NEW 2020 Assistant Principal Officer Competition

Furby2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117715852#Comment_117715852

What a lovely way to spend your holidays!! Best of luck on Monday!

DOM85

Here’s my interview experience but I think it’s different for everyone and depends on the panel. Mine were all external. Very nice. Specialist knowledge was dealt with at the very beginning by the Chair. Went through my application, training courses, key skills I learned in each role and course etc. Leadership next. Interviewer didn’t look too impressed so I quickly threw in a second example. So 2 examples needed but not great detail for the second one. Interpersonal and communication skills next. Got asked for an example of each. Managing and delivery of results including drive and commitment next. Quick fire questions. Faltered here. What I was asked didn’t match the example I had prepared. Ended up digging something up from 25 years ago off the top of my head for one question. Judgement analysis etc one example. Didn’t really get a chance to do STAR. Was really all action and result. Look at the competency framework and have little examples for all the requirements you could dig out. Not star but just so you don’t draw a blank. Bring passion and enthusiasm. Hope that helps. I passed.

Kenrach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117717221#Comment_117717221

Living the dream ! Hopefully it will be worth the sacrifice! Cheers!

Kenrach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117717266#Comment_117717266

Class advise, congratulations on passing thanks a mill!

Furby2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117717266#Comment_117717266

That's really interesting - especially interpersonal & communication skills a separate example for each makes much more sense to me! Thanks for that and well done for getting through!

ThumbTaxed

Be positive. Remember you are probably competing against a weaker set of people than you normally would be for such competitions. So be confident.

Anyone with real ability would be at that level already through internal competitions so you have a great chance.

Kenrach

I take it that there would be no issue to having the application form with you? I probably wont get to refer to it so it would be more like a comforter!

Zara151

I don't agree with Thumb Taxed above just because someone may not have aced the verbal reasoning/situational tests over a year ago doesn't mean they won't be great at interview.

Also you are up against non civil servants who are often seen as more skilled.

A few departments haven't had an internal AP promotion in over 2 years.

Tweets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117718674#Comment_117718674

Wow

Carmona83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117718674#Comment_117718674

Not necessarily, some departments don't have internal comps often. My department hasn't had one in 8 years and back then the old rule of at least 2 years at HEO applied. They've owed too many AP liabilities since to external panels

Rainbowstar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117717266#Comment_117717266

Jesus - two different examples for interpers and Comms? Could you not use the same example but show how you hit both skills within that?

Thanks for all of that - it appears it's different for everyone.

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117719378#Comment_117719378

Nope, and in the "olden days" of face-to-face interviews you'd be reminded to bring a copy of the form with you, with the caveat that you weren't to have any notes on it.

Kenrach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117723452#Comment_117723452

Thanks a mill...last minute panicking for tomorrow.....

Kenrach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117723452#Comment_117723452

And it's not like they will ask you to hold it up to the screen 🤪

starringme

Having trouble with a positive spin prepping for this sort of question and would appreciate tips - 'how would your experience in that area [managing v small/ no staff] prepare you for an AP for 50 customer service staff'?

Kenrach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117723522#Comment_117723522

I don't think it matters that you have managed a small number of staff once you can demonstrate that you have and that you can - then it's just a question of volume for the 50 staff - (remember at AP level you will have HEO's reporting to you that will manage day to day output of staff) ultimately it is setting clear goals on an individual and team basis.

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117723522#Comment_117723522

You shouldn't really be getting speculative/"what if" questions like this - they should be asking you about your example, maybe a second example, with possibly a couple of probing questions.

That said, in an AP competition a few years ago a colleague got "What would you do if you were made Taoiseach for a day?" (My reaction to that would be "I'm sorry, what competency is this coming under?!" )

But for anything really left-field like that, I think the best approach would be, where possible, to extrapolate from experience you do have. E.g., in the example you give, "I have X direct reports now, 3 COs and an EO; if I am an AP with 50 customer service staff, then I'd still have roughly the same number of direct reports, 4 or 5 HEOs looking after their teams; I'd trust the HEOs to manage their staff, and would be looking at KPIs to check they were doing so..." In other words: "This is nothing new; this is what I already do, and do it well," if that makes sense.

starringme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117724058#Comment_117724058

Great spin thanks - I've definitely got speculative Qs in the past, particularly on management. 'How would you change the PMDS if you could invent a new one' immediately jumps to mind.

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117724645#Comment_117724645

Lol! Something more useful than a two-point rating system of "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory" would be a start? 😁

taato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117723463#Comment_117723463

Best of luck tomorrow, i’m not on till next week but i’m sure i’ll be panicking then too. You got this far so you have the required knowledge, skills and relevant experience so go knock ‘em dead. Make sure to check-in and let us know how you get on. Focus on the competencies, that’s what you’ll be marked on and don’t be worrying about the curve balls, you can wing them.

Carmona83

Best of luck to all on this week ☘️

Kenrach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117724778#Comment_117724778

Cheers not long now ! Will swing by later and update you on how it went! The very best of luck to everyone at the interview stage!! We got this!

Cheeseplant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117718674#Comment_117718674

Wow.

So only the only good APs get the job through internal competition... I know of plenty internal candidates that would debunk that theory 🤣 I would argue that the internal candidates are more likely to have mock interviews or have gone for similar competitions previously and therefore be well versed in the competency based interview language or have particular department focused specialised knowledge that would be of benefit to a senior management grade. In an Open/InterD you have to prove that you can hit the ground running in ANY department without ANY specialised/ background knowledge.

@ interviewees

Your interviews will be fine because you have prepped for them. The panel (certainly mine) was very nice and not at all scary. You will be confident and enthusiastic. You already have a role that made you think that you have developed the skills necessary to be an AP. We will all be starting at the same point; with no experience of being an actual AP and we will all have areas that need development. We can discuss those with our PO at PMDS. No one is perfect in every area. Best of luck!

Tweets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117727310#Comment_117727310

I’d ignore him. He claims to be earning 300k in a legal firm while also doing comps for AP tax specialists which he didn’t get an offer from and a PO comp that he didn’t get through the video interview stage on. He seems to like posting comments on random threads to spark an argument.

I agree in relation to the interviewees. The interview prep is a good amount of the work. My board were also lovely, very helpful and really put me at ease from the first minute. If you’ve put in the work you’ll be grand!

Rainbowstar

Thanks Tweets and Cheeseplant!

Rocks of sense.

Kenrach

Hi so panel were really nice ...like previous posters I didn't have the opportunity to go through the star example more straight into open questions on each competency. They didn't give much time and told me when they had enough for each point my internet dropped a couple of times which was really.offputting . Apart from that I felt.that I proved an answer to the questions asked, how strong they were and did I hit the mark remains to be seen.... My mind is completely blank now to remember any specifics. Best of luck remember to keep breathing

Tweets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117728040#Comment_117728040

Well done. It’s all over now.

Scribble down the questions and answers you can remember now and keep a pen handy for the flashbacks over the next few days. You’ll be surprised at the things that pop into your head and might help you or others in the future.

good luck 🤞🏻

taato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117728040#Comment_117728040

Ah well done and at least you have it over you now so relax and spare a thought (and maybe prayer) for the rest of us who have a week or more of anticipatory torture lol

Kenrach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117728731#Comment_117728731

Yes great that it's over. I honestly don't think I could have prepared more. Very difficult to prepare for the questions that they will ask you when they don't stick to star. Anyway off to do the postmortum and if I do remember specific questions I will add these here.

Furby2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117728040#Comment_117728040

Well done you! Enjoy the rest of your hols! I'm in your boat now - on hols at the moment with interview looming in the background!