ICT Specialists (Executive Officer level) in Civil Service

fxotoole

So based on the Public Jobs message,

"Stage 2 will comprise Verbal & Numerical Aptitude tests which are due to commence at the beginning of February. This office will be in contact with you shortly regarding your Test Invitation and the Familiarisation material."

Anyone receive the familiarisation material yet?

westmeath11

fxotoole wrote: »

So based on the Public Jobs message,

"Stage 2 will comprise Verbal & Numerical Aptitude tests which are due to commence at the beginning of February. This office will be in contact with you shortly regarding your Test Invitation and the Familiarisation material."

Anyone receive the familiarisation material yet?

NO I have not got anything yet, I would think it will have to be soon as the test is early February.

fxotoole

I emailed PAS and they replied back, saying that they will be sending all relevant information to all candidates before the end of this week

premierC

Just got word of my invitation. The 4th of Feburary at 9.00am at PAS office. Also in the message you will receive the sample questions being asked.

Best of luck everyone

Eamonn

Zipppy

premierC wrote: »

Just got word of my invitation. The 4th of Feburary at 9.00am at PAS office. Also in the message you will receive the sample questions being asked.

Best of luck everyone

Eamonn

I'm in on 03.02 | 9am...

3rd stage will be interview...best of luck to all..

LemonDropKid

I don't see any mention of calculators in the familiarisation material. Does anyone know if they are allowed, or not?

fxotoole

LemonDropKid wrote: »

I don't see any mention of calculators in the familiarisation material. Does anyone know if they are allowed, or not?

I was just thinking that. Reading through the material, they specifically say that electronic devices may not be brought into the testing room. The last time I did one of these tests, it was all paper based and you were allowed being a non programmable calculator.

Since it's all online now, will there be a calculator app on the computer or integrated into the testing software?

Or are we expected to be able to do the calculations on paper / in our heads as accurately as possible within the alloted time?

Jack Sawyer

Hi All,

Got my invitation to the PAS office today too, but was just wondering how long roughly verbal and apptitude testing takes?

In ballpark terms, world you expect to be in and out in 2, 4, 6 hrs etc?

Just trying to plan the travel/day....

Thanks

Moocifer

Mines on the 2nd of Feb at 9.00 so they must be testing for most of the week!

Calculators have been allowed for previous competitions so I can't see them changing that now.

bennyineire

Mines on the 10th at 9am, no mention of calculators but it does state you have 1 sheet of paper for rough work.

fxotoole

Jack Sawyer wrote: »

Hi All,

Got my invitation to the PAS office today too, but was just wondering how long roughly verbal and apptitude testing takes?

In ballpark terms, world you expect to be in and out in 2, 4, 6 hrs etc?

Just trying to plan the travel/day....

Thanks

I read in the documentation that it would take approx 2 hours

fxotoole

bennyineire wrote: »

Mines on the 10th at 9am, no mention of calculators but it does state you have 1 sheet of paper for rough work.

Yes but writing out calculations might slow you down, unless you are good at mental arithmetic.

For questions that require you to compare ratios and percentages, you could do the maths in your head and just use the paper for writing down the answers in order to compare them later.

If you're not good at mental arithmetic then you'd be relying on your calculator to figure out the numbers, after which you could use the paper to write out the answers and compare them.

boardzz

Another mail came through today saying you are allowed a calculator. Non programmable.

delricyo

boardzz wrote: »

Another mail came through today saying you are allowed a calculator. Non programmable.

I guessed that they had left that out from the first email.
The examples supplied are doable without a calculator - but would be very time consuming

bennyc

Anyone know how many positions are going or where they will be based ?

fxotoole

bennyc wrote: »

Anyone know how many positions are going or where they will be based ?

That was pretty much covered in the initial application form. If successful, you will be placed on a panel and people will be pulled off the panel as and when Departments need ICT EOs. There is pent up demand in a lo of departments after years of recruitment embargo, staff leaving, retiring, and being promoted, I'd say.

