the Navy.He is now in training with the navy(week 1).A lot of the lads I was talking to while in the navy base said they went for both army and navy with one medical and one fitness test covering both for them.

billy few mates

He was told he had to do a separate fitness test for each branch as they were completely separate competitions. He called up the Air Corps to explain to them that as he had documentary proof that he had done two interviews (Army and Navy) and was now on the panel for both could this not be taken as proof that he'd recently passed the fitness test (twice) and was once again told that he would have to do the fitness test again....:mad:
Its not that he doesn't want to do the test, he plays a lot of sport to a fairly high standard and is extremely fit, he just doesn't have the money to pay the €50 for the doctor to sign the letter clearing him to do the test (for the third time in three months ).

Edit:
I've just found out that he's now actually told them that he will not now be attending the fitness test, they didn't even want to know why....!

:mad: :mad: :mad:

CIGANO

billy few mates wrote: »

I know we've discussed it here about the recruitment for the DF being treated as two completely different competitions, but its beyond a joke, and in the current economic climate should be viewed as completely unacceptable as this lack of joined up thinking is hitting potential candidates in the pocket.
Take for example the lad I know who has his heart set on a career in the DF, he applied for the Army and the Navy in the recent recruitment campaign. He was called for an Army fitness test in the summer which he passed easily, three days later he had to make his way to Cobh where he again easily passed the exact same fitness test....
He then went through the interview process for both branches and and although he did not get a medical for either, he has been told that he is on the panel for both.
At the time he had to pay €50 to the doctor to get his form signed to say that he was healthy enough to take the fitness test.

In the meantime he's recently applied for the Air Corps apprenticeship scheme and has now been called up for another fitness test and again has been asked by his doctor for €50 to have the form signed to say that he can undertake the fitness test....!
This is pure madness in this day and age, surely they could find a way to centralise at least part of the recruitment process to ensure candidates don't have to go through all this trouble and expense when a little communication between branches of the DF could avoid all this?
This lad is currently a 'flat broke' student and is seriously considering cancelling the test as he can't afford to pay out another €50 to the doctor to have the form stamped so that the DF can test him to find out something that they already know.....!

Any thoughts....?

Everyone will agree that there has been alot of bull**** in the recruitment process but that is the DF in general, if you cant handle it now then how will you handle it when its 10x worse when you are actually in the door. Remember you work to the DF schedule they dont work to yours. As for myself i had to pay the doctor 40 Euro twice and drive 2000+ miles over the last 2 years for the 2010 and 2012 competitions, it cost me alot of money but it was worth it in the end now that I have been accepted.

billy few mates

Its ridiculous to suggest that Irish people should just accept that the recruitment process is a complete shambles because "that is the DF in general" as if that somehow exempts them from having to run themselves in an efficient manner....!"
A lot of tax payer money goes into the running of the DF, are you honestly suggesting we should just put up with an inferior service because "that's what its like"....?

What other gross inefficiencies should we put up with....?

They are just three branches of the one department, how difficult would it be to have one central database of candidates?
Aside from the expense the candidates are put through in attending multiple fitness tests has anyone considered the enormous cost and waste of manpower the DF go through in duplicating processes already carried out by another branch of the department....?
Surely they could have one centralised recruitment process which could assess the candidates to a base level which would then be acceptable to the various branches who could then just call the candidates for interviews to assess their suitability for that particular branch of the DF....?

Just because we currently live in a Third World country doesn't mean we should put up with a Third World level of service....!

CIGANO

billy few mates wrote: »

Its ridiculous to suggest that Irish people should just accept that the recruitment process is a complete shambles because "that is the DF in general" as if that somehow exempts them from having to run themselves in an efficient manner....!"
A lot of tax payer money goes into the running of the DF, are you honestly suggesting we should just put up with an inferior service because "that's what its like"....?

What other gross inefficiencies should we put up with....?

They are just three branches of the one department, how difficult would it be to have one central database of candidates?
Aside from the expense the candidates are put through in attending multiple fitness tests has anyone considered the enormous cost and waste of manpower the DF go through in duplicating processes already carried out by another branch of the department....?
Surely they could have one centralised recruitment process which could assess the candidates to a base level which would then be acceptable to the various branches who could then just call the candidates for interviews to assess their suitability for that particular branch of the DF....?

Just because we currently live in a Third World country doesn't mean we should put up with a Third World level of service....!

