Clerical Positions in the Civil and Public Service

Meathlass

donna35 wrote: »

They ask for 3 references on the application form we are to bring to interview

This is from the actual form:
Should a candidate come under consideration for appointment, the Public Appointments Service will conduct such enquiries as are deemed necessary, including reference checking. Please provide the names of 3 referees that we may consult, including your present employer (if applicable). We may also contact your previous employers. Your present employer will not be contacted until all other checks have been completed; we will notify you before we propose to do this.

I was thinking of having two work and one character (I'm involved in voluntary work with them) references.

Would I be better with 3 work references instead?

Donald73

Meathlass wrote: »

I was thinking of having two work and one character (I'm involved in voluntary work with them) references.

Would I be better with 3 work references instead?

I would have it as you intended with the one character one. They said on the form they may contact your past employers so say if you've had 5 jobs and put 2 down as references and a character, they possibly could contact all 5 anyway AND the character so it makes no difference in a way xx

IKCL

What is the dress code for this?
Would slacks, shirt and tie be OK?

Meathlass

IKCL wrote: »

What is the dress code for this?
Would slacks, shirt and tie be OK?

It's an interview. I would expect most people to wear a suit.

Plus it's pretty cold at the moment - wouldn't you be freezing in a shirt.

dooey_01

IKCL wrote: »

What is the dress code for this?
Would slacks, shirt and tie be OK?

Yea that's what I'll be wearing anyway, maybe with a jumper. I always find the suit jacket a bit overkill. I'd bet money some people will turn up in jeans/trainers

Meathlass

dooey_01 wrote: »

Yea that's what I'll be wearing anyway, maybe with a jumper. I always find the suit jacket a bit overkill. I'd bet money some people will turn up in jeans/trainers

Seriously if they don't have the cope on not to wear jeans/runners to an interview then I'm lost for words.

dooey_01

Meathlass wrote: »

Seriously if they don't have cope on not to wear jeans/runners to an interview then I'm lost for words.

lol i know. did ya see how some people dressed for the supervised tests even...i saw TRACKSUITS!

Meathlass

dooey_01 wrote: »

lol i know. did ya see how some people dressed for the supervised tests even...i saw TRACKSUITS!

Yeah, there were plenty of those at my session as well. I know it was only an aptitude test and there's no way there're going to connect what you were wearing that day to your application but if you can't even be bothered to put on a pair of jeans and a top then I'd worry about their work ethic.

Harsh maybe but not an unusual reaction I'd say.

keowny8

Wear the tracksuits.... Ye'll be fine

Donald73

Meathlass wrote: »

Seriously if they don't have cope on not to wear jeans/runners to an interview then I'm lost for words.

Agreed. I'm going to be wearing a suit anyway, always do to interviews. Plus mostly the interviewers will be dressed in office attire so by being dressed more or less the same it not only shows that you're appropriately dressed but also makes you feel better in a way as if it levels the playing field between us and them, hard to explain.

Once though I went for interview, it was at a sportswear company where I worked for a few years and was interviewed by a girl wearing tshirt, ripped jeans and flip flops. I was wearing a suit and had bought loads of office type clothes which I never got to wear then as it was such a casual environment. The men thought nothing of wearing boardshorts, tshirts and flip flops too. I felt awkward as anything at that interview hahaha. But I'm vertain this one won't be like that so suit it is.

nukie1978

Phantasos wrote: »

I know this has been asked before sometime, but I just wanted to check - if potential recruits have worked in the civil service before, will their increments and pay scales from previous roles be honoured? I've only ever been a temp before. Having read through the documentation, it mentions that everyone will start on the new entrant scale. I wonder, since this is a permanent position, would that mean ALL recruits would be put on the bottom of the payscale?

Legally, the only way an employer can differentiate between a permanent employee and a temporary one is that a temporary employee's contract has an expiry date. TCOs are entitled to receive increments on exactly the same basis as permanent COs, and your service is cumulative, so if you have previous service as a TCO, and you get taken on as a CO, you will remain on the same point of the same scale, and receive your increment on the same date as if you had simply had your TCO contract renewed. Same applies to pension scheme membership, if your break in service is less than 26 weeks.

BUT you can't, unfortunately, count on the person responsible for making sure your payscale and point on Monday remain the same as on the previous Friday, as that person may be a complete and utter numpty, and it may take a long campaign of harassment to penetrate the shield of numptyism and get what you're legally entitled to. But get it you shall, eventually, with arrears.

Donald73

Meathlass wrote: »

Yeah, there were plenty of those at my session as well. I know it was only an aptitude test and there's no way there're going to connect what you were wearing that day to your application but if you can't even be bothered to put on a pair of jeans and a top then I'd worry about their work ethic.

Harsh maybe but not an unusual reaction I'd say.

I think we were at the same session. I know they did say to wear layers or somesuch so as not to be too warm/cold there but I'm sure they didn't mean trackies lol. I wore a dress and cardigan over tights so was kind of smart-casual but comfortable too.

Meathlass

Can anyone who's worked as a TCO tell me how much you pay for your pension each week? I'm trying to get an idea of take home pay.