With regard to where, the applicTion form said that most positions are expected to arise in Dublin but other areas may be served by the panel as well.

tonto2010

Does anyone know what the max starting salary is for this role? I assume it is the upper level of the advertised salary scale, depending on experience?

The_Conductor

tonto2010 wrote: »

Does anyone know what the max starting salary is for this role? I assume it is the upper level of the advertised salary scale, depending on experience?

In other than exceptional circumstances- which would have to be sanctioned on a case by case basis- the salary scale is as stated- and new starts are recruited at the base of the scale.

A relevant qualification alongside a few years experience are taken as granted in this- and are not considered exceptional. Unless you have a specific skill that no-one else has- and someone somewhere is seeking that specific skill- and willing to make a strong case on your behalf directly to DPER- you're looking at starting on point 1- and working your way up- the same as everyone else.......

Part of the allure of these posts- is the ongoing training that is available- EO posts are not normally of interest to someone late in their career- as there will be no recognition of their experience and skills- and indeed, even as an EO ICT- you are expected to be mobile and willing to move into completely different areas at your managers discretion. For example- a Manager could walk into a room and point at the first 3 people and say- You, you and you- you're going on a Java course next week- and are going to be trained up on Java- and then point at the next 3 people- and say 'You, you and you- are going on a SQL course- and are going to be my sql programmers.......'

It really is this arbitrary. You need to be cognisant of this. If in doubt- ask PAS if its possible to talk to a few people currently in the role- to get a better feeling for what it entails.......

An EO ICT- is a junior managerial post- where you would expect to be trained up in a particular IT discipline.

tonto2010

The_Conductor wrote: »

In other than exceptional circumstances- which would have to be sanctioned on a case by case basis- the salary scale is as stated- and new starts are recruited at the base of the scale.

A relevant qualification alongside a few years experience are taken as granted in this- and are not considered exceptional. Unless you have a specific skill that no-one else has- and someone somewhere is seeking that specific skill- and willing to make a strong case on your behalf directly to DPER- you're looking at starting on point 1- and working your way up- the same as everyone else.......

Part of the allure of these posts- is the ongoing training that is available- EO posts are not normally of interest to someone late in their career- as there will be no recognition of their experience and skills- and indeed, even as an EO ICT- you are expected to be mobile and willing to move into completely different areas at your managers discretion. For example- a Manager could walk into a room and point at the first 3 people and say- You, you and you- you're going on a Java course next week- and are going to be trained up on Java- and then point at the next 3 people- and say 'You, you and you- are going on a SQL course- and are going to be my sql programmers.......'

It really is this arbitrary. You need to be cognisant of this. If in doubt- ask PAS if its possible to talk to a few people currently in the role- to get a better feeling for what it entails.......

An EO ICT- is a junior managerial post- where you would expect to be trained up in a particular IT discipline.

Thanks for the excellent answer to my question, I'm out and good luck to everyone.

Zipppy

The_Conductor wrote: »

In other than exceptional circumstances- which would have to be sanctioned on a case by case basis- the salary scale is as stated- and new starts are recruited at the base of the scale.

A relevant qualification alongside a few years experience are taken as granted in this- and are not considered exceptional. Unless you have a specific skill that no-one else has- and someone somewhere is seeking that specific skill- and willing to make a strong case on your behalf directly to DPER- you're looking at starting on point 1- and working your way up- the same as everyone else.......

Part of the allure of these posts- is the ongoing training that is available- EO posts are not normally of interest to someone late in their career- as there will be no recognition of their experience and skills- and indeed, even as an EO ICT- you are expected to be mobile and willing to move into completely different areas at your managers discretion. For example- a Manager could walk into a room and point at the first 3 people and say- You, you and you- you're going on a Java course next week- and are going to be trained up on Java- and then point at the next 3 people- and say 'You, you and you- are going on a SQL course- and are going to be my sql programmers.......'

It really is this arbitrary. You need to be cognisant of this. If in doubt- ask PAS if its possible to talk to a few people currently in the role- to get a better feeling for what it entails.......

