Clerical Positions in the Civil and Public Service

joanneo98

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....

It's an open competition so your past experiences and qualifications will only help you when trying to get through the interview - your actual rank is only based on how well you perform in stage 2 supervised tests

TINA1984

globcar wrote: »

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😩😩😩😩

They ease you gently into it with training and shadowing. Not much point in letting someone loose on people's wages, pension & leave entitlements when they're just in the door.

Divisadero

globcar wrote: »

Quote:
Originally Posted by gazzer
is this normal in the public service?

It can be. You can be really busy or just sitting around doing very little or nothing. It depends not only on which department/office you are assigned to but can also vary from section to section within each office.

And yes I am speaking from actual experience here!

Donald73

EmerG28 wrote: »

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!!

I wore a suit and I shook hands with both interviewers, it's good to shake hands as it shows you have good manners. Make sure to shake firmly, look them in the eye and smile as you say hello. First impressions count.

from little acorns

EmerG28 wrote: »

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!!

My usual interview outfit would be a grey or black well-cut skirt suit, with probably a blue or white shirt, black tights, black heels. Natural makeup, no nail varnish.

And I would always shake hands with all interviewers both at the start and the end of the interview, I'm surprised most people would be undecided?

JohnMearsheimer

How long did it take to hear back usually about stage 2? We were told March today but that could be 2 weeks or 6 weeks away depending how you look at it. Thought the supervised tests were tougher than the first round and the practice tests.

globcar

TINA1984 wrote: »

They ease you gently into it with training and shadowing. Not much point in letting someone loose on people's wages, pension & leave entitlements when they're just in the door.

They are receiving neither training nor shadowing.
The following are some of the answers I have received when I ask about how they are getting on in the new job. "They have left us sitting in a corner doing nothing". "Nearly like we're invisible ". "We have no managers......there's no trainers". "We were given desks and that's it". "Nobody wants to train us either". " overheard them saying The ships is gona sink" , but yet they aren't doing anything about it. This might give you some idea now who is presently looking after people's wages , pension & leave entitlements and it's not the people just in the door. The people just in the door are willing and want to learn how to do the job.

Halpenny

JohnMearsheimer wrote: »

How Kong died... ?

Not sure you're on the right thread but still a valid question worth answering as there's a lot of confusion regarding it. Kong either fell from the Empire State Building to his death or was killed by Beauty.

Black Menorca

globcar wrote: »

They are receiving neither training nor shadowing.
The following are some of the answers I have received when I ask about how they are getting on in the new job. "They have left us sitting in a corner doing nothing". "Nearly like we're invisible ". "We have no managers......there's no trainers". "We were given desks and that's it". "Nobody wants to train us either". " overheard them saying The ships is gona sink" , but yet they aren't doing anything about it. This might give you some idea now who is presently looking after people's wages , pension & leave entitlements and it's not the people just in the door. The people just in the door are willing and want to learn how to do the job.

Some people have been there for two years now and they've seen things go from bad to worse. A lot of them are completely uninterested. They are good people who have been treated badly by the 'system' within peoplepoint.

I've heard similar things as the person you know.

Some sections might be more upbeat and pro-active in training the new staff but some sections are just too busy meeting deadlines to begin proper training.

JohnMearsheimer

Halpenny wrote: »

Not sure you're on the right thread but still a valid question worth answering as there's a lot of confusion regarding it. Kong either fell from the Empire State Building to his death or was killed by Beauty.

Sorry, autocorrect on phone / typing too fast.

Avada

Zipppy wrote: »

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

And thats only a quarter of them...

Starry12

EmerG28 wrote: »

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!!

Hi Emer,
I wore a smart black dress with tights, heels and a blazer. Better to be overdressed than underdressed I think. And definitely shake hands. Your interviewers will lead you in this anyway.

Starting on Monday and the smart casual dress code is doing my head in. What does that mean exactly? Took a drive over there yesterday to get my bearings and saw people in jeans and casual boots. Wouldn't be comfortable showing up in jeans but dont wanna go all out and look like a dope either.... Any advice would be really welcome!!

