Upcoming Jobs with CSO for 2011 Census

Mimojo

Just thought this might be of interest to people, CSO will be recruiting for 440 Census Field Supervisors from September 16

eire2009

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS – to be eligible for consideration candidates must have proven experience of staff management preferably in an off-site capacity and the organisation of work for groups of up to ten people in the recent past, i.e. within the past five years have proven experience of working to tight deadlines and achieving well defined outputs have proven experience of organising and delivering training programmes be computer literate and be familiar with basic Microsoft packages

Proven experience of staff management "of-site"
(does this rule out ex-construction employees)

Proven experience of organising and delivering training programmes

Is it not like a Door-to-Door filling out a form.

Mimojo

I dont know the ins and outs of it to be honest, I just spotted it earlier on on while searching online. The advertised roles are for Field Supervisors, so I can only assume that you would be supervising and managing a team of people in your own area, co-ordinating their training, and organising your team. I am not sure what the proper title for those who go door-to-door collecting surveys, but I would image that supervisor means supervising this group of people.

That is my two-cents on it anyhow - I could be completed wrong!

Aglomerado

Enumerators are the people who drop the forms off. I imagine these will be recruited at a later stage.

RATM

This could be a nice little number for six months. But Im wondering, there are 440 areas to be supervised across the country. Im thinking that if you apply in an area where they've had the same person doing these censuses for years then you probably don't have a chance.

I wonder are you allowed to apply for a number of areas provided you're willing to travel to them?
Also I noted there doesn't seem to be anything about milage allowance though they do expect you to have your own car....

Denerick

I might apply to this for the sake of it. What is the story, do you need to have managerial experience or something?

8-10

Aglomerado wrote: »

Enumerators are the people who drop the forms off. I imagine these will be recruited at a later stage.

The final phase of the recruitment for the census will be for the 5,000 census enumerators who will work for 10 weeks beginning on the 8th March. Advertisements for these positions will be advertised on the 29th December.

eire2009

Denerick wrote: »

I might apply to this for the sake of it. What is the story, do you need to have managerial experience or something?

Yup and cant be from on-site experience has to be off-site experience which I gather means not from a construction background :mad:

Denerick

eire2009 wrote: »

Yup and cant be from on-site experience has to be off-site experience which I gather means not from a construction background :mad:

I wonder could you make up some?

For example, my auntie used to run a mushroom farm. Could I claim that I did the 'office management' for her farm and get her to lie?

I realise it is fraud but I'm pretty desperate here...

eire2009

Denerick wrote: »

I wonder could you make up some?

For example, my auntie used to run a mushroom farm. Could I claim that I did the 'office management' for her farm and get her to lie?

I realise it is fraud but I'm pretty desperate here...

Yup, its all about how you sound for instance

A: "I sell drugs mostly :cool:"

B: "I'm involved in the importation and distribution of pharmaceuticals "

With A I feel like a gangsta and should be locked up with B I feel like im wearing a suit and couldn't possibly be doing anything illegal.

I would say was involved in the management of stock records, employee structure and oraganisation on a fungus farm. I was also involved in the decision making and structure of the enterprise researching different fungicide and harvesting methods. I only left as I had to relocate to a more rural area for personal reasons.

You could have been growing magic mushrooms on a large scale and selling them to minors and you'd still sound good..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8mFr2DTuBo

They left out where one Interviewer asks Dale " I see here you manage a football team, whats that a lil league team or something"
Dale " No its a fantasy football team " lol classic

cee_jay

eire2009 wrote: »

Yup and cant be from on-site experience has to be off-site experience which I gather means not from a construction background :mad:

I dunno? I took that to mean you wouldn't be managing a team who were all together in one place - they would all be located in their own areas "off site".

eire2009

cAr0l wrote: »

I dunno? I took that to mean you wouldn't be managing a team who were all together in one place - they would all be located in their own areas "off site".

I dunno sounds like there looking for ex-door to door sales supervisors and nothing else if even .. Some muppet in the hr department who hasnt got any experience themselves has over qualified the job and dosnt really know what they are talking about themselves :rolleyes:.. If its the public sector as I know it they'd give you the supervisor role if you couldn't do anything else lol ..

