ICT Specialists (Executive Officer level) in Civil Service

fguinan

boardzz wrote: »

Top 61 are being invited to next stage.

How do you know only 61 are being interviewed?

Moocifer

It states on your results message that the first 61 are being called to the next stage.

fguinan

Moocifer wrote: »

It states on your results message that the first 61 are being called to the next stage.

Thanks, it just states that I'll be called for interview, it doesn't say how many on mine!

fxotoole

Got placed 210-ish, happy enough with that even if I haven't a hope of being called.

Plenty of other promotion opportunities on the horizon anyways, and I'm really high on another shortlist so not to dissappointed at all.

Anyone know how long this particular shortlist will be in place?

Yenwod

Answer 59 questions in 30 minutes.

Call the first 61 to interview.

Who in PAS hates even numbers??

schmillson2

Hi guys. Could somebody please shed light on how the panel process works? For example, 61 is a strange number on which to base your potential candidates. Is this because there are actually 61 positions?
If there are a similar number of candidates on the panel as there are positions, then would it be correct to assume that candidates who came later than 61st may be added to the panel if some of the original selection are unsuccessful?
I came 65th so am wondering what is the likelihood of being called to the panel in the near future and if so, in what kind of time-frame could this happen?
Maybe experts such as The Conductor or Kippy could help answer this?

The_Conductor

Hi schmillson2

If you are 65th on the panel- and they are calling the first 61 to interview- you will not be interviewed in the first batch of people.

The first 61 who are interviewed have perhaps a 1-in-3 chance of getting the interview- the first 61 represents a final panel of perhaps 20 people- who will be placed as the year progresses.

If all 20 are placed- and its not time to hold a new competition (aka if they did it in a month or two)- then- they might bring in the next 60- and constitute a longer panel etc. etc. etc.

If all 20 (or however many- I'm only using this as an example)- are not placed- they sit there- and if they still haven't been placed by the end of the year- the panel lapses,there is a fresh competition, and those who weren't placed have to apply all over again..........

There aren't all that many EO ICTs (I'm actually one)- perhaps less than 5% of EOs have an ICT tag............

Different Departments tend to recruit EO ICTs than do AO ICTs- there would be an abnormally large cohort of EO ICTs in DSP and Agriculture- for example.

schmillson2

Hey Conductor! Thanks for the info. I presume you meant a 1-in-3 chance of getting the 'job' ?

The_Conductor

schmillson2 wrote: »

Hey Conductor! Thanks for the info. I presume you meant a 1-in-3 chance of getting the 'job' ?

Yup.......

It depends- but in recent competitions- the pass rate at interview has been in the region of 1-in-3.......

Whether or not you get through- depends entirely on how many EO ICTs are sanctioned for the different Departments. Even the original 20 (or however many) may not get a place- or- flipside of the coin- they could revisit and interview another 60- its quite impossible to tell........

delboy1977

Just curious as to why anyone with vast IT experience would take up such a poorly paid job? Companies in Ireland are crying out for IT professionals and these roles are considerably well paid with company car , phone , laptop , health insurance etc . What does the civil service offer?

billyhead

delboy1977 wrote: »

Just curious as to why anyone with vast IT experience would take up such a poorly paid job? Companies in Ireland are crying out for IT professionals and these roles are considerably well paid with company car , phone , laptop , health insurance etc . What does the civil service offer?

Job security and a good pension are the main attractions.

The_Conductor

Flexible working arrangements- such as the ability to take summers off to spend time with young children- are also a plus...........

Slydice

Another reason: I've only worked in the civil service. I have absolutley no clue as to what other jobs I could get. I worry that my current salary + years of experience mean that I wouldn't be able to get a better job in the private sector.

I've no idea where to start looking or how to "speak the speak" of the private sector. Where the civil service feels open and transparent in how they do things, the private sector seems much the opposite.

poq

billyhead wrote: »

Job security and a good pension are the main attractions.

Really?

"New entrant" pension terms aren't particularly attractive.

You'd be a fool not to read the detail and just assume you'll magically retire, mortgage fully paid on 150% + 50% till the day you die like your older colleagues. There are a LOT of 25 to 35 year-olds in Ireland who will all be retiring at the same time. Can you trust that you can still pay your bills on a new entrant pension?

