Civil Service Recruiting?

funktastic

Hey,

I'm just wondering when will the Civil Service be recruiting or holding exams again? I have an MA and HDip in Ed but can really get info from publicjobs.ie on future exams being held. Are they advertised in the national press? Is it difficult to get into the service?

I realise there is an embargo on recruitment at the moment. Im just tired of my current job and would like to try the exams and get in as a clerical officer.

pearcider

I imagine recruitment will be extremely limited for at least 2 years since all civil service budgets are under pressure and the panels are frozen at the mo. I would expect them to call a few open competitions over 2010-2011 but that will probably be at a more senior level eg HEO/AP to make up for the losses from early retirements. But sign up for the public jobs email alerts anyway. Ya never know.

As for getting into the service, it's difficulty depends on how good you are at those psychometric/aptitude tests. That's the only way to whittle down the large number of applicants. During the boom, not many people applied for the jobs, and many who were offered jobs turned them down for superior pay in the private sector. Hence the panels would progress rapidly so even people who ranked poorly had a good shout of a job. However, the most recent EO competition had 11,000 applicants and only 200 were interviewed before the panel was frozen. I'd suppose competition will be even more fierce next time.

As an aside, you'd be wasted as a CO with your qualifications. Would you not be into teaching?

funktastic

Yep I'm a teacher for past 4 years. Just tired of temporary contracts and covering maternity leaves forever...looking to get into something else