civil service question [transfer abroad]

Helix

hows it going, just have a quick question someone might know the answer to offhand...

basically i wanna know if its possible to transfer to an irish embassy abroad? i dont really want to ask my own HR yet because its just an idea at the moment, and id rather have something to base things on before going to them

ive emailed the doff and the embassy in question with a general query, but with no response in 4 weeks im not really expecting one at this stage, so basically just wondering if theres any sort of procedure for this if anyones done it before

Electric

Do you work for the Dept Foreign Affairs?

I ask because the embassies are staffed by personnel from the DFA. DFA have a policy of requiring new staff to serve two year in Ireland after which they are transferred abroad and rotated to new postings on a two yearly basis.

I think that if you wanted to work in an embassy you would have to transfer to DFA and serve your two years at home before being posted. Oh and as far as I'm aware I don't think you have a choice on where they send you

Helix

nope, its my understanding that you dont need to tho as ive seen a few internal competitions being circulated for positions abroad in embassies

Electric

Do you know anyone working in DFA? They might be able to advise you better

Helix

only a co who doesnt deal with that kinda thing, i emailed off to them but no reply

only real chance id have to ring them would be while im in work, which i dont really want to do for obvious reasons

Slydice

check yer union mag and see if someone wants to swap out of foreign affairs.

do a straight swap

work for 1-2 years and depending on yer behaviour they might let you apply to serve abroad.

of course, you would only be able to take up position in an embassy if there is a vacancy there for your grade.

tricky@

You would not have to transfer to Foreign Affairs to work in an embassy abroad. When a position becomes available you apply in the first instance through your own departments HR division. If you are successful you would be seconded to Foreign Affairs for the duration of your time in an embassy.

Mrs. MacGyver

I haven't seen any of these advertised (i'm in another Govt. Dept.) didn't see anything in the union magazine. i'd be interested as well. Do you have to serve the 2 yrs in F.A. or would the years you spend in your own govt dept count? My cousin is an Irish ambassador in Africa (can't say where) so it would be odd to ask him (i'm in awe of him as he has my dream job).
If you don't have to transfer to F.A. to work in an embassy then where are the positins advertised - is it on public jobs.ie (cause the only ones that seem to come up are the Third Secretary ones - and i've failed twice there!)

Saibh

i remember once an internal memo going around years ago looking for people interested in going to work in embassies abroad (moscow was one - remember because there was trouble in moscow at the time with some bombings) the only time they do this as far as i'm aware if there is not enough interest first in dept of foreign affairs.

its me!

im looking to transfer out of foreign affairs at the moment to revenue if poss.. anyone interested in a head to head swap? think you do hav to work for 2yrs n the dept and the send around postings that are coming up in certain embassies. they're usually for 3 yrs and the places advertised are mainly london, brussels and sometimes russia and china. only thing at the moment bout this is that there might not be any postings cos of the recession but they will have to do it next yr. they advertise in january usually and the job starts in september

The_Conductor

Depends- sometimes staff may be seconded from their parent department of the Department of Foreign Affairs for a set period of time, relating to a specific posting (e.g. Social Welfare and Agriculture have their own staff in Brussels, but they are on secondment to Foreign Affairs for the length of their posting). Normally there will be periodic notices from personnel sections advising of these posts coming up- and application is by competitive assessment.

God only knows what is going to happen in the current climate- things are a hell of a lot worse than people imagine.......