Remember this is the organisation you chose to join so if you cant stand the way they operate then maybe it isn't for you. Who is to say that the way they do things isn't efficient, your friend doing 2 fitness tests didn't cost them any extra money or time because the fitness test on that day would have been held anyway for the people who only applied to one branch, and as far as I know people who were in the same situation as your friend contacted the manpower offices and got it sorted so that they only had to do one test for both branches, why was he any different and as for having to do a new test for the air corps, it makes sense because it is a different competition and peoples health and fitness can change drastically in 3-4 months.

billy few mates

Maybe the DF aren't as undermanned as they think they are...?
Maybe if it was run more efficiently they wouldn't need half as many people as they think they do...? Who knows....?
Private industry would never be allowed to become this disorganised, why should it be any different for a government organisation like the DF...?
Maybe if they were more answerable for their actions they wouldn't be in such disarray...?

as far as I know people who were in the same situation as your friend contacted the manpower offices and got it sorted so that they only had to do one test for both branches, why was he any different

This might have more to do with the quality of personnel engaged in dealing with his query when he contacted them? If you phoned up and were told by the person answering the phone at that moment in time that you had to do the fitness test again, what are you going to do...? Ask to speak to his superior....?

In my opinion this whole episode demonstrates clearly whats wrong with this country as a whole rather than just the DF.
The fact that an unwaged student desperate for a chance to serve his country with a career in the army has to pay €50 to a doctor to sign him fit enough to take the test in the first place followed by another €50 barely three months later to sign the same piece of paper again because the DF are not organised enough to be able to check their records to see that this person has already been assessed as fit enough to enter the process and is in fact already on the waiting list to enter the other two branches of the DF.....

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't have to be like this.....!

Knucklebreaker

If he justs gives the doctors receptionist the form and asks for doc to fill in then collect at end of day should be fine, if not change doctor.

John Mongo

billy few mates wrote: »

Maybe the DF aren't as undermanned as they think they are...?

Tell that to lads who are doing more than one duty a week.

Maybe if it was run more efficiently they wouldn't need half as many people as they think they do...? Who knows....?

Who knows? I'll tell you who doesn't know... You.

Private industry would never be allowed to become this disorganised, why should it be any different for a government organisation like the DF...?

You've obviously never dealt with customer services in the private sector so... Sorry, I forgot the private sector is completely without fault.

Maybe if they were more answerable for their actions they wouldn't be in such disarray...?

Members of the DF are answerable for their actions to many people, their chain of command, the CoS, the civvie's in the DoD, the Minister... Who else should they be answerable to? You?

Not particularly in disarray either. There's new troops needed as they've lost quite a number of older lads who've retired, they've lost over 600 troops in 2012 alone. Still, ramble on if you must.

This might have more to do with the quality of personnel engaged in dealing with his query when he contacted them? If you phoned up and were told by the person answering the phone at that moment in time that you had to do the fitness test again, what are you going to do...? Ask to speak to his superior....?

Eh.... Yeah? If you really feel there's a case to argue, you go further with it. Simple really?

In my opinion this whole episode demonstrates clearly whats wrong with this country as a whole rather than just the DF.
The fact that an unwaged student desperate for a chance to serve his country with a career in the army has to pay €50 to a doctor to sign him fit enough to take the test in the first place followed by another €50 barely three months later to sign the same piece of paper again because the DF are not organised enough to be able to check their records to see that this person has already been assessed as fit enough to enter the process and is in fact already on the waiting list to enter the other two branches of the DF.....

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't have to be like this.....!

Contrary to popular belief, the 50 quid cost has more to do with your mate's doctor being a bell end than it all being the DF's fault. Any reasonable doctor would've just signed off on it a second time.

Quite frankly, as others have said here people were able to get it sorted that one fitness test covered them for both the Army and Naval Service competition. You can scream from the rooftops about the DF is this or that, while others provide evidence of the exact opposite.

billy few mates

You're completely missing the point, this country is on its knees up to its neck in debt and struggling to borrow even more money to pay for public services including the Defence Forces, if the various branches of the Defence Forces are so disjointed that their inability to share basic information like this between each other is the cause for further unnecessary financial burden to the people who can least afford it then its clearly time for reform.

Members of the DF are answerable for their actions to many people, their chain of command, the CoS, the civvie's in the DoD, the Minister... Who else should they be answerable to? You?

