Limerick City & County Council Clerical Officer Campaign

jewels0606

ilovethistles wrote: »

Thanks, that's what I was thinking, even if I've only just started like a week or so? I guess I have to do what i have to do... I don't want to waste anyone's time, but I also can't risk turning down an offer in the hope of another...

this is my plan also if I am lucky enough to pass both Limerick and Clare's final interview
I didn't bother going to Tipp short listing 1 in Clonmel as it fell on a bad day and I am unlikely to commute to Clonmel!
But whichever offer I am lucky enough to get I shall accept and switch if I am blessed :-)
I am on the panel for civil service but its moving so slow!!!
I would prob prefer CS if I am honest!!
so don't worry abut it and go with what suits you
Its your life and career :-)

jewels0606

is anyone else struggling to learn about local govt for the interviews for Limerick tomorrow!!!

ilovethistles

jewels0606 wrote: »

is anyone else struggling to learn about local govt for the interviews for Limerick tomorrow!!!

Mine isn't until next Thursday, they must be interviewing all week!

august12

jewels0606 wrote: »

is anyone else struggling to learn about local govt for the interviews for Limerick tomorrow!!!

I work with a local authority. I would advise learning about council meetings, a bit about role of councillors, name some of their reserved functions, the role of the CE, his executive functions, some of the services provided by the local authority, other than that, concentrate on skills of clerical officers, there is a bit about this on publicjobs.ie. and also your knowledge of IT systems, say yes to all these I.e. PowerPoint, Excel etc, have examples ready. Don't get bogged down on learning too much, it's too broad to cover everything.

LisaQ93

I had my Limerick interview yesterday.
Very heavy on the local government questions. Basics like how many councillors, how many districts, name them, role of local government in people's day-to-day lives etc.
Specifics on their budget for 2017 so know how much money they get, where they get it from and what they're spending it on.
Property Tax and rates came up too.
They asked for examples of initiatives they have implented and how they have affected the community. They also noted that Clare has a very strong tourism draw, and asked do people get their money's worth for attractions like the Cliffs of Moher when compared to what Limerick has to offer.
There was a bunch more about housing, the environment and the day-to-day running of council (what issues do you think people bring to councillors and what kind of authority do the councillors have RE decision making) but I can't recall the specifics.
Other things they touched on were the usual customer services topics with a heavy emphasis on dealing with an awkward customer. What skills and experience do you have that makes you qualified for the role. Nothing untoward about the questions outside of the local government ones.
Two people on the panel and they were lovely. Interview took about 25 minutes. They're on all this week and next week so they said minimum 3 weeks before we hear anything.
I know I haven't been posting here, nor did I even have an account, but I can see some of ye are stressing about the second interview. It was tricky in parts but I think everyone was expecting it to be a little bit. Won't be as bad as you think it will be!

jewels0606

LisaQ93 wrote: »

I had my Limerick interview yesterday.
Very heavy on the local government questions. Basics like how many councillors, how many districts, name them, role of local government in people's day-to-day lives etc.
Specifics on their budget for 2017 so know how much money they get, where they get it from and what they're spending it on.
Property Tax and rates came up too.
They asked for examples of initiatives they have implented and how they have affected the community. They also noted that Clare has a very strong tourism draw, and asked do people get their money's worth for attractions like the Cliffs of Moher when compared to what Limerick has to offer.
There was a bunch more about housing, the environment and the day-to-day running of council (what issues do you think people bring to councillors and what kind of authority do the councillors have RE decision making) but I can't recall the specifics.
Other things they touched on were the usual customer services topics with a heavy emphasis on dealing with an awkward customer. What skills and experience do you have that makes you qualified for the role. Nothing untoward about the questions outside of the local government ones.
Two people on the panel and they were lovely. Interview took about 25 minutes. They're on all this week and next week so they said minimum 3 weeks before we hear anything.
I know I haven't been posting here, nor did I even have an account, but I can see some of ye are stressing about the second interview. It was tricky in parts but I think everyone was expecting it to be a little bit. Won't be as bad as you think it will be!

