NEW 2022 Assistant Principal Competition - Open and Interdepartmental

izzy57

I have completed clearance and have just accepted a role in the department of justice. I came in the top fifteen in the open competition. Hopefully those of you waiting will hear soon.

katie1920

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120499247#Comment_120499247

How do they decide whether to call from interdepartmental or open?

Swilly22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120500252#Comment_120500252

Huge congrats. Hope all goes well 👏

Rosie_ob

Congratulations & Best of luck 😊

Rosie_ob

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120500373#Comment_120500373

I think it depends on the request from the department that has the vacancy. As far as I know, but I’m open to correction, depts have to fill vacancies at a ratio 2 - open, 1 - interd, 1 - internal.

Vinoveritas29

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120500373#Comment_120500373

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120502272#Comment_120502272

Yes it depends on the sequencing and what panel they owe to. I was hoping to hear this week but will probably be next week at this rate. I'm being kept by my department so I just want to get moving at this stage!

Rosie_ob

I’m in the exact same position with my own department hopefully we hear soon 😊

Emyou11

Thanks, much appreciated

Rose Violet

Well done those of you getting placed. Does anyone know about the IT AP jobs campaign and where they are at in terms of placements (open panel). Thanks in advance

45clicksnorth

Izzy57 - do you mind me asking how you were contacted about clearance? Was it by email? I got a message through the PAS website on Wednesday to say they have tried several times to contact me since 3rd April. All I can find is one email that went to spam on that date and nothing else. I had emailed them a few weeks ago with a different email address but the email from clearance went to the address that was on the application form instead. If anyone has changed email address recently maybe check they have the right details. I was top 5 open stream but looks like this has delayed my offer while they are moving on down the list.

izzy57

45clicksnorth - I was contacted by email. Once you start clearance nothing goes through the actual PAS website anymore. I would suggest everyone keeps a regular check on communications and Spam folders.

redguywhy

Does anyone have any idea when Batch 1 will be complete? For those that originally scored less than 1159 in the online assessments but might be in Batch 2. Any ideas when Batch 2 might start to be shortlisted?

Loz Ella

Does anyone on the open/interd panel know what numbers they've reached?

@Rosie_ob have you been placed yet?

Rosie_ob

No I haven’t yet!

This was the status yesterday ‘To date we have called as far as order of merit 18 from the Open stream and 8 from the Interdepartmental stream.’

 

ZigOrZag

This might help in terms of timelines/expectations: I got a score of more than 1159 so I was included in the first round of shortlisting (batch 1)

As a result my application form was assessed and scored. I passed all qualifying criteria but was informed that I didn’t achieve a sufficient score to be called forward for interview.

So (what I’m calling) batch 1.1 were called forward for interview at the end of Feb/early March.

Following on from that, I received an email at the start of April to say I was being called forward for interview in early May (I’m calling this batch 1.2)

I don’t know if there’s a batch 1.3 or if they will move to shortlisting those who scored below 1159 as the next step but hopefully this is somewhat helpful.

I’m in the Open stream only and not entirely familiar with this process so I am very much open to correction on my terminology but this has been my experience to date. Hope that helps

katie1920

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120524185#Comment_120524185

That is exactly what they told me last week. They must be calling to clearance in batches every couple of weeks.

AlexWH

Hi ZigorZag,

Good luck with the interview!!

Just out of interest would you mind saying what you scored in stage one and where you were on the OOM. This is my first time doing an AP panel, I passed but was under 1159 (scored 1043) did very well on the numerical but doesn't count unfortunately and I am very low on OOM (1052) and just wondering have I a hope of progressing in this campaign or not?

Thanks

PhoenixParker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120527431#Comment_120527431

Not who you're asking but you will 100% be called for interview if you pass shortlisting. Assuming you have Dublin as a county & some economic disaster doesn't happen.

Your OOM is not low at all.

Kidas

Hello, I was wondering if anyone knows how many people they interview in each batch?

dearlandlord

Hi all, I had my interview yesterday. Might anyone know or have experience of how long til I might get a result or feedback? Btw my advice would be that the STAR approach is worth doing, and try to have a couple of examples per competency.

TryingAsBestICan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120525572#Comment_120525572

To give people a feel for where they are, at Stage 1, I scored 1166 and I was OOMed at 420 Open and 289 InterD (I am current CS). I went through for the Stage 2 shortlisting by application form, after which I had a total score of 98. I got a notification from PAS on 10/02/2023 that they were taking total scores of 114+ to interview and I would be called in due course. I said to myself that could be months down the road.

On 03/04/2023 (3 weeks later) I got a notification that my interview would be Tuesday 25/04/2023. Now I've looked through my messages for yis and I can't find it so it must have been when I clicked into the interview link that I saw I was Batch 1.2. So maybe they're working in 3 week intervals and I'll get feedback in 3 weeks time if I was interviewed early in Batch 1.2 or next week if I was interviewed last in Batch 1.2. Even if I'm well off track on that, I would expect to get some feedback in 4-5 weeks. If I'm right they'll be moving to Batch 1.3 or Batch 2 after that depending on scores. I could well need to be sense checked on that.