The One Doctor

Meathlass wrote: »

Yeah, there were plenty of those at my session as well. I know it was only an aptitude test and there's no way there're going to connect what you were wearing that day to your application but if you can't even be bothered to put on a pair of jeans and a top then I'd worry about their work ethic.

Harsh maybe but not an unusual reaction I'd say.

I wore jeans and a casual shirt. What was I supposed to wear, a formal coat and top hat? It was an aptitude test not a wedding, for feck's sake!

Meathlass

The One Doctor wrote: »

I wore jeans and a casuals shirt. What was I supposed to wear, a formal coat and top hat?

Personally I would think casual wear was fine for the aptitude tests; I wouldn't extend casual to tracksuits though.

paddycakes

dooey_01 wrote: »

Yea that's what I'll be wearing anyway, maybe with a jumper. I always find the suit jacket a bit overkill. I'd bet money some people will turn up in jeans/trainers

Good idea with the shirt and jumper! I hate wearing the suit jacket, can never get comfortable!

citizen_bob

Meathlass wrote: »

Can anyone who's worked as a TCO tell me how much you pay for your pension each week? I'm trying to get an idea of take home pay.

Not worked as a TCO (or a CO for that matter), but taxcalc-dot-ie (sorry, can't include a proper link as I'm a newbie!) has a link to a take-home pay calculator.

I think the starting pay is just under €21k - can anyone confirm?

Donald73

citizen_bob wrote: »

Not worked as a TCO (or a CO for that matter), but taxcalc-dot-ie (sorry, can't include a proper link as I'm a newbie!) has a link to a take-home pay calculator.

I think the starting pay is just under €21k - can anyone confirm?

it's 20859 as far as i recall. Those calculators won't be much use though for this as we don't know how much pension is taken a week/month

citizen_bob

donna35 wrote: »

it's 20859 as far as i recall. Those calculators won't be much use though for this as we don't know how much pension is taken a week/month

Thanks!

Meathlass

citizen_bob wrote: »

Not worked as a TCO (or a CO for that matter), but taxcalc-dot-ie (sorry, can't include a proper link as I'm a newbie!) has a link to a take-home pay calculator.

I think the starting pay is just under €21k - can anyone confirm?

That only calculates paye and pris; I want to know about pensions.

I ask because I have colleagues one pay grade above me who are paying a pension, I'm not and our tax home pay is very similar. It really is a huge chunk out of the salary.

dooey_01

Meathlass wrote: »

That only calculates paye and pris; I want to know about pensions.

I ask because I have colleagues one pay grade above me who are paying a pension, I'm not and our tax home pay is very similar. It really is a huge chunk out of the salary.

Jaysus they couldn't expect much of a pension contribution on weekly take-home pay of about €350 - that will barely cover the rent!

citizen_bob

Meathlass wrote: »

That only calculates paye and pris; I want to know about pensions.

I ask because I have colleagues one pay grade above me who are paying a pension, I'm not and our tax home pay is very similar. It really is a huge chunk out of the salary.

Did you try cspensions-dot-gov-dot-ie ?

Meathlass

dooey_01 wrote: »

Jaysus they couldn't expect much of a pension contribution on weekly take-home pay of about €350 - that will barely cover the rent!

Well someone on Grade IV in the Public Service with a take home pay of €740 a week is paying €75 into their pension. So if it's 10% it's about €40 a week for these CO positions.

I'm just trying to see if the % is the same in the civil service.

Starry12

Just got called to interview on the 17th. Decided I'm gonna do it and move home with my parents if I get it...

butterly.john

Nikki2302 wrote: »

Just got called to interview on the 17th. Decided I'm gonna do it and move home with my parents if I get it...

Hi
Just wondering what place you came in the supervised test, I was 617, I probably just made it to the interviews, but have not heard yet other than the email saying I would be called for the interview

bnagrrl

Interview next week on the 17th. I came in the early 400s I think in the aptitude test.

I previously worked in the civil service, does anyone know if I'm successful will this service count towards pay etc for this role?

Phantasos

nukie1978 wrote: »

BUT you can't, unfortunately, count on the person responsible for making sure your payscale and point on Monday remain the same as on the previous Friday, as that person may be a complete and utter numpty, and it may take a long campaign of harassment to penetrate the shield of numptyism and get what you're legally entitled to. But get it you shall, eventually, with arrears.

I have lots of experience with that problem!! But thanks for the info, good to know.

sickle

butterly.john wrote: »

Hi
Just wondering what place you came in the supervised test, I was 617, I probably just made it to the interviews, but have not heard yet other than the email saying I would be called for the interview

I'm around 520ish and just got called today for the 17th too so you will be notified soon, they said everyone will hear by the end of this week/early next week.

butterly.john

bnagrrl wrote: »

Interview next week on the 17th. I came in the early 400s I think in the aptitude test.

I previously worked in the civil service, does anyone know if I'm successful will this service count towards pay etc for this role?

Thanks

AshF22

Im number 323 and have my interview the 16th! They seem to be getting through people pretty fast!!