ICT Specialists (Executive Officer level) in Civil Service

smelly sock

dextero wrote: »

Very hard to get HEO in IT in the civil service. There are people working as EO IT's for over ten years still waiting for the chance to get it. Thats why there are so many EO IT vacancies at the moment - the people that are in those jobs at the moment are leaving due to lack of career progression.

I'd tend to agree fully.

If you get EO, even as a ICT specialist, look to get out as quick as possible.

ICT is not held in the highest or regards in most departments.

PM me if you want to know more.

doc11

dextero wrote: »

Very hard to get HEO in IT in the civil service. There are people working as EO IT's for over ten years still waiting for the chance to get it. Thats why there are so many EO IT vacancies at the moment - the people that are in those jobs at the moment are leaving due to lack of career progression.

You'd still be making 45k, would you get it in the private sector

CryWolf

Iceman29 wrote: »

Congratulations, when did they say your interview was?

Sorry only got the email asking if I was interested in being interviewed for Dublin Region only. Wonder what number they are up to in regional which would suit more!!

dextero

doc11 wrote: »

You'd still be making 45k, would you get it in the private sector

After ten years with a very high workload and high stress. Staff that left, retired, etc havent been replaced. In Cork you would get that and a lot more in the IT private sector. The only real benefit is job security.

smelly sock

dextero wrote: »

After ten years with a very high workload and high stress. Staff that left, retired, etc havent been replaced. In Cork you would get that and a lot more in the IT private sector. The only real benefit is job security.

Depending on the age you go in at if you can get to 40 years service at an EO grade you will also get a decent pension and a good lump sum. 1.5 times your finishing salary I believe. So if you get to 46,000 your lump sum would be good.

I think with the LRA coming under pressure Civil Servants will also realise pay restoration over the coming years. So the payscale will finish at pre crash levels of over 50 thousand. Think it could be 53,000 after long service increment 2. So again your lump sum based on that is 80,000 or so I think. Untaxed.

Pension then 2/3 of your average earnings over your career.

My advice to anyone here, regardless of this being an ICT stream is to take an EO position as and entry to the CS.

rostalof

smelly sock wrote: »

Depending on the age you go in at if you can get to 40 years service at an EO grade you will also get a decent pension and a good lump sum. 1.5 times your finishing salary I believe. So if you get to 46,000 your lump sum would be good.

I think with the LRA coming under pressure Civil Servants will also realise pay restoration over the coming years. So the payscale will finish at pre crash levels of over 50 thousand. Think it could be 53,000 after long service increment 2. So again your lump sum based on that is 80,000 or so I think. Untaxed.

Pension then 2/3 of your average earnings over your career.

My advice to anyone here, regardless of this being an ICT stream is to take an EO position as and entry to the CS.

These calculations have changed I'm afraid.

The pension for new entrants since 2013 is worked out as, number of years service x 1/80 x average salary. So 40 years at an average salary of €45k would be,
40 x 1/80 x 45000 = €22500
Basically with 40 years service you will have a pension of half your average salary.

The lump sum is calculated as follows,
number of years service x 3/80 x average salary.
Using the same average as above, the lump sum will be 40 x 3/80 x 45000 = 67500

The use of finishing salary for calculating pensions went out on the first of January 2013 and it ain't coming back either.

smelly sock

rostalof wrote: »

These calculations have changed I'm afraid.

The pension for new entrants since 2013 is worked out as, number of years service x 1/80 x average salary. So 40 years at an average salary of €45k would be,
40 x 1/80 x 45000 = €22500
Basically with 40 years service you will have a pension of half your average salary.

The lump sum is calculated as follows,
number of years service x 3/80 x average salary.
Using the same average as above, the lump sum will be 40 x 3/80 x 45000 = 67500

The use of finishing salary for calculating pensions went out on the first of January 2013 and it ain't coming back either.

Pardon me. Correct right and proper.

I forgot about the new entrant bit. I am in since 03.