Ta

Halloween Jack

Nikki2302 wrote: »

Hi Emer,
I wore a smart black dress with tights, heels and a blazer. Better to be overdressed than underdressed I think. And definitely shake hands. Your interviewers will lead you in this anyway.

Starting on Monday and the smart casual dress code is doing my head in. What does that mean exactly? Took a drive over there yesterday to get my bearings and saw people in jeans and casual boots. Wouldn't be comfortable showing up in jeans but dont wanna go all out and look like a dope either.... Any advice would be really welcome!!

Ta

There is no dress code in the civil service as such, so it tends to vary from office to office, anywhere I've worked has been pretty casual, particularly at the lower levels, where are you placed?

Starry12

Halloween Jack wrote: »

There is no dress code in the civil service as such, so it tends to vary from office to office, anywhere I've worked has been pretty casual, particularly at the lower levels, where are you placed?

In the dreaded Peoplepoint! What would you suggest for day one... would a dress, tights and a cardi with flats suffice? I've been out of work a looooooong time!
Thanks

EmerG28

from little acorns wrote: »

My usual interview outfit would be a grey or black well-cut skirt suit, with probably a blue or white shirt, black tights, black heels. Natural makeup, no nail varnish.

And I would always shake hands with all interviewers both at the start and the end of the interview, I'm surprised most people would be undecided?

Yeah same as so said I'd check it out. Thanks a mil

EmerG28

Nikki2302 wrote: »

Hi Emer,
I wore a smart black dress with tights, heels and a blazer. Better to be overdressed than underdressed I think. And definitely shake hands. Your interviewers will lead you in this anyway.

Starting on Monday and the smart casual dress code is doing my head in. What does that mean exactly? Took a drive over there yesterday to get my bearings and saw people in jeans and casual boots. Wouldn't be comfortable showing up in jeans but dont wanna go all out and look like a dope either.... Any advice would be really welcome!!

Ta

Thank you. Best of luck with the new job

Honeydish

donna35 wrote: »

I wore a suit and I shook hands with both interviewers, it's good to shake hands as it shows you have good manners. Make sure to shake firmly, look them in the eye and smile as you say hello. First impressions count.

As an interviewee, I always read to only shake hands if it is offered. I sat on the recent Clerical Officer Interview Boards and the last thing I wanted to do during peak flu season was shake hands with 8 or 9 people in a day. (I'm sorry, but kissing people would be more hygienic!). My advice = Don't offer a handshake. It is up to the interviewer to initiate this, not the interviewee.

Halloween Jack

Nikki2302 wrote: »

In the dreaded Peoplepoint! What would you suggest for day one... would a dress, tights and a cardi with flats suffice? I've been out of work a looooooong time!
Thanks

That would be absolutely fine, enjoy the new job;)

Black Menorca

Nikki2302 wrote: »

In the dreaded Peoplepoint! What would you suggest for day one... would a dress, tights and a cardi with flats suffice? I've been out of work a looooooong time!
Thanks

Thats fine as is jeans and a jumper. Don't sweat the dress code and good luck.

Divisadero

Honeydish wrote: »

As an interviewee, I always read to only shake hands if it is offered. I sat on the recent Clerical Officer Interview Boards and the last thing I wanted to do during peak flu season was shake hands with 8 or 9 people in a day. (I'm sorry, but kissing people would be more hygienic!). My advice = Don't offer a handshake. It is up to the interviewer to initiate this, not the interviewee.

Donna offers good advice on hand shaking and it worked for her! But I agree with Honeydish. I have received the same advice as being best practice. Well since the late 90's anyway. There is a risk that some might expect you to offer your hand first but you're not a mind reader! Some are concerned about hygiene, others are just 'cold fish' or sick of shaking hands all day. After a while you can almost guess the hand shakers versus the hands off interviewers! But it's best to let them offer their hand and if they don't just move on to the next stage. You will have to risk infection if they do offer their hand though!

