CLERICAL OFFICER 2022

I will say that this board does seem a little unusual in that you do so rarely see any negative posts about the CO job. It's all sunshine, great job and everyone who gets in will climb the ladder. I'd say the reality is somewhere in the middle of that and Avenger2020's post. My own experience is closer to Avenger2020's but I also have some friends still in it who love it. I will say that having a partner with a good salary or another source of income really helps if you don't fly up the ladder as quickly as you expected. For me, it was dreadful management and the salary that made me leave but I'd still present the benefits if asked. Sometimes I think the CO thread here is far too rosy but then again CS are public enemy number one elsewhere on the interweb so it's refreshing 🤣

Hi jjnaas, thanks for backing me up. Sincerely. It can seem so lonely will you have bully-boy management in the Civil Service. They know full well they’re sacrosanct and their job is guaranteed. Sometimes it gets so bad I can see that they don’t care even about the public. It doesn’t even matter If a project doesn’t get completed on time or it goes over costs. Most people have rose tinted glasses when it comes to the CS and expect the best in our public service. When the opposite can often be true. We must understand that this country has been oppressed for centuries and it’s easier not to think about such conflict. The likelihood is that these poor COs will be handed all the ****, tedious work by management who don’t know how to do basic tasks. They will earn ridiculously low salary but have the hope of progressing in life if they work hard. Sometimes they maybe confronted with bullies that are prevalent in the CS cos it doesn’t matter if staff turnover is high or a project doesn’t get completed. Its just a warning. These kids are free to make their own mistakes I guess. But know your worth. You probably are worth more than the CO wage. (Senior management in the CS are looking at 15% pay rise.) leave after you get a year or two experience.

My experience of the CS has been nothing but good and I have the most supportive managers (HEO, AP, PO, and Assist Sec Gen!). I progressed quickly from CO to EO through these campaigns and was lucky enough to stay in the same Dept throughout. Yes I can see the cracks, and there are those who would trample over you to get ahead, but you'll have those people in the private sector too.

HOWEVER, I do agree with you in that there is no accountability for senior civil servants and, yes, a large number of them can't do the simplest of tasks - but they don't need to be able to do those tasks, that's what CO's and EO's are for. Project delays and budget overruns are par for the course in any organisation, public or private, especially in the past few years. There is also a lot of political interference which undermines the work of Departments.

While I haven't personally witnessed any bully tactics I have heard the horror stories - everything from CO's bullying other CO's to PO's making their CO's and EO's lives hell and nothing is ever done about it except moving staff around. Thankfully in my Dept these cases are few and far between. The culture of the Dept you are assigned to has a lot to do with how you are treated - new people are seen as a threat to the status quo. There are many great departments out there in which you are encouraged to progress, and actively supported when you apply for promotion. A lot of people going into the CS are not doing it for the salary, which we know isn't great at CO level, they are doing it for job security in an unstable and precarious jobs market - which is something you won't get in the private sector.

Anyone know if there’s any chance of working from home as Garda Civilian? Not based in Phoenix Park if that makes any difference

Does anyone have any idea how long after a successful stage 2 interview you would be waiting before you would get an offer? would it be around 6 weeks or so?

Just one more thing as Columbo would say! - I was working as a TCO up until april but took a permanent job somewhere else as it was permanent . I have great references from my TCO roles but will they ask for a reference from my current employer..Im sure they wont be too happy if Im leaving for a civil service job after just a few months!? Thats what worries me..

Thanks I was a TCO at the time..so I will just give them my TCO references which lasted from march 2020 to april 2022

Thank you for getting back to me.

Oh I don't like waiting too long haha!

My OOM is 306. What county are you from?

Strange it never said how many towns you could pick up too! I also put it in number order of preference like for example Killarney 1, Tralee 2 etc .