Clerical Positions in the Civil and Public Service

Donald73

Black Menorca wrote: »

Nice and central.

So true, would be ideal that!

joanneo98

donna35 wrote: »

No it sounds like you're going to be working in PAS itself in Abbey Street. Well done.

Thanks a million- got letter on Monday, I keep reading it confusing myself !

sillysocks

Did peoples ranks generally change much between Stage 1 and 2? I'm due to sit Stage 2 next week and worried that I won't perform as well as in Stage 1 and will lessen my chances of getting in!

joanneo98

sillysocks wrote: »

Did peoples ranks generally change much between Stage 1 and 2? I'm due to sit Stage 2 next week and worried that I won't perform as well as in Stage 1 and will lessen my chances of getting in!

I dropped about 100 places in stage2- as long as you reach the required standard you'll get to interview

Wheety

joanneo98 wrote: »

Thanks a million- got letter on Monday, I keep reading it confusing myself !

I heard they keep the best candidates for themselves :cool:

Starry12

sillysocks wrote: »

Did peoples ranks generally change much between Stage 1 and 2? I'm due to sit Stage 2 next week and worried that I won't perform as well as in Stage 1 and will lessen my chances of getting in!

I went up about 60 places if I remember correctly. And I wasn't particularly confident that I'd passed them at all!

Sid Bear

Newbie here.. Just a quick one. Am due for an interview on Saturday and am wondering about this application form. Is it best to keep the info short and to the point re relevant work exp and skills etc? If I copy across from my CV it seems a bit weighty on text and am thinking they'll have so many to get through.. Any tips would be much appreciated. Interviews and CVs were never my strong point.

sillysocks

joanneo98 wrote: »

I dropped about 100 places in stage2- as long as you reach the required standard you'll get to interview

I'm outside dublin and am imagining there won't be a fraction of the number of vacancies there are in Dublin here. So really don't want to drop too far, better get practicing before next week!

armadillo86

I wonder when they're going to get started on Westmeath, trying to be patient but it's not easy!

DaisysB

joanneo98 wrote: »

you get your rank after stage 2 and interview is just a pass or fail

Is this so? Surely your level of education or experience counts towards the placing?
Thanks in advance if anyone can put me right....

piafe

Sid Bear wrote: »

Newbie here.. Just a quick one. Am due for an interview on Saturday and am wondering about this application form. Is it best to keep the info short and to the point re relevant work exp and skills etc? If I copy across from my CV it seems a bit weighty on text and am thinking they'll have so many to get through.. Any tips would be much appreciated. Interviews and CVs were never my strong point.

I was just logging in to ask the same question. Can anybody offer some advice?

And also wanted to know how far to go back with employment history. I've been 8 years in my most recent job but have had 4 other jobs which lasted roughly a year each. The form only allows for two under the current format. Unless I put each in under extra information.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I'm feeling extremely anxious having got this far and don't want to mess up now.

Holysock

DaisysB wrote: »

Is this so? Surely your level of education or experience counts towards the placing?
Thanks in advance if anyone can put me right....

No, its solely your marks in the tests that determine where you're ranked on the panel. Then Its pass/fail in the interview.

Donald73

DaisysB wrote: »

Is this so? Surely your level of education or experience counts towards the placing?
Thanks in advance if anyone can put me right....

No your education and experience have no effect on placing whatsoever, it is purely on results of the tests. Then they will look at your experience in the interview.

piafe wrote: »

I was just logging in to ask the same question. Can anybody offer some advice?

And also wanted to know how far to go back with employment history. I've been 8 years in my most recent job but have had 4 other jobs which lasted roughly a year each. The form only allows for two under the current format. Unless I put each in under extra information.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I'm feeling extremely anxious having got this far and don't want to mess up now.

What I did was I altered their form and added extra identical slots for as many jobs as I needed to fill in. I put my full job history in but then again I've had only 3 jobs in my life so far.

If you need to add extra bits then please insert extra bits into the form - this might even stand to you as it shows you've adjusted the form but still left it in the correct format and very easy to read, they won't have to flick back and forth from job history to the 'extra info' bit etc.

