Temporary Clerical Officers in the Public Service - 2014

cee_jay

This year's competition has just been announced on Public Jobs:
http://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/10101/booklet.htm







[MOD NOTE - thansk cee_jay, I've split this out into a new thread 'cos the old one was getting kinda large. Mrs O'B]

aaabbbb

cee_jay wrote: »

This year's competition has just been announced on Public Jobs:
http://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/10101/booklet.htm

My god the initial application is so easy !

I was prepared to fill out reams and reams of endless spiel about myself but instead click a few buttons and done

Mayo Miss

aaabbbb wrote: »

My god the initial application is so easy !

I was prepared to fill out reams and reams of endless spiel about myself but instead click a few buttons and done

That's only the expression of interest. The daft questionnaire has yet to come. No questions about yourself till the interview.

miss_aisling

Can someone link to the actual online application please? Cannot find it myself

Malarkey101

http://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/10101.htm

Mayo Miss

miss_aisling wrote: »

Can someone link to the actual online application please? Cannot find it myself

https://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/10101.htm

Mark37

Wish full-time would come up

Cakewheels

Anyone from last year able to share what sort of thing is involved in the online screening questionnaire? Not much detail in the booklet. Thanks

evad_lhorg

Just a load of multiple choice questions about what you would do in certain situations. I got selected straight away last year for a Summer position and hopefuly I do again.

closeline

Is the initial application very short ya?

Also, how many people do they take on?

haro124

closeline wrote: »

Is the initial application very short ya?

Also, how many people do they take on?

The first form is just your details. After a few weeks it's a questionnaire- how well you work in a team etc. what would you do if X happened?

I think they took on a few hundred last year but could be wrong. Different counties take on different amounts

aaabbbb

When do they ask you to select where you'd be willing to work ?

Is it while doing the questionnaire ?

Tiernanism93

From what i recall , they ask you during the questionnaire. They say to select an A-area and B-area. A being preferred i assume.

Crazyteacher

The B areas are very remote . I just can't remember where they are though. Good back up for those who live close by though. I'm thinking of applying for a neighbouring county instead this year . Bigger county, more possibility of vacancies perhaps ?

rere

Does anyone know the likelihood of being kept on a bit longer after the 6 months etc are up?
I ended up turning down a 6mt one in the Dublin passport office for a 30 hour permanent contract in the private sector.
The pay isn't great and its a 7 day rota shift work, so tempted to apply again but being out of work again is worrying.

Tiernanism93

Bigger Counties = More vacancies = More Applicants , Some people last year got extended contracts in my sector.

gazzer

rere wrote: »

Does anyone know the likelihood of being kept on a bit longer after the 6 months etc are up?
I ended up turning down a 6mt one in the passport office for a 30 hour permanent contract in the private sector.
The pay isn't great and its a 7 day rota shift work, so tempted to apply again but being out of work again is worrying.

Longer contracts are rare in my opinion. In the Department I work in we have had a good few CO's leave, move to another location, go on Career Break, Maternity Leave and NONE of them have been replaced.

Maybe in bigger Departments there might be the option to extend the contract to 12/18 months but it is pretty hit and miss.

I have heard that lot of Temp CO's are been sent to People Point (new HR Shared Service for all Government employees) until that is up and running. I think they are on the 3rd tranche of departments moving to it. I have heard it is very very busy

I really hope the monatorium is lifted soon because new blood is needed.

cee_jay

Mark37 wrote: »

Wish full-time would come up

From the competition notice linked above:

Possible opportunities for future permanent appointment
Candidates who are assigned and take up a temporary appointment from this competition may in certain circumstances be invited for additional assessment to compete for a permanent appointment. In order to be eligible to compete candidates will also have to be certified by the employing organisation as having been satisfactory in terms work performance and output; conduct; attendance including sick leave & punctuality.
Should such an opportunity arise, candidates will be advised at the appropriate time by e-mail.
The e-mail address to which the message will be sent will be the one provided by you on your publicjobs.ie profile. The onus is on each individual candidate to ensure that their profile contains their valid up-to-date e-mail address, one they access on a regular basis. The Public Appointments Service will accept no responsibility in this matter.

yenom

Anyone have any idea what the questionnaire is like? Would the online test that's similar to the publicjobs online test be used too?