Ref, the interview, I stuck to the competencies on my application form which I was sorry about because the Chair pointedly said they read it, summed up my application for me at the start and only asked me to briefly describe my current position. Since they had clearly read my application in detail I was sorry I didn't introduce more examples. I had decided to stick to the ones on the application for head space and I thought I'd really drive why they were brilliant 😉 but by doing that I missed an opportunity to show the range of my experience which of course is what they're looking for. And of course if the new example was going well I could have reintroduced my application example to say in completely different circumstances I choose/delivered/managed the opposite and introduce your application example then. You'll look well rounded then.

They were firm and intelligent, quick and probing, but at times prompting me. If you say for example, I managed stakeholders who were not meeting their responsibilities by doing A B or C, expect a question about your interpersonal skills in dealing with those stakeholders. Look at your answers for your competencies and anticipate the next question under another competency. They're interviewing multiples of people so you can either tell a complete story, or bits of different things, there's probably now right or wrong, lean into your best example(s). If you have a great example, make it work for you in different ways without repeating yourself.

That's what I've learned from it. I did a great interview in the port mortem of it that evening! I think I did OK for leadership and management/delivery of results but fell down in analysis/judgement/decision making and interpersonal skills. We'll see.

Board.surf

I also found them to be very tricky but fair. I can't fault their professionalism. It wasn't the best interview ever (my performance) and it could go either way, but versus other public sector interviews I have done, the civil service made the others look like imposters.

I also feel like nobody could have come through that unscatched. It was almost like a probing exercise to test your general ability to take a hit or two.

The only part I found unfair was the amount of knowledge they expected me to have on the topic. They advised spending 3 hours and picking 2 policy areas. I spent more than 3 hours but did hone in on 2 areas. Yet they questioned me on much more than that within my chosen topic. I'm ok with that if they didn't expect me to know the answers and instead were probing to see how I'd handle a drilling. But if they marked me down for that, it would be very unfair. I answered calmly but was likely wrong as I'm not an expert on the topic.

JWMUI1985

Could anyone who has been through the interview process advise on how long it is? I read the document to be 20 mins for presentation and Q's and then 40 mins for competency based interview but a coach I went to read it as 40 mins in total for presentation and competency?

Thanks in advance

hole in my lovelywall

Any action outside of Dublin yet?

BigElmo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538084#Comment_120538084

20 + 40.

countyireland12345

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120537986#Comment_120537986

Hi. Regarding the questioning about the policy topics, is this part of the strategic analysis exercise rather than part of the Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development competency? Thanks.

TryingAsBestICan

I applied for Kildare (1) and Dublin (2)

We don't use Zoom for meetings or information sharing in my Dept but the panel/PAS were very helpful in helping me along with Zoom on the day so don't get hung up on it beforehand

I was 1 hour and 8 minutes in my interview. I still can't settle on how I did. At times I think I did good, then I think what I said was terrible. I stayed at home for my interview to avoid interruptions in the office. Unfortunately, my cat whinged around my feet for half the interview, I was flipperty giggedy pushing her out of the way and couldn't get up to put her outside. But the Chair was nice and said if I had any interruptions to keep going on

Ref Programme for Government which is where my presentation was placed, I presume all topics are PfG: I'd say aim for 9 mins with your presentation even though they give 10. Err on the low side, otherwise the board will wave at you to wrap up. If you use OECD in your research for benchmarking Ireland, expect questions about which country is or isn't performing well to the standard. Expect a question as to what they're doing that's different from Ireland. If you don't want to go there, leave out benchmarking. But they could ask the question anyway as to why you didn't look at this. Be prepared for them to ask why you picked the topic (out of 4 options). Try to know what at least 1 recent Oireachtas debate said on your topic which is what I was asked about and didn't know!

Separate from all the work on your competencies, be prepared for CS values or at least the main one, you might have covered this already, if not you could get a question on organisation culture. If you say integrity is what a civil/public servant should demonstrate in their work, expect a question about how you demonstrated this and how to deliver on it

I was asked 1 question about specialist knowledge/dev at the end but then I had demonstrated this in my competencies but be prepared to asked if you plan on doing more courses and how that would value add to your service to citizens of Ireland

I'd say stay calm and focused even if one member of the panel interrupts you, or moves you on, or throws in a question that seems off topic, expect that at some point, maybe the end of the interview, but expect it. Stay clear in your message about doing the right thing/delivering for the citizen/driving standards within the CS. They might be looking to see how you deal with pressure

That seems like a lot but the panel are rooting for you to do well, and will prompt you if you get stuck, so don't go down a rabbit hole in your research and preparation, stay strong on what you already know. Preparation for an interview is articulating what you're already doing and know. Hope that doesn't come across as lecturing people, but as imparting what I've been through

Kidas

It was the same for me, I was asked questions on my topic that involved a much deeper knowledge than you’d expect to get from 3hrs of research. It did throw me as I wasn’t expecting that depth of questioning- maybe it was to see how I coped under pressure. I answered what I could, but I was weak on the subject matter and definitely could have done better.

Board.surf

countyireland12345, Yes, the strategic analysis exercise.

redclogs7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120540686#Comment_120540686

Thanks so much for this info! My interview's coming up this week.

To those who got their results in the previous batch, how long did it take? Do you get your results in one email and, if you pass, your order on the panel in a separate one? Cheers