TurboTaco

Anyone get a reply about interview date yet? I haven't heard anything back yet

Do The Hustle

Good luck to all who have interviews coming up!! I am in the 130's for the regional panels, was asked if interested in the Dublin panel, have a young family so that option is out for me. Get the feeling that regional is out being such a high number. Did anyone ask PAS when placed high on the panel what are the chances of an interview for regional panels?

TestLink

Any update on till what number was offered a role from Dublin ICT Infra Support panel?

smelly sock

I know someone who is 28 on the panel and hasn't been placed yet.

issy123

all documents in still waiting on garda vetting link, waiting 3 weeks now for link. it's disappointing

TestLink

garda vetting link? I havent received any link via email. I went to Public Jobs office in Dublin and gave E-Vetting doc, educational qualification certificates etc directly!

issy123

when your references are checked and all in order they send you a link for garda vetting.

crossbeauty

dextero wrote: »

Very hard to get HEO in IT in the civil service. There are people working as EO IT's for over ten years still waiting for the chance to get it. Thats why there are so many EO IT vacancies at the moment - the people that are in those jobs at the moment are leaving due to lack of career progression.

I see they have ICT HEO jobs up on publicjobs.ie, might be worth applying for if you meet the criteria.


Hopefully this means some existing EO's will be promoted too making this whole panel move quicker for us waiting for positions.

TestLink

Sharing the link for the ICT HEO role at Public Jobs website, if anyone is interested

https://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/46616.htm

Anyone working in Civil Service ICT Dev, Would you please let me know whether in civil service, Software Testing is done by developers themselves or is it done by a Software tester? I have experience in Manual Software testing, but no experience in Software Development.

rostalof

TestLink wrote: »

Sharing the link for the ICT HEO role at Public Jobs website, if anyone is interested

https://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/46616.htm

Anyone working in Civil Service ICT Dev, Would you please let me know whether in civil service, Software Testing is done by developers themselves or is it done by a Software tester? I have experience in Manual Software testing, but no experience in Software Development.

Each department will likely have their own approach to development and testing, I would like to think they'd follow recognised or best practice procedures for this. In the dev team I worked in, the developers developed and tested their own work on their own system, before releasing to a common dev/integration environment. It's tested in this environment manually by a dedicated team tester. At the end of the development sprint the new code base is released to the test environment where it's tested intensely by a dedicated test team.

peigindubh

I have an interview for the ICT EO (dub panel) in the next week, have never done a Civil Service interview, would anyone be able to give me some idea what format interview takes or what preparation I could/should do to be in with some chance of passing.

cogset

Peigindubh - In my experience, there was one HR person, and one ICT person. She asked the usual stuff. He asked lots of how do you do technical questions. How do you do such a thing in Windows Server or Active Directory. I did so bad that the HR person wondered why I had not done some preparation work. I said that most of this stuff is easy, once you do a bit of research. I have worked in IT for almost 20 years, but I never remember the menus and settings. I ranked in the top 30 - even though it was a terrible interview. However, I do have a strong CV. So do not panic. Be yourself. Though maybe unlike me you might consider going in there with some scenarios prepared. Also keep in mind, that the techie guy might be a Microsoft Specialist, but the job you ultimately get could be based on Oracle or something. Understand the process by which you solve problems.

peigindubh

Thanks Cogset
Will have to do a bit of brushing up on the technical s if that is the format, not sure what these roles involve but not very confident that I do myself justice in interview process.

fxotoole

peigindubh wrote: »

I have an interview for the ICT EO (dub panel) in the next week, have never done a Civil Service interview, would anyone be able to give me some idea what format interview takes or what preparation I could/should do to be in with some chance of passing.

Civil Service interviews are competency based, so you need to come up with at least one example, for each competency, of how you have demonstrated that competency, in previous roles, or in your social life. Each competency is broken down into several bulletpoints. Try to touch on as many of these bulletpoints as possible in each of your examples, to maximise the points they give you at interview.