Crazyteacher

Can we make this a sticky please, or there will be loads of threads on the one topic ?

EmmaThomas

Hiya thinking about applying can anyone share there experience in working in such environment

thanks

gazzer

EmmaThomas wrote: »

Hiya thinking about applying can anyone share there experience in working in such environment

thanks

How long is a piece of string. In the division I work in the CO's do Pension Admin work (calculating Pension entitlements) but they also do ISD Help Desk work.

internet_user

after making the initial application, how long is it till you get asked to do the questionnaire?

Ilovelucy

internet_user wrote: »

after making the initial application, how long is it till you get asked to do the questionnaire?

About a week after the closing date. I was taken on in June last year and luckily a big project started just as I was due to leave and I'm still there.

Xenji

How much experience are they looking for, my sister has about a year and a half experience working as a manager and clerical worker with the arts council, would she stand a chance.

haro124

Xenji wrote: »

How much experience are they looking, my sister has about a year and a half experience working as a manager and clerical worker with the arts council, would she stand a chance.

Half my office had zero experience or qualifications. Good as chance as anyone

Mrs OBumble

EmmaThomas wrote: »

Hiya thinking about applying can anyone share there experience in working in such environment

thanks

Depends totally on the department. But in general it's basic grade clerical work.

In the gig I had 3-4 years ago, I spent 10 weeks sorting mail, opening mail, scanning mail, photocopying some bits, filing mail - and in the left-over hours got to learn how to do simple processing tasks. So the incentive was to get the shyte work done quickly each day, so we got onto the interesting stuff. The permanent staff were nice enough, showed us what they wanted done each day, and then left us (small group of TCOs) to organise ourselves - which suited us nicely, we did a roster between us and got on with it.

In general, if you're able for filling out the on-line application form (which ain't hard), then you'll be able for the job. If you're a lot more experienced, then your skills may be used - or maybe not, you might just have to put up with being bored.

briarrose

I got 8 weeks last year in the Pension Section of the Department of Education. Permanent staff was very, very nice, the work was very basic clerical stuff mainly, but still quite varied so boredom was not a problem. We were also given some basic data inputting. It'd depend on the Department you get called in for I suppose; calculating pension entitlement for teachers is so very complicated, one could not be expected to teach us any of that for the sake of 8 weeks.

The booklet seems to say that the questionnaire will be available on the 14th. It's not hard, if the questions are similar to last year it seems more a basic suitability to clerical work/team work questionnaire than anything else. Something you can get right with some common sense: if they ask you "do you mind doing repetitive work" and you say that you hate it, well, that might not be the best answer That kind of thing.

I don't know how much experience they are looking for but I'd say go for it, worse case scenario they turn you down and you only wasted an hour or two.

The interview last year was a somewhat informal chat (all candidates were well dressed though). It took forever to get it, hopefully this year they'll get a move on, as last year I applied around this time and got called for interview in May, then for a post in July, I had lost hope :rolleyes:

Ms_Shellshock

I've just applied for the TCO position. I was successful last year and I was very lucky and got 32 weeks from it. I absoloutly loved it and will jump at tbr opportunity to return . I am just curious did anyone get a conformation email once they done the initial application? I am yet to receive one, I will call them tomorrow if I am the only one

Xenji

Ms_Shellshock wrote: »

I've just applied for the TCO position. I was successful last year and I was very lucky and got 32 weeks from it. I absoloutly loved it and will jump at tbr opportunity to return . I am just curious did anyone get a conformation email once they done the initial application? I am yet to receive one, I will call them tomorrow if I am the only one

My sister got one nearly straight away when she did it last week.

briarrose

Ms_Shellshock wrote: »

I am just curious did anyone get a conformation email once they done the initial application?

Hi, yes I got a confirmation within minutes of completing the application. Check your spam folder, sometimes mails from that website get caught there.

Ms_Shellshock

briarrose wrote: »

Hi, yes I got a confirmation within minutes of completing the application. Check your spam folder, sometimes mails from that website get caught there.