Also I cannot stress enough to make sure you have researched the competencies they are looking for and have valid examples relating to your own experience which show how you have used these competencies. This is the BIGGEST part of the interview and without it you'll be lost. Best thing is to write the 4 competencies down (they're in the info you got with that form) and think of separate examples of each, write these down too and really get them organised in your head.

junipergreen

Just wondering if all us culchies are going to have to traipse back up to the PAS office for the interviews (assuming we get that far), or is there are any chance they might take the show on the road?

gerbilgranny

donna35 wrote: »

No it sounds like you're going to be working in PAS itself in Abbey Street. Well done.

It's a case of Poacher turned Gamekeeper!

I think I'd love to work in PAS - I'd a previous background in Personnel before I joined the Civil Service, but the PAS, in their wisdom, assigned me to Taxes in Revenue, despite my inability to pass my Leaving Cert Maths!

Donna - you're a lovely person - always helpful and encouraging - I hope you're very happy in your new post, and I'm sure you'll be very successful. They're lucky to have you!

wordzworth

sillysocks wrote: »

Did peoples ranks generally change much between Stage 1 and 2? I'm due to sit Stage 2 next week and worried that I won't perform as well as in Stage 1 and will lessen my chances of getting in!

Another newbie here.
I moved up over 500 places after stage 2 from 1300s to 700s.
Really didn't expect to pass it as I found numerical quite tedious. Have interview next week. Nervous about it but going to take all the advice from here on board (which is very much appreciated by the way - so thank you all!) And I wish you all the very best of luck too ☺

barneystinson

gerbilgranny wrote: »

It's a case of Poacher turned Gamekeeper!

I think I'd love to work in PAS - I'd a previous background in Personnel before I joined the Civil Service, but the PAS, in their wisdom, assigned me to Taxes in Revenue, despite my inability to pass my Leaving Cert Maths!

Donna - you're a lovely person - always helpful and encouraging - I hope you're very happy in your new post, and I'm sure you'll be very successful. They're lucky to have you!

Ah Granny, c'mon now, how much maths is there in taxes, particularly as a CO?!

Doesn't ITS calculate everything for you anyway? At most you have to do the odd bit of arithmetic - I'd say someone with a decent grasp of primary school arithmetic (they cover % in primary school, don't they?) could work in taxes (at any grade!).

FloatingVoter

barneystinson wrote: »

Ah Granny, c'mon now, how much maths is there in taxes, particularly as a CO?!

Doesn't ITS calculate everything for you anyway? At most you have to do the odd bit of arithmetic - I'd say someone with a decent grasp of primary school arithmetic (they cover % in primary school, don't they?) could work in taxes (at any grade!).

I worked Revenue on the 1890. You'll need basic maths skills. And the ability to do it fast while talking. Think of the barman you know that can calculate a complicated tab faster than the till - then you have the ideal revenue CO. We / they used be called Tax Officers as opposed to Clerical Officers and got paid more accordingly. The grades were merged about 2004 as I was getting my coat.

barneystinson

FloatingVoter wrote: »

I worked Revenue on the 1890. You'll need basic maths skills. And the ability to do it fast while talking. Think of the barman you know that can calculate a complicated tab faster than the till - then you have the ideal revenue CO. We / they used be called Tax Officers as opposed to Clerical Officers and got paid more accordingly. The grades were merged about 2004 as I was getting my coat.

I know, I'm a more recent recruit but I bemoan the loss of the distinct taxes grades, and the barrier; the old system made a lot of sense IMHO. Now you've got people transferring into taxes from other dept's at all levels, who take years to learn / be trained.

When they go out on an audit, or have to deal with a query, the guy/girl from the taxpayer's accountant's office won't have just transferred into it from a completely different industry!

piafe

donna35 wrote: »

No your education and experience have no effect on placing whatsoever, it is purely on results of the tests. Then they will look at your experience in the interview.



What I did was I altered their form and added extra identical slots for as many jobs as I needed to fill in. I put my full job history in but then again I've had only 3 jobs in my life so far.

If you need to add extra bits then please insert extra bits into the form - this might even stand to you as it shows you've adjusted the form but still left it in the correct format and very easy to read, they won't have to flick back and forth from job history to the 'extra info' bit etc.