As a tax payer I would say yes, they should be answerable to me through the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General whose job it is to see that the taxpayers money is not being wasted like this. You might not think its a big deal but someone should be answerable for the waste of resources and manpower as a result of duplicating fitness tests that weren't actually necessary, are you honestly telling me that the people involved in supervising those tests could not have been more gainfully employed...?

the 50 quid cost has more to do with your mate's doctor being a bell end than it all being the DF's fault

I did actually attribute a portion of the blame on the greed of the doctor who wanted to charge him €50 to sign the form, not just the DF for not being able to accept the results of his earlier fitness test(s).

others have said here people were able to get it sorted that one fitness test covered them for both the Army and Naval Service competition

I was there when he phoned the Manpower Office and personally witnessed him being clearly told he would have to do a separate fitness test for the Army and the Navy as they were different competitions, I wasn't there when he phoned the other day and was once again told he would have to re-do the fitness test.....

goldie fish

There are sore losers, and there are sore losers....

billy few mates

You really don't get it, do you....?

Thankfully I took a couple of minutes to review your (40) contributions to this thread and having studied the quality and content of your input to the discussion I regret to inform you that apart from this response I will not be responding to your comment nor engaging in any further discourse on the matter with you directly.
You clearly have nothing of any value to add to the debate and while your obvious lack of knowledge and indeed education does not appear to have hampered your ability or enthusiasm to partake in the discussion, it does give a useful insight into your personal demeanour, and based on the opinions formed from reading your thoughts and opinions on the subject I must now regretfully inform you that I do not allow myself to be drawn into meaningless debate with the 'hard of thinking' on any subject matter in which I hold an opinion.

qwertzuio

Does anyone know anybody who got email for cathal brugha already for november? Thanks

c-90

qwertzuio wrote: »

Does anyone know anybody who got email for cathal brugha already for november? Thanks

few people on fb got them for gormo in november 2 days ago so its not looking good for those of us who are still waiting.

billy few mates

There's always hope, hang on in there. Current trends suggest that at least 10% of the people called will decline and 7-9% of the people who accept will drop out in the first ten days...

DVPJC88

I must be the only person left waiting to hear from the navy. hopefully tomorrow

RedWolfCQB

Seems like tomorrow is going to be the big day! Was hoping to get an e-mail today as 3 lads were on DF page on facebook last Thursday around 4 o'clock saying they had received their e-mails. You never know though, there's been a whole lot of crazy on that page lately!

qwertzuio

c-90 wrote: »

few people on fb got them for gormo in november 2 days ago so its not looking good for those of us who are still waiting.

I dont know if they were right... Because one of the lad posted that he got his email for november,and on the next day he posted another and asked if we know when are the rest of the emails sent out for november? In the comments someone asked hím why? His reply: i got in,i just want to know because one of my friend still waiting and wanted to know for hím... So im not sure if he really got it,because everyone has fb and his friend could ask anything on the page too... Hope we will know by tommorrow,2months waiting now since the medical...i have heard too many rumours during this recruitment procces,i just dont belive in everithing

pk998

I was put on the panel after the interview does that mean I have to wait til next year? or is there going to be another round of medicals?

qwertzuio

pk998 wrote: »

I was put on the panel after the interview does that mean I have to wait til next year? or is there going to be another round of medicals?

U have to wait

Skinnykenyan

i was on the panel had my medical monday so they will call people as their needed

CZ 453

My buddy is in Cobh now for his first week with the navy.I'd imagine a few won't be back after the weekend if the dropout rate posted here is anything to go on.So hopefully a few will be called to replace the dropouts.The first weekend back with mammy should change a few minds

goldie fish

billy few mates wrote: »

You really don't get it, do you....?

Thankfully I took a couple of minutes to review your (40) contributions to this thread and having studied the quality and content of your input to the discussion I regret to inform you that apart from this response I will not be responding to your comment nor engaging in any further discourse on the matter with you directly.
You clearly have nothing of any value to add to the debate and while your obvious lack of knowledge and indeed education does not appear to have hampered your ability or enthusiasm to partake in the discussion, it does give a useful insight into your personal demeanour, and based on the opinions formed from reading your thoughts and opinions on the subject I must now regretfully inform you that I do not allow myself to be drawn into meaningless debate with the 'hard of thinking' on any subject matter in which I hold an opinion.

I know you are, but what am I.

You can read this, or not, it matters not. The Fact is, the people who run the Navy, and more importantly the recruit classes, read this thread, or like to keep themselves updated on the deluded nonsense that some people come up with here. They keep note of who comes out with most nonsense, and wait for the inevitable post "hav mi medical 2moro. Cant WAIT". And that is where their future career in the defence forces ends.
There is something to be accepted if one wishes to seek employment, the ability to follow orders is mandatory. That includes when to turn up for interview, medical, or training, and when to go home, you have not made the grade. If you cannot accept how the People who are already employed in the DF do their job then it is not the job for you. It functions because the 30 or so in a platoon do not second guess or question the authority of their leader, and do what they are told, in all lawful cases.