No offence to public sector workers just from my experience..

Cute Hoor

RATM wrote: »

This could be a nice little number for six months. But Im wondering, there are 440 areas to be supervised across the country. Im thinking that if you apply in an area where they've had the same person doing these censuses for years then you probably don't have a chance.

I wonder are you allowed to apply for a number of areas provided you're willing to travel to them?
Also I noted there doesn't seem to be anything about milage allowance though they do expect you to have your own car....

I would imagine that they will be interviewing roughly 1,000 from the applicants with a good geographical spread, including those who have filled this role previously. You are not asked to specify a particular location, so I'm assuming that you will be considered for locations close to you (it would be totally impractical to be trying to manage a field team from a distance). People who have satisfactorily done this job previously will obviously have a head start so there may be 200 at most jobs available.

Although it doesn't specifically say it, mileage will be paid I'm sure, was for the 6 senior jobs anyway.

The 'off-site' simply means that you have experience in managing people that aren't based in your work location.

To the mushroom farmer, not sure about lying about one's managerial experience on the application form, you will want to be a good liar at the interview, and have good liars as referees as well.

dan_d

I think they pay a small allowance for mileage.

I'm applying - with my construction background. On the basis that firstly they are looking for management - which I've done. Secondly they want you to be able to run a team - which I've done. Thirdly, they want you to be able manage remotely - ie, not from a head office, with someone backing you up and not with a team working directly underneath you in the same building - which I've done.

The only issue I'd have is with interviewing people, which I've no experience of.
However they do give an evaluation form that you have to fill out as part of your application, asking what you are and aren't comfortable doing, so I said no to the "are you comfortable doing interview and selecting people"

Bottom line - the worse they can say is no, so what the hell.

wench

eire2009 wrote: »

Some muppet in the hr department who hasnt got any experience themselves has over qualified the job and dosnt really know what they are talking about themselves

Yes, because asking for management experience for a management & supervisory role is completely unreasonable :rolleyes:

The enumerators are the ones doing the door to door work, and these roles are to manage their work, organise the logistics, monitor the response rates they get, deal with any problem respondants, deal with enumerator underperformance, etc.

The description mentions that you will be managing a remote team, and expresses a preference for you having done that before, but doesn't rule out people with more traditional management experience.

pow wow

Off-site does indeed mean a team who aren't all in the same place, rather than anything to do with the construction industry. It is kind of niche experience, but keep in mind that the CSO run lots of household-type surveys, all with field supervisors, and so there are a lot of people out there with that type of experience (in addition to those who, say, deliver phonebooks or sell insurance on the doorstep!).

As regards the work, in addition to the management of the enumerators, you're also called in when households refuse/are unable to fill out the Census form so there's a lot of dealing with agitated folks to be going on with, which isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Cute Hoor

dan_d wrote: »

I think they pay a small allowance for mileage.

I'm applying - with my construction background. On the basis that firstly they are looking for management - which I've done. Secondly they want you to be able to run a team - which I've done. Thirdly, they want you to be able manage remotely - ie, not from a head office, with someone backing you up and not with a team working directly underneath you in the same building - which I've done.

The only issue I'd have is with interviewing people, which I've no experience of.
However they do give an evaluation form that you have to fill out as part of your application, asking what you are and aren't comfortable doing, so I said no to the "are you comfortable doing interview and selecting people"

Bottom line - the worse they can say is no, so what the hell.

Bit surprised that you were involved in construction management and had no experience of recruitment. Would imagine that this is a fairly important part of the job, although you would probably be doing it with your supervisor.

Gerard G

Just wondering if anyone has any updates on these jobs - have they been filled ? have people been called for interviews ?
Applied and heard nothing to date.

An Ri rua

Gerard G wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone has any updates on these jobs - have they been filled ? have people been called for interviews ?
Applied and heard nothing to date.