Also I cannot stress enough to make sure you have researched the competencies they are looking for and have valid examples relating to your own experience which show how you have used these competencies. This is the BIGGEST part of the interview and without it you'll be lost. Best thing is to write the 4 competencies down (they're in the info you got with that form) and think of separate examples of each, write these down too and really get them organised in your head.

Thanks a million donna. I've been filling forms and studying competencies since 9pm , hope it pays off. I added to the table using the same format like you mentioned, have put all jobs done since finishing school and any courses I've done in extra info.

I know I've got the skills for the job itself but I'm not the most articulate when questions are thrown at me so hoping it'll work out on the day.

Thanks again for your help, best of luck in your job.

The Scientician

piafe wrote: »

Thanks a million donna. I've been filling forms and studying competencies since 9pm , hope it pays off. I added to the table using the same format like you mentioned, have put all jobs done since finishing school and any courses I've done in extra info.

I know I've got the skills for the job itself but I'm not the most articulate when questions are thrown at me so hoping it'll work out on the day.

Thanks again for your help, best of luck in your job.

I posted about this above somewhere but it is really worth thinking about specific challenges you've had in the various jobs and how you dealt with them and writing them down to help you recall them if asked. Also come up with a plausible reason why you want to be a CO.

Dozymare

What exactly are the titles of the "4" competencies. just so I have my examples totally relevant. Thanks in advance . Head melted.

Dozymare

What 4 competencies are u studying. I think i am being very vague

gerbilgranny

barneystinson wrote: »

Ah Granny, c'mon now, how much maths is there in taxes, particularly as a CO?!

Doesn't ITS calculate everything for you anyway? At most you have to do the odd bit of arithmetic - I'd say someone with a decent grasp of primary school arithmetic (they cover % in primary school, don't they?) could work in taxes (at any grade!).

ITS might calculate in seventeen different languages (possibly a slight exaggeration there), but on the 1890, it's no use saying to a customer 'because the system says so' - or if they inform me that they and their spouse have a few jobs, and they want to know the implications of dividing credits between them, etc, they want to know the bottom line as to how many euros and cents they'll be getting in their paypacket.

Thankfully, I did okay in primary school arithmetic (thanks to a few 'grinds' from my parents, because maths ain't my thing), and indeed, got a A in Business Arithmetic in 'commercial college' (an institution that existed back in the dark ages of the last century).

The fact remains that I have to THINK about maths, whereas some people can just 'do' the calculations with ease. I have to 'google' 'how to find out what percentage of a number another number is'....so I can determine how to allocate credits, rate band, USC rate band, in exact proportion to the income the customer has. Fierce advanced maths, in my eyes!

I'm still a CO - happy to be able to help customers on the other end of the phone, and hopefully doing a good job.:D

Mrs cockett

Me too!

ryanihan

I all I am in court in March for unpaid speeding fine will this affect me getting a job as co if i ever get called

paddycakes

junipergreen wrote: »

Just wondering if all us culchies are going to have to traipse back up to the PAS office for the interviews (assuming we get that far), or is there are any chance they might take the show on the road?

That would make life so much easier if they did!

EmerG28

Hey all, Have my interview Monday! Just wondering what the girls wore to the interview? And also people that have already done the interview, did you shake hands? Most people seem undecided on this one!!

Zipppy

Just flew in through Dublin airport...lots of CO trainees being led about....

globcar

Quote:
Originally Posted by gazzer
Peoplepoint seems to be an absolute nightmare of a place from all the reports I have heard. Feel sorry for the staff working there.

I know someone who has started in peoplepoint 4 weeks ago and up until now has not yet received any work to do. This person is fed up to their teeth with this situation and is already thinking about handing in their notice . This person hasn't even been notified who their manager is yet, so has nobody to approach about getting work to do. I just wonder how this is allowed to happen and how long this might go on for!! As this person has done very well in the tests and interview ( placed in the 230s in Dublin area) and a lot better place in her local region it would be a real shame if they quit just because of bad management in peoplepoint, or is this normal in the public service? I'm just worried that they will land home some evening saying they had had enough and quit😩😩😩😩