Thank you very much, it had gone into spam

cee_jay

The Pensions Authority have just advertised for four permanent CO posts and a temporary CO post:
http://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/10636.htm
I thought those posting on this thread might be interested.

davydoc

When did the TCO comp close ? I thought it was open till the 14th ?

cee_jay

davydoc wrote: »

When did the TCO comp close ? I thought it was open till the 14th ?

It closed at noon on the 12th. The booklet is here: http://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/publication/document/TCO_2014_Information_Booklet.doc

davydoc

Cheers.....I feckin missed it ......:(

Mark37

cee_jay Does this mean you could be offered a permanent post right away?

Possible opportunities for future permanent appointment
Candidates who are assigned and take up a temporary appointment from this competition may in certain circumstances be invited for additional assessment to compete for a permanent appointment. In order to be eligible to compete candidates will also have to be certified by the employing organisation as having been satisfactory in terms work performance and output; conduct; attendance including sick leave & punctuality.
Should such an opportunity arise, candidates will be advised at the appropriate time by e-mail.
The e-mail address to which the message will be sent will be the one provided by you on your publicjobs.ie profile. The onus is on each individual candidate to ensure that their profile contains their valid up-to-date e-mail address, one they access on a regular basis. The Public Appointments Service will accept no responsibility in this matter.

briarrose

I doubt that very much: it says that "candidates will also have to be certified by the employing organisation as having been satisfactory in terms work performance and output; conduct; attendance including sick leave & punctuality." so it seems logical that you first have to do a stint as temp, then they might ask you to take the further assessment for permanent. Which might or might not lead to an actual offer.

Crazyteacher

My friend got the email link this morning and I didn't not even in my spam . Would they send the email links in batches?

briarrose

At the bottom of page 6 of the booklet it says they'll send the link between the 14th and the 15th. Doesn't say what to do if one doesn't get it though.

Amzie

briarrose wrote: »

At the bottom of page 6 of the booklet it says they'll send the link between the 14th and the 15th. Doesn't say what to do if one doesn't get it though.

Just ring PAS as problems like that have happened before

Xenji

Crazyteacher wrote: »

My friend got the email link this morning and I didn't not even in my spam . Would they send the email links in batches?

My sisters arrived at lunchtime and went in her spam folder, so I reckon they are staggered today.

Crazyteacher

Phew, got it there now. Good luck everyone

Super-Rush

My girlfriends arrived around 1 to her inbox and mine arrive an hour ago to my spam folder.

Ms_Shellshock

I decided to just bite the bullet and go for it, get it over and done with before my weekend officially starts.

I felt the questions were VERY specific and at times found it hard to priorities my answers as I was torn between two.

Has anyone else done it yet?

DesertCreat_15

Yes, I have completed it too!

I felt the same way, just went for gut instinct in the end !

sureitsgrand

The online test/s seem a bit different than in the past - am I right? (I haven't done them in a few years)

Looks a bit fairer to me. Not purely based on that questionnaire and takes into account experience, motivation and a job simulation section.

Ms_Shellshock

sureitsgrand wrote: »

The online test/s seem a bit different than in the past - am I right? (I haven't done them in a few years)

Looks a bit fairer to me. Not purely based on that questionnaire and takes into account experience, motivation and a job simulation section.

You know what? I thought it was completely different to the last time, but then again it was a couple of years ago for me too.

Guess they have changed the format of things

briarrose

I got it out of the way too. Maybe it was just my impression but the questions seemed very similar to last year's.
For some of the "what would you do in this situation" there doesn't seem to be a best answer. Maybe someone that has worked in the public sector long term would be able to tell which is the preferred attitude towards some of the situations presented...or maybe they'd get it wrong because they'd give an "institutionalized" answer, and goverment is looking for new blood that thinks outside the box :cool:

So now we wait until the 20th..and then our watch begins. Best of luck everyone.

manutd4life

Received the questionnaire earlier today. Will probably get cracking on with it in the morning

donegal11

for the scenario questions where you suppose to rank them 1234 or could you do 1122 etc. I was ranking them 1234 but I thought most responses were reasonable?