Clerical Positions in the Civil and Public Service

otherfrog

donna35 wrote: »

Typical haha I've been checking my publicjobs board obsessively and the one day I go out to the cinema I get the text! Have interview Saturday of next week. I see that they say to bring 3 copies of the questionnaire so assuming from that that it will be 3 people interviewing...as if it wasn't nerve-wracking enough!! Just glad to have an actual date for it, now just to prepare, prepare, prepare!

It's in front of two - so I guess we'll have a copy to look at, as they read through theirs and ask questions.

Donald73

otherfrog wrote: »

It's in front of two - so I guess we'll have a copy to look at, as they read through theirs and ask questions.

Yes I just saw this, skimmed through the message earlier as I was out and on phone and read it properly now. Two people isn't too bad, I've been at interviews with 3 or more people and they're nerve-wracking. But thank you x

I see that if we're offered a Dublin job and decline that if we are qualified for other regions that we will still be online for those as and when they come up - which is good news for people like Meathlass.

jimba

I'm not a Dub but I'll take whatever I'm offered in Dublin should I be lucky enough to get through.
Once had a 4 person interview so 2 is a nice way to prepare for.

Any non Dulchies be looking for accommodation too should ye be successful?

butterly.john

darthinvader wrote: »

Did anyone not get their interview date yet? Getting worried here!!!!

I did not get mine yet either

Phantasos

jimba wrote: »

I'm not a Dub but I'll take whatever I'm offered in Dublin should I be lucky enough to get through.
Once had a 4 person interview so 2 is a nice way to prepare for.

Any non Dulchies be looking for accommodation too should ye be successful?

It's so uncertain where you'd be based - makes it hard to prepare yourself in terms of accommodation and all that jazz. Wages aren't exactly going to allow for anywhere very central and/or nice!

Meathlass

donna35 wrote: »

I see that if we're offered a Dublin job and decline that if we are qualified for other regions that we will still be online for those as and when they come up - which is good news for people like Meathlass.

Very risky though to turn down a job down. I'm in the top 50 in both my other regions (Cork and Meath) but what's the chance there'll be that many jobs in those areas? If I get offered a Dublin job I'm taking it and then keeping my fingers crossed for the Administrative and Executive officer campaigns.

Money wise I haven't a hope of living in Dublin so will be commuting.

dundalkfc10

butterly.john wrote: »

I did not get mine yet either

Me too...very nervous now

Phantasos

Slightly off topic, but I'll have to head up the night before to attend this interview. Anyone know any reasonably priced hotels nearby that I could stay in?

I know people say that the dole is decent, but between a hotel and bus tickets I'm cleaned out of my full weeks' dole! Can only afford one interview in the week. :P

Zipppy

Phantasos wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but I'll have to head up the night before to attend this interview. Anyone know any reasonably priced hotels nearby that I could stay in?

I know people say that the dole is decent, but between a hotel and bus tickets I'm cleaned out of my full weeks' dole! Can only afford one interview in the week. :P

Where are the interviews being held?

dooey_01

Zipppy wrote: »

Where are the interviews being held?

same place as supervised tests

jimba

Does anyone know how many jobs there will be at the end of all this?

The media was saying 4-600 jobs but preferably someone with inside knowledge will have a better idea?

How many of these will be Dublin based etc.

AshF22

Phantasos wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but I'll have to head up the night before to attend this interview. Anyone know any reasonably priced hotels nearby that I could stay in?

I know people say that the dole is decent, but between a hotel and bus tickets I'm cleaned out of my full weeks' dole! Can only afford one interview in the week. :P

Try stay outside the city centre it would be cheaper. Theres a hotel near me thats nice its called the Ardmore Hotel its in finglas and has bus stop right outside. Last time I checked it was about 70 a night but its only about 20 minutes on bus and leave u right near spire on o connell street short walk from ur interview and its actually a nice hotel. Hope this helps.

gerbilgranny

Also try Travelodge from Rathmines (less than 2 miles from city centre) - sometimes you can get cheap nights there.

Phantasos

Thanks for the suggestions!

Can I just say that the application form is driving me bananas. The form is annoyingly fluid, expanding and skewing out of position every time I enter information. Not to mention the "continue work experience in the same format" note - thanks, I'll just spend 20 minutes fiddling with tables instead of you actually making a dynamic form that works properly!!

gerbilgranny

^^^^ Might I suggest that they offer YOU a position in PAS?

And when you start there, you might organise it so that people who are travelling from very far away have their interviews scheduled for around 1-2 p.m. - that way they might not have to pay for a hotel!

The Travelodge price for tonight, for example is horrendous - €179 when I first looked - and then when I tried to amend the date to 15/10/14, just to see what sort of price bracket a Wednesday might be - it again defaulted to tonight, but this time the cost was €159! I've stayed in Travelodges in the UK for less than £35 a night (less than £20 in the Docklands in London once - great bargain), so I'd hope you could get Dublin for around €40 if you're lucky. Still a load of cash to have to fork out for a bloomin' interview!