If you aren't a team player, you are not wanted. Criticising the way the competition is run because it doesn't work the way you want it to is anti-team.

Now most adults, when faced with rejection from the DF do one of two things.
1. Try again next time.
2. Give up, accept it isn't for them, and try another path.

whining and moaning is not an option.

Man the f*$k up.

qwertzuio

qwertzuio wrote: »

U have to wait

Recruitment Update -Applicants that will be contacted in the coming days are those people who will be inducted into the Defence Forces between now and 19 Nov 2012. Other applicants, who were previously informed that they are on a panel with a view to future recruitment, will not be contacted at this time.

Brad Pittman

shezer wrote: »

My buddy is in Cobh now for his first week with the navy.I'd imagine a few won't be back after the weekend if the dropout rate posted here is anything to go on.So hopefully a few will be called to replace the dropouts.The first weekend back with mammy should change a few minds

I doubt they get the first weekend off?

Brad Pittman

Recruitment Update - The general service recruitment process is ongoing and there are still places to be offered to candidates in some parts of the Defence Forces. Successful candidates will be offered places, within the next 10 days, by e-mail and must accept the offer within a certain period. Once the individual has accepted an offer he/she will be sent an e-mail with information in regard to the training location, timings, and a list of what items they must bring with them.



We have to hear by tomorrow according to this. It would of made more sense to inform people on Wednesday or Thursday, because of the time limit. Im just hoping to get an email tomorrow, and not have it drag into next week

goldie fish

Brad Pittman wrote: »

I doubt they get the first weekend off?

In the past, week one was softly softly induction. Death by powerpoint, basic footdrill etc, mostly done in tracksuits. First weekend off. Some didn't come back. No loss, no huge ground covered, and the next on the panel could slot in easily.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Billy Few Mates, you have zero knowledge of what happens in the DF. Especially in Recruitment Competitions.

To answer one of your questions, the recruitment staff are undermanned at the moment and a lot is out of their hands. They also have the added annoyance of potential candidates parents ringing up after the closing date to say "my son didnt open his email for 3 weeks, can he have an intervirew tomorrow". "He plays football at the weekends, surely he doesnt need to actually do the fitness test". "Its ok, he doesnt need a medical, we are with VHI".

When the above idiots ring the office, it takes time away from legitimate callers.

Unless you have actual knowledge of proceedures and protocals and a list of all the "players" involved in a country wide public service branch recruitment drive..........dont bother sharing an invalid, illinformed opinion.

"my friend said".

c-90

it seems theyre taking people on according to the day theyve done the medical, which seems logical.

in the east they have taken people up to the 24/25th of august so far. (females from much later but thats a diff story)

at 12 medicals a day and 40 in each recruit platoon you can pretty much guess that the next 4/5 medical dates will get the november platoon.

that brings us up to the 29th/30th of august. if my theory is correct then people after those dates were the extra's incase alot of people failed medicals.

also someone on this thread and in bricins told me they took 200 to medicals an only 120 places were available. thats 80 extra medicals. thats 6/7 days worth. with the last medical on the 7th of september. taking 6/7 days off brings you to the 30th/31st of august which stands for my theory.

hope im wrong as ive done my medical on the 4th of september. either way it will be a bloody relief not to have to check my email every 30 seconds

qwertzuio

c-90 wrote: »

it seems theyre taking people on according to the day theyve done the medical, which seems logical.

in the east they have taken people up to the 24/25th of august so far. (females from much later but thats a diff story)

at 12 medicals a day and 40 in each recruit platoon you can pretty much guess that the next 4/5 medical dates will get the november platoon.

that brings us up to the 29th/30th of august. if my theory is correct then people after those dates were the extra's incase alot of people failed medicals.

also someone on this thread and in bricins told me they took 200 to medicals an only 120 places were available. thats 80 extra medicals. thats 6/7 days worth. with the last medical on the 7th of september. taking 6/7 days off brings you to the 30th/31st of august which stands for my theory.

hope im wrong as ive done my medical on the 4th of september. either way it will be a bloody relief not to have to check my email every 30 seconds

My medical was on the 22nd of august,in st bricins,and i saw people who got in,and had their medical on the 30th of august