Hi, like Gerard, I'm dying to know if the recruitment process has reached the interview stage yet. Well qualified for this role and would like to know if the process has moved on to interview stage yet. One's geographical location is going to be a big issue. In my case, I'm rural so that means that already your chances are diminished. Unlike Donie Cassidy & Fianna Fail's understanding of property booms, this time demography IS important

Cute Hoor

The senior appointees only took up their positions in the second week in October I think, so this will probably be their first task after training. The selection process (interviews etc) will start sometime in November

dan_d

Haven't heard a sound.

And to the poster who questioned my last post, ages ago...I wasn't in the construction business long enough to work up to a level where I'd be recruiting!!

bertieb53

Just been called for an interview - the selection has started !!!
Has anybody done this type of work before for the cso???
any interview tips ????

seanie63

Ive also been called for an interview next week. Would be interested to hear from others in the same boat.

Toyota1968

just been called aswell - did anyone take a copy of the job description at the time ? - just went on the website to look for it and its gone !!!!

Help !!!!

Domscard

Toyota1968 wrote: »

just been called aswell - did anyone take a copy of the job description at the time ? - just went on the website to look for it and its gone !!!!

Help !!!!

I saved the Candidate Information Booklet in Pdf - PM me your email and I'll send it to you

Thedogsgone

My good lady was called as well...she was delighted but its starting to sound like everyone who applied has been called.

I may keep this to myself.

Domscard

Thedogsgone wrote: »

My good lady was called as well...she was delighted but its starting to sound like everyone who applied has been called.

I may keep this to myself.

Well, there are 440 jobs to be filled around the country, so that's the minimum number that will be called

narky

I was called myself, but I know a couple of people who got the rejection letter.

Domscard wrote: »

I saved the Candidate Information Booklet in Pdf - PM me your email and I'll send it to you

I never saved the info myself , could I PM you and get a copy of the document you have, please!!

Domscard

narky wrote: »

I never saved the info myself , could I PM you and get a copy of the document you have, please!!

No bother - PM me and the same goes for anyone else.

seanie63

I am currently studying the content of this Information Booklet, does anybody think we will be questioned on the content as part of the Interview?

Domscard

seanie63 wrote: »

I am currently studying the content of this Information Booklet, does anybody think we will be questioned on the content as part of the Interview?

I imagine we would need to be familiar with the content, but I doubt if we'd be expected to know it word for word
When is your interview? Maybe those who have earlier interviews than others might share what they were asked?

seanie63

Thats a good idea. Would be very helpful to get some sort of heads up. As mentioned before its a while since I have had an interview let alone one in the Civil Service so would love to know what to expect. My interview is on Tuesday.

Domscard

seanie63 wrote: »

Thats a good idea. Would be very helpful to get some sort of heads up. As mentioned before its a while since I have had an interview let alone one in the Civil Service so would love to know what to expect. My interview is on Tuesday.

Ditto for me Maybe they've scheduled them all over the country for Tuesday - crafty!

seanie63

Domscard wrote: »

Ditto for me Maybe they've scheduled them all over the country for Tuesday - crafty!

Hmmmmmm Interesting! lol!

Cute Hoor

Domscard wrote: »

Ditto for me Maybe they've scheduled them all over the country for Tuesday - crafty!

Not that crafty, there are definitely interviews on Wednesday as well.

seanie63

Heard somebody in my area as well has an interview in two weeks time.

Domscard

I've heard that there are to be 1700 interviews country wide :eek: About a one in four chance of a job. But there were 5000 applicants, so we've done well to get this far

seanie63

Geez thats alot of interviews for 440 jobs! Where did you hear that?

narky

My interview isn't until Wednesday week.

Domscard

seanie63 wrote: »

Geez thats alot of interviews for 440 jobs! Where did you hear that?

http://www.thesundaybusinesspost.com/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=RECRUITMENT-qqqs=themarket-qqqid=52637-qqqx=1.asp

ureds

Domscard wrote: »

I've heard that there are to be 1700 interviews country wide :eek: About a one in four chance of a job. But there were 5000 applicants, so we've done well to get this far

The 1 in 4 is the norm with the CSO as those who are not offered the job will be placed on a panel as substitutes should the 1st person decide not to accept the job or drops out after starting......and it does happen so i'm told.