Phantasos

gerbilgranny wrote: »

^^^^ Might I suggest that they offer YOU a position in PAS?

And when you start there, you might organise it so that people who are travelling from very far away have their interviews scheduled for around 1-2 p.m. - that way they might not have to pay for a hotel!

...

Still a load of cash to have to fork out for a bloomin' interview!

I better stop making sensible suggestions or they'll rule me out of contention! But yeah, Dublin hotels are crazy expensive all of the time. I'd happily get an early bus but I'm probably the first interview of the day, so that makes it impossible to get early buses/trains.

Also, pet peeve: passport photos! I swear to god, if I have to waste more money on photos for the PAS just so they can put a big fat staple through them to attach them to a form, I'll go mad.

jimba

You would think at this stage that it would be worth the investment and capital raising potential to place a passport photo booth in chapter house. I mean if pubs have them these days..

Reading the guide to the interviews, I cannot but feel that the interviews will be strictly formal and categorical. They seem to be doing for prepared answers and speaking well than really getting to know the candidate and their strengths.
I suppose that is to be expected with so many candidates for so many jobs.

Weird enough to think, many of us could soon be colleagues!

butterly.john

jimba wrote: »

Does anyone know how many jobs there will be at the end of all this?

The media was saying 4-600 jobs but preferably someone with inside knowledge will have a better idea?

How many of these will be Dublin based etc.

Does anyone know how many passed the last test, to get called for the interview

jimba

No, but someone here said they got the interview and placed 411. That's the highest I've seen to date but I imagine more have?

Also, to those who have not yet received interview dates, what is your rough position?

sickle

jimba wrote: »

No, but someone here said they got the interview and placed 411. That's the highest I've seen to date but I imagine more have?

Also, to those who have not yet received interview dates, what is your rough position?

I'm in the 500's and haven't got my date yet.

darthinvader

I telephoned Public Jobs on Friday approx 4.15 and was told that all interview dates would be received by the end of next week

AshF22

Im placed 323 and havnt received my interview date yet.

Donald73

They might have called the first approx 300 for the first round and then will call the rest when they're coming to the end of the interviews. I placed 194 and have interview Saturday of next week so by guesswork they could be starting early to mid this week, if they go to 300 they'd then interview up to the following week so it's possible the people over that number who are waiting may get their text next week then as said.

Donald73

jimba wrote: »

You would think at this stage that it would be worth the investment and capital raising potential to place a passport photo booth in chapter house. I mean if pubs have them these days..

Reading the guide to the interviews, I cannot but feel that the interviews will be strictly formal and categorical. They seem to be doing for prepared answers and speaking well than really getting to know the candidate and their strengths.
I suppose that is to be expected with so many candidates for so many jobs.

Weird enough to think, many of us could soon be colleagues!

You bring the biccies and I'll make the tea :P

jimba

Woah now! This is the Public Service baby! State buys the biccies in this town

The_Conductor

jimba wrote: »

Woah now! This is the Public Service baby! State buys the biccies in this town

Not anymore, getting as much as cold water is seen as a luxury......

The_Conductor

RoadhouseBlues wrote: »

Hey folks. I got through the online test but my number was way down the list for my areas so I don't expect to get called. However, I see some people were talking about an EO competition coming up later in the year. So I was thinking of applying for this, now that I have the experience of doing the tests etc. I might do better and get a higher placing. Even just the experience of it. But what I wanted to ask is. Could I apply for this, even though I have no degree?. Do you need a degree to be an EO?. I didn't even do the leaving cert, but I did computer courses etc. I was a TCO 2 years ago, and the education side of things wasn't an issue, but then again the EO is a higher level.

Having a degree is not a pre-requisite to be an EO- however, the vast preponderance of applicants, akin to previous competitions- will most probably be graduates. That said- at interview- they are more interested in your skills, your abilities, your ability to lend your experiences to set situations etc etc.

Being an EO is a higher level- very often its quite similar to a HEO or AO role (depending on the Department and Division you work in). As an EO- I've worked directly to the PO, and have been left for prolonged periods of time on research projects, doing presentations, special projects etc etc- you really can't tell.

Donald73

The_Conductor wrote: »

Not anymore, getting as much as cold water is seen as a luxury......

Cold water is a luxury these days don't ya know lol

ezra_pound

Phantasos wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but I'll have to head up the night before to attend this interview. Anyone know any reasonably priced hotels nearby that I could stay in?

I know people say that the dole is decent, but between a hotel and bus tickets I'm cleaned out of my full weeks' dole! Can only afford one interview in the week. :P

Smithfield generator hostel cheap as chips but top quality. Recently awarded best in world. Ten minutes walk/1 luas stop to pas.

The One Doctor

jimba wrote: »

No, but someone here said they got the interview and placed 411. That's the highest I've seen to date but I imagine more have?

Also, to those who have not yet received interview dates, what is your rough position?

I'm 478 and am waiting for an interview date.