Mackmatic

570's I'm dublin here. Sweating for that phonecall. Whole process takes quite a bit of time..

westmeath11

globcar wrote: »

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😩😩😩😩

That is just unreal. Where do they go all day, do they just sit in the canteen ?. It would be a very long day.

gerbilgranny

Black Menorca wrote: »

Some people have been there for two years now and they've seen things go from bad to worse. A lot of them are completely uninterested. They are good people who have been treated badly by the 'system' within peoplepoint.

I've heard similar things as the person you know.

Some sections might be more upbeat and pro-active in training the new staff but some sections are just too busy meeting deadlines to begin proper training.

To encourage potential starters in PeoplePoint, I've heard of two people who went to work there in the past year or so, and they've loved it.

But I think there's a certain 'Emperor's New Clothes' element when it comes to PeoplePoint. The fact seems to be that things ran far more smoothly when each individual Department had their own 'HR' section.

Of course it makes more sense to amalgamate HR/Payroll functions from different departments, so as to cut out duplication, (and cut public service payroll costs) but the PeoplePoint roll-out seems to have been a terrible chicken-up, if you know what I mean!

Let's hope for EVERYONE's sake, that things improve soon.

As for a new entrant who is pissed off at the situation - rather than resign, would they not sit tight - and perhaps join with others in complaining.

It's scandalous if resources (ie people!) and taxpayers' money are being wasted.

gerbilgranny

Honeydish wrote: »

As an interviewee, I always read to only shake hands if it is offered. I sat on the recent Clerical Officer Interview Boards and the last thing I wanted to do during peak flu season was shake hands with 8 or 9 people in a day. (I'm sorry, but kissing people would be more hygienic!). My advice = Don't offer a handshake. It is up to the interviewer to initiate this, not the interviewee.

I'm sorry but I don't have much sympathy for you! You can buy a bottle of hand-sanitiser in Lidl or Aldi for about 69c.

Yes, it's up to the interviewer to initiate handshakes, but if some poor unfortunate makes the mistake of offering their hand, I'd put it down to nervousness/trying to do the right thing. And I wouldn't hold it (or any potential germs) against them.

In a previous life, I sat on interview panels myself.

globcar

westmeath11 wrote: »

That is just unreal. Where do they go all day, do they just sit in the canteen ?. It would be a very long day.

They just sit at their desk.....and wait and wait and.....
Yes, it's a very very long day.
Maybe next week !!!!

globcar

gerbilgranny wrote: »

To encourage potential starters in PeoplePoint, I've heard of two people who went to work there in the past year or so, and they've loved it.

But I think there's a certain 'Emperor's New Clothes' element when it comes to PeoplePoint. The fact seems to be that things ran far more smoothly when each individual Department had their own 'HR' section.

Of course it makes more sense to amalgamate HR/Payroll functions from different departments, so as to cut out duplication, (and cut public service payroll costs) but the PeoplePoint roll-out seems to have been a terrible chicken-up, if you know what I mean!

Let's hope for EVERYONE's sake, that things improve soon.

As for a new entrant who is pissed off at the situation - rather than resign, would they not sit tight - and perhaps join with others in complaining.

It's scandalous if resources (ie people!) and taxpayers' money are being wasted.

Don't want to be complaining and them just in the door and also too young yet to be causing upset to people already there. Also don't know who to be asking for work or complain to. As I've said above. Maybe next week!!!

dwasol

My sons 640 nationwide & based in cork. Has he any hope of being called?

WhoIsTheCoon

dwasol wrote: »

My sons 640 nationwide & based in cork. Has he any hope of being called?

I don't think there is any nationwide ranking, just a ranking for a chosen region. Might he be 640 for the cork region?

dwasol

WhoIsTheCoon wrote: »

I don't think there is any nationwide ranking, just a ranking for a chosen region. Might he be 640 for the cork region?

No defo national Ranking. Unless someone can clarify that for me

eroc79

dwasol wrote: »

No defo national Ranking. Unless someone can clarify that for me

Unless he's part of the irish stream which I know little about I'm sure that in the co competition you're ranked per region not nationally. I am ranked in the Cork region and went to stage 2 a couple weeks ago.