Also i know of people having interviews in Mayo on Tuesday,Donegal on Thursday and Galway the following week.

seanie63

Anyone know of any interviews on tomorrow? Would be great to get some feedback.

lolabelle

I've also called for field supervisor interview in Dublin on Thursday morning. Anyone that's had an interview today or in the next day or two would be really brilliant if you could throw us a few pointers about questions etc.

Happy to hear I've a 1 in 4 chance....need a break at this stage!:)

Domscard

lolabelle wrote: »

I've also called for field supervisor interview in Dublin on Thursday morning. Anyone that's had an interview today or in the next day or two would be really brilliant if you could throw us a few pointers about questions etc.

Happy to hear I've a 1 in 4 chance....need a break at this stage!:)

My interview is this afternoon :eek: If I can remember any of the questions afterwards I will post them here. There are so many different boards though and unless it's a standardised interview the questions I'm asked may be totally different elsewhere.
I'm pretty confident that my experience and abilities more than fit the bill - though a bit less confident that I can regurgitate information at an interview in a manner that suits the panel. Que sera - I can only do my best

lolabelle

Domscard wrote: »

My interview is this afternoon :eek: If I can remember any of the questions afterwards I will post them here. There are so many different boards though and unless it's a standardised interview the questions I'm asked may be totally different elsewhere.
I'm pretty confident that my experience and abilities more than fit the bill - though a bit less confident that I can regurgitate information at an interview in a manner that suits the panel. Que sera - I can only do my best

Ah thank you and best of luck - you'll do great I'm sure. I've done tons of interviews recently and the main thing I've found is to be able to give concrete examples of what you've done in the past that applies to the job. My mum did the field supervisor role years ago and her advice was to show them you can troubleshoot (if your staff run into trouble), you can deal with tricky situations (people being afraid to fill in the form/being angry at questions that are being asked etc.), organisation and able to motivate and encourage staff.

And sure once you do you're best you'll be great. Lots of luck!!:)

Cute Hoor

Best of luck to everybody up before the stewards today.

schmann

please let us all know how ye got on today anyone? interview is next week..... yikes!! is it tough?

Domscard

Happy enough with my interview - tough but fair. Questions revolved around the following:

• My education
• My relevant work history - how I believed it applied to the FS job
• The role of the FS as I saw it and how I met the criteria (specifically)
• My experience of training groups
• Experience/knowledge of research
• Home suitability, especially storage and dedicated work space
• Map reading basics
• What the census is all about and why have one
• Recruitment stages for enumerators & experience of recruitment generally
• Anticipated problems of the job and my approaches to solving same (based on what I'd done in other jobs)
• How I personally support and motivate as a manager

If people read the FS booklet and consult the Census site they will have no bother IMO - BUT you must be able to link this to past experience/education - in other words, situational examples. As I said before, this is just one interview board of many, so yours may be different.
I'd be interested to hear how other people got/get on - a lot of people reading this thread but not a lot of contributors :rolleyes:

seanie63

I have to say Domscard, my interview was very very similar to yours. I actually could have written your post with very few changes.

I agree, that if you read up the information booklet you should have no bother really and obviously tie in your previous experience to the role of Field supervisor.

I was asked specific questions about the date of the Census and what the CSO actually do. Thankfully I had read the booklet inside out and was able to answer questions no bother. found it tough as alot of the questions were rapid fire so I had to think on my feet. I feel I was prepared enough for it though and fingers crossed I did enough to impress.

For anybody going , two things, know your CV inside out and make sure you read the information booklet beforehand. Good luck

alexsmum

my interview is not til next thurs so am grateful for the tips. i will obviously comment on my own one after but i'd say i'm nearly one of the last at that stage. i don't have the info booklet so i must ring todaay for a copy

Domscard

I agree with you, seanie63 - this is one interview where you will not get by on a wing and a prayer. Coming up with situational examples relevant to the criteria is next to impossible without preparation and thought beforehand. A few of my questions began with "Tell us about a time when you ..." and if you haven't already planned these in advance, you're likely to trip over your own tongue as your brain tries to catch up
It seems we won't know where we are on the panel until mid December - nice Xmas present for some of us, hopefully