You will find the competencies in one of the appendices in the information booklet. Alternatively, google ICT Executive Officer competencies.

Have at least one example for each competency, as the interview board may ask you for a second example, or if you get stuck on one of your examples, you can start the competency again with your backup example instead.

Know the bulletpoints in each competency, and all your examples inside out. Practice in front of a mirror or in front of a friend, so you can rattle off your examples.

Familiarise yourself with the Civil Service ICT Strategy document, which DPER published in 2013/2014. You may be asked a general question or two about the ICT in the civil service, and the general direction in which it is going.

Be mindful of your time, as you only have 40 minutes or so, which sounds like a long time, but you'll be surprised how quickly it will go.

Don't sweat it and best of luck.

peigindubh

Thanks fxotoole, your post is very helpful, practice is probably the key.

xECompanyx

PAS called me yesterday to offer me the CSO in Cork. Im low 20s ICT Dev regional. I will be turning this down tho as Im a civil servant in Kerry and a 3 hr commute daily is just not worth it. So, im holding out for something closer to home. Fingers crossed, that opportunity will present itself sooner rather than later. So, for anyone waiting on Cork, you could get a call

smelly sock

peigindubh wrote: »

I have an interview for the ICT EO (dub panel) in the next week, have never done a Civil Service interview, would anyone be able to give me some idea what format interview takes or what preparation I could/should do to be in with some chance of passing.

Know your competency and focus on the processes rather than the actual tech side of it.

Situation
Task
Actions
Result

What did you learn?

What would you do differently next time?

During the questioning talk about how you listened to your colleagues and team.

"Listened". Don't underestimate that phrase.

"I" - I took ownership of the project.

Best of luck.

issy123

xECompanyx wrote: »

PAS called me yesterday to offer me the CSO in Cork. Im low 20s ICT Dev regional. I will be turning this down tho as Im a civil servant in Kerry and a 3 hr commute daily is just not worth it. So, im holding out for something closer to home. Fingers crossed, that opportunity will present itself sooner rather than later. So, for anyone waiting on Cork, you could get a call

have you completed an e-vetting form on line before you were offered cork please as I have not received this yet, I have everything else sent in.

peigindubh

Thanks Smelly Sock

I will have a busy weekend, the Christmas decorations will have to wait a few more days.

Burgo

smelly sock wrote: »

Know your competency and focus on the processes rather than the actual tech side of it.

Situation
Task
Actions
Result

What did you learn?

What would you do differently next time?

During the questioning talk about how you listened to your colleagues and team.

"Listened". Don't underestimate that phrase.

"I" - I took ownership of the project.

Best of luck.

Also don't forget what you put down on the application form, I know it may seem obvious but they have that info to hand and will use it as a reference point during the interview.

Like smelly sock mentioned, on the application form some of the questions they asked were competency based, so something you can go back and look at.

Good Luck

xECompanyx

issy123 wrote: »

xECompanyx wrote: »

PAS called me yesterday to offer me the CSO in Cork. Im low 20s ICT Dev regional. I will be turning this down tho as Im a civil servant in Kerry and a 3 hr commute daily is just not worth it. So, im holding out for something closer to home. Fingers crossed, that opportunity will present itself sooner rather than later. So, for anyone waiting on Cork, you could get a call

have you completed an e-vetting form on line before you were offered cork please as I have not received this yet, I have everything else sent in.

Im an existing Civil Servant so evetting is non applicable. I received a phone call from PAS. Had I accepted, I would then have to deal with the red tape.

Tamino

Hi xECompanyx - Just as a matter of interest were you contacted re location choices a few weeks ago, or did that just apply to the infrastructure panel?

xECompanyx

Tamino wrote: »

Hi xECompanyx - Just as a matter of interest were you contacted re location choices a few weeks ago, or did that just apply to the infrastructure panel?

Hi, yes, i was contacted a few weeks ago to fill out a form giving an indication of interest for 4 provencial locations. The CSO was on that and I turned it down that time also.