Thank you
That was generous of you to help those following you with advice and direction
I have gone through all of the above so many times but I genuinely don't know why but I can't seem to retain the info!!!
It's driving me stir crazy
I know 100% I'm going to draw a blank in there and waffle probably or try blag it at times!
Fingers crossed
Everything else I'm fine with but I'm so bogged down with this LG stuff 😞

ilovethistles

jewels0606 wrote: »

Thank you
That was generous of you to help those following you with advice and direction
I have gone through all of the above so many times but I genuinely don't know why but I can't seem to retain the info!!!
It's driving me stir crazy
I know 100% I'm going to draw a blank in there and waffle probably or try blag it at times!
Fingers crossed
Everything else I'm fine with but I'm so bogged down with this LG stuff 😞

The very best of luck to you today... I'm sure you'll do well!!

jewels0606

Okay so I had my interview
All in all okay but I'd be 50/50 if I passed the govt section questions part
I think I may have gone off point and some I didn't know!
70 have made it this far following shortlisted interviews
Basically it was like what Lisa said in a previous post
Interviewers were lovely though so it was relaxing in that way
Best of luck everyone

Bannergal

jewels0606 wrote: »

Okay so I had my interview
All in all okay but I'd be 50/50 if I passed the govt section questions part
I think I may have gone off point and some I didn't know!
70 have made it this far following shortlisted interviews
Basically it was like what Lisa said in a previous post
Interviewers were lovely though so it was relaxing in that way
Best of luck everyone

Wow if 70 made the final interviews does that mean around 25 didn't??
It didn't really cut down the numbers by much

jewels0606

Bannergal wrote: »

Wow if 70 made the final interviews does that mean around 25 didn't??
It didn't really cut down the numbers by much

No I thought it would have been cut to 50
BUT
There are around 30 jobs coming up
They've not done a panel for years so this panel would be set up for a cpl of yrs and 50 might not pass the interview
In some ways easier than expected
In others as tricky as I expected! But I assume they need a panel of 50 with 30 jobs coming up so maybe that's why they weren't cut that much
Maybe they expect a few of us to fail
The more I think of it the more I think I failed on the govt section

IrishEyes147

Has anyone else heard back from Clare?

LisaQ93

IrishEyes147 wrote: »

Has anyone else heard back from Clare?

I got my letter from Clare yesterday, my interview is on the 24th
@jewels0606 Glad you got through your interview. I'm sure it went better than you think, you're your own worst critic!

jewels0606

My Clare interview is the 20th 😊

mbquinn

Just seeing this thread now. I did the Limerick interview too. Both interviewers were very friendly and put you at ease. I thought I had prepared well but towards the end they asked specific questions that required a real understanding of the council's procedures and processes and I just couldn't answer them. I think it's a way of separating out the candidates as people who have experience of working in the field or have a deep interest in the council's affairs would have scored well here. I wasn't feeling too positive afterwards.

jewels0606

mbquinn wrote: »

Just seeing this thread now. I did the Limerick interview too. Both interviewers were very friendly and put you at ease. I thought I had prepared well but towards the end they asked specific questions that required a real understanding of the council's procedures and processes and I just couldn't answer them. I think it's a way of separating out the candidates as people who have experience of working in the field or have a deep interest in the council's affairs would have scored well here. I wasn't feeling too positive afterwards.

That's exactly how I feel now looking back
I thought it was going really well and then I had to say I didn't know a few times at the end also

august12

jewels0606 wrote: »

That's exactly how I feel now looking back
I thought it was going really well and then I had to say I didn't know a few times at the end also

better to say you don't know as to start waffling. They can see straight through that. Nothing wrong with admitting you don't know something.

IrishEyes147

Not sure if this is a stupid question but where did ye get specific information on the council budget?


Im trying to prep for the Clare interview, Ive found what the 2017 Budget is, where would I get information on where they get the money from? And who decides what they spend it on? Stuff like that..


All this council info is going way over my head!!!


TIA.

jewels0606

IrishEyes147 wrote: »

Not sure if this is a stupid question but where did ye get specific information on the council budget?


Im trying to prep for the Clare interview, Ive found what the 2017 Budget is, where would I get information on where they get the money from? And who decides what they spend it on? Stuff like that..


All this council info is going way over my head!!!


TIA.

I had to google and download reports
Then make notes like being back at school and learning it lol
Then hoping what I'd learnt is what they'd ask lol
I've not started gathering info for the Clare interview yet
I dread it!!!!
It's so easy to get bogged down in too much info!
And god knows they could have a different agenda to limerick..... regarding they're questioning
I.e. They might ask more about
Policies or god knows what 😊

IrishEyes147

jewels0606 wrote: »

I had to google and download reports
Then make notes like being back at school and learning it lol
Then hoping what I'd learnt is what they'd ask lol
I've not started gathering info for the Clare interview yet
I dread it!!!!
It's so easy to get bogged down in too much info!
And god knows they could have a different agenda to limerick..... regarding they're questioning
I.e. They might ask more about
Policies or god knows what 😊

Im trying to get a head start with the prep because im away all of next week and wont get a chance.