An EO ICT- is a junior managerial post- where you would expect to be trained up in a particular IT discipline.

Conductor...is there much in house development done in the CS?

I would have thought most actual development work would be out sourced?

The_Conductor

Zipppy wrote: »

Conductor...is there much in house development done in the CS?

I would have thought most actual development work would be out sourced?

Depends entirely on the Department- but a lot of systems that were outsourced- are being brought back inhouse. Think of ROS as a very good example (I can think of several other examples- but had better not mention them for work related reasons). Several keystone IT systems which were outsourced once upon a time- have been brought back inhouse- even in some cases where serious numbers of contractors were needed to effectively reverse engineer them back into code that could actually be used (several of the external companies delivered systems designed in such a way to tie them into their ongoing maintenance and development forever after- I think you know which company I have in mind (I'm not going to spell it out here)).

bennyc

The_Conductor wrote: »

In other than exceptional circumstances- which would have to be sanctioned on a case by case basis- the salary scale is as stated- and new starts are recruited at the base of the scale.

A relevant qualification alongside a few years experience are taken as granted in this- and are not considered exceptional. Unless you have a specific skill that no-one else has- and someone somewhere is seeking that specific skill- and willing to make a strong case on your behalf directly to DPER- you're looking at starting on point 1- and working your way up- the same as everyone else.......

Part of the allure of these posts- is the ongoing training that is available- EO posts are not normally of interest to someone late in their career- as there will be no recognition of their experience and skills- and indeed, even as an EO ICT- you are expected to be mobile and willing to move into completely different areas at your managers discretion. For example- a Manager could walk into a room and point at the first 3 people and say- You, you and you- you're going on a Java course next week- and are going to be trained up on Java- and then point at the next 3 people- and say 'You, you and you- are going on a SQL course- and are going to be my sql programmers.......'

It really is this arbitrary. You need to be cognisant of this. If in doubt- ask PAS if its possible to talk to a few people currently in the role- to get a better feeling for what it entails.......

An EO ICT- is a junior managerial post- where you would expect to be trained up in a particular IT discipline.

As a matter of interest I am currently the public service and doing the work of a EO ICT but at a lower pay scale, if successful would i expect to start on a scale where I currently am or go back ?

The_Conductor

bennyc wrote: »

As a matter of interest I am currently the public service and doing the work of a EO ICT but at a lower pay scale, if successful would i expect to start on a scale where I currently am or go back ?

If you are a pre-existing public sector employee- you would enter on the point nearest the salary point you're currently on, without taking a paycut. Aka- you could end up with a modest increase- depending on the scale you're on- but you won't have a decrease, come what may.

Zipppy

New Public Service ICT Strategy launched today...could be extra opportunities as a result.
http://ictstrategy.per.gov.ie/ictstrategy/implementationplan.html

Slydice

What does all the outsourcing mean. An ICT version of peoplepoint?

The_Conductor

Slydice wrote: »

What does all the outsourcing mean. An ICT version of peoplepoint?

This has been mooted several times- its sort of like shared IT and development capacity and capabilities, between different Departments. At the moment there are a number of limited schemes in place- if you ring your IT helpdesk for example- the person who takes your call may be covering for more than one Department.

There has been a number of proposals to share development and support capabilities- however, with the gutting of staff over the past decade- nothing has come of it.

yabadabado

Off topic but do the CS still train people for technical position's ?
Am I right in saying there used to be positions for CO's to apply to train in house and if successful you moved into technical roles.

Jack Sawyer

Testing coming up now next week....

.....Anyone have any idea at all what sort of numbers will be invited and of those what percentage will then be called to interview?!?

In guesstimate terms obviously....

Jeremyr

Tarzana2 wrote: »

I live on €1496 in Dublin and have a life. I'm 30. My partner earns 35k. What planet are people on?

What happened

fxotoole

Jack Sawyer wrote: »

Testing coming up now next week....

.....Anyone have any idea at all what sort of numbers will be invited and of those what percentage will then be called to interview?!?

In guesstimate terms obviously....

I would have thought that would depend on the results of the testing.