Ive only just started and im finding it all very overwhelming! Theres so much information and like you said you have no idea what way the questioning will go. And to be honest a lot of it is going over my head and making me feel a bit stupid

can i just borrow a councillors brain for the interview:D

august12

IrishEyes147 wrote: »

Im trying to get a head start with the prep because im away all of next week and wont get a chance.

Ive only just started and im finding it all very overwhelming! Theres so much information and like you said you have no idea what way the questioning will go. And to be honest a lot of it is going over my head and making me feel a bit stupid

can i just borrow a councillors brain for the interview:D

know a bit about councillors role, how many there are i.e. 40 in Limerick divided between 3 municipal districts and one metropolitan area. Chief executive is con Murray. Budget is approx, 370 million i think, will come back to you late tomorrow or Sunday with exact figure. They get their funding from the following. Local property tax, housing assistance subsidy from central government, rent payments, goods and services and the balance from rates. Rates brings in approx. 50 million. Their biggest expenditure is payroll. There are approx. 1200 staff.

Bannergal

august12 wrote: »

know a bit about councillors role, how many there are i.e. 40 in Limerick divided between 3 municipal districts and one metropolitan area. Chief executive is con Murray. Budget is approx, 370 million i think, will come back to you late tomorrow or Sunday with exact figure. They get their funding from the following. Local property tax, housing assistance subsidy from central government, rent payments, goods and services and the balance from rates. Rates brings in approx. 50 million. Their biggest expenditure is payroll. There are approx. 1200 staff.

Do you think they will ask you to name a few of the councillors in each area?

jewels0606

Bannergal wrote: »

Do you think they will ask you to name a few of the councillors in each area?

I doubt it but who knows...

jewels0606

IrishEyes147 wrote: »

Im trying to get a head start with the prep because im away all of next week and wont get a chance.

Ive only just started and im finding it all very overwhelming! Theres so much information and like you said you have no idea what way the questioning will go. And to be honest a lot of it is going over my head and making me feel a bit stupid

can i just borrow a councillors brain for the interview:D

I can't bring myself to start researching yet
I feel almost allergic to this process 😞

august12

Bannergal wrote: »

Do you think they will ask you to name a few of the councillors in each area?

not if you are from.clare and interview is for Limerick but if doing one in your own county, no harm in knowing your own local councillor, they generally are not that specific. Just know there are 40 councillors for all Limerick.

Bannergal

Have my interview this afternoon & never got around to doing any research so I'm feeling sick about it- should I cancel?
If you have 20 years work experience will you still be offered the basic salary of €21k???

ilovethistles

Bannergal wrote: »

Have my interview this afternoon & never got around to doing any research so I'm feeling sick about it- should I cancel?
If you have 20 years work experience will you still be offered the basic salary of €21k???

It's not too late to do research, look back over this thread for the basics you'll need to know. Don't cancel as even if you don't do great you'll still be placed on the panel afaik, just further down it.

Clear your head and get stuck in, and try your best. You can do this!!!

And yes, you will start at the basic salary regardless afaik. Best of luck and let us know how you get on.

jewels0606

Bannergal wrote: »

Have my interview this afternoon & never got around to doing any research so I'm feeling sick about it- should I cancel?
If you have 20 years work experience will you still be offered the basic salary of €21k???

Grab a pen and sheet of paper
Take note of basics
By this aft you'll know it
Just flick through limerick council website too
They are standard scale salaries unless the experience is with a govt job
Other than that everyone starts at the start of the scale
But.......there are regular pay rises!

Bannergal

jewels0606 wrote: »

Grab a pen and sheet of paper
Take note of basics
By this aft you'll know it
Just flick through limerick council website too
They are standard scale salaries unless the experience is with a govt job
Other than that everyone starts at the start of the scale
But.......there are regular pay rises!

I really can't drop that much in money as I didn't realise they would Make people start on that low salary

jewels0606

Bannergal wrote: »

I really can't drop that much in money as I didn't realise they would Make people start on that low salary

Go for the interview
I could be wrong
I don't think I am but still
Keep your options open
You've nothing to lose by going to the interview

Shasheen

Sorry to jump in on this thread but wondering did anyone hear apply for Galway and / or Roscommon Co Co's and if so have they heard anything yet? Thanks