We have a demographic diamond in Ireland and those near the top are only too happy to sit back and let the younger folk battle it out for poorly paid jobs, scabby pensions and poor quality housing.

delboy1977

Taking the summer off will cost you. Don't be fooled by this family friendly practice. So now a very poor wage is cut further to allow you have the summer off. Very very hard to get a mortgage on a low civil servant wage, 3 time ur salary. The pension is roughly half ur wage so you won't be living the high life even after retirement. So it's pretty obvious the people applying for these ICT Specialist Roles are not good enough to be hired by the likes of Google, PayPal , Citrix or Microsoft to name but a few.........

poq

delboy1977 wrote: »

Taking the summer off will cost you. Don't be fooled by this family friendly practice. So now a very poor wage is cut further to allow you have the summer off. Very very hard to get a mortgage on a low civil servant wage, 3 time ur salary. The pension is roughly half ur wage so you won't be living the high life even after retirement. So it's pretty obvious the people applying for these ICT Specialist Roles are not good enough to be hired by the likes of Google, PayPal , Citrix or Microsoft to name but a few.........

The only way I can see such jobs attractive is if you're stuck paying a mortgage, your husband has a good paying job (but can't afford the mortgage on his own), and you'd like a nice 9 to 5 family-friendly number that's very flexible and has lots of time off.

If you put your head down and "play the game", you might be OK. But I'm not sure if starting out as a techy-geeky is the best way to get to the top.

The_Conductor

delboy1977 wrote: »

Taking the summer off will cost you. Don't be fooled by this family friendly practice. So now a very poor wage is cut further to allow you have the summer off. Very very hard to get a mortgage on a low civil servant wage, 3 time ur salary. The pension is roughly half ur wage so you won't be living the high life even after retirement. So it's pretty obvious the people applying for these ICT Specialist Roles are not good enough to be hired by the likes of Google, PayPal , Citrix or Microsoft to name but a few.........

Delboy- a not insignificant number of current EO ICTs have worked in many of the larger companies- and made a judgement call that the non-financial recompense of working in the civil service was better than the higher pay and conditions in the private sector. I, for one- worked in Lionbridge and Microsoft. I could rattle off a long and interesting list of companies that some of my colleagues have worked in- what you're saying, simply does not hold water.

hernie

It looks like some didn't didn't get the interview and are a small bit bitter.

AGC

Anyone any idea how many will be brought forward for next stage of EO?

Passed both internal and external tests but fear I might be a bit down the list

The_Conductor

Give it about a week- and then ring and ask. I've heard three separate figures this morning being discussed- vastly divergent from one another....... It would appear that PAS haven't fully made their minds up yet.........

fguinan

The_Conductor wrote: »

Give it about a week- and then ring and ask. I've heard three separate figures this morning being discussed- vastly divergent from one another....... It would appear that PAS haven't fully made their minds up yet.........

Is this in relation to general EO competition?

kippy

delboy1977 wrote: »

Taking the summer off will cost you. Don't be fooled by this family friendly practice. So now a very poor wage is cut further to allow you have the summer off. Very very hard to get a mortgage on a low civil servant wage, 3 time ur salary. The pension is roughly half ur wage so you won't be living the high life even after retirement. So it's pretty obvious the people applying for these ICT Specialist Roles are not good enough to be hired by the likes of Google, PayPal , Citrix or Microsoft to name but a few.........

Well,
that's simply nonsense.

The terms and conditions for new entrants have taken a major hit, thats for sure however the civil service can be a great place to work, particularily in IT.
As well as the other "positives" mentioned, one of the big ones is also the fact that you don't necessarily need to live in Dublin to work in one of these jobs.
Now is a time of a lot of change in the sector, mostly for the better what I have seen and it is a decent place to work.
You probably could earn more in the private sector but there are other positives.

I myself have extensive private sector experience from my younger days as have a number of my colleagues and there are a number who've only every worked in the Civil Service as well.

TBF, the process that most of the people on this thread are currently going through is a tough and exhaustive as any process one would go through to get a job in some of those private sector organisations and you'd need a high enough level of intellect to pass these tests.

fguinan

Does anybody know if the order of merit from the aptitude tests has any bearing after you have an interview?

kippy

fguinan wrote: »

Does anybody know if the order of merit from the aptitude tests has any bearing after you have an interview?

Generally not.

The_Conductor

fguinan wrote: »

Does anybody know if the order of merit from the aptitude tests has any bearing after you have an interview?

No.
And the order of merit is rejigged after the supervised tests- the original tests fall by the wayside. Aka- each stage of the competition is an elimination round- and the score at each stage is independent of any score preceding it. The interview performances are the final determinants of your panel places.

Zipppy

Must say I'm pretty put out about this one....was a job I really wanted..not really interested in admin roles (EO / AO) but wanted a crack at this...being in the 130s I reckon my opportunity has passed...feck thought I did better in the tests

kippy

Zipppy wrote: »

Must say I'm pretty put out about this one....was a job I really wanted..not really interested in admin roles (EO / AO) but wanted a crack at this...being in the 130s I reckon my opportunity has passed...feck thought I did better in the tests

I wouldn't give up hope to be honest.

There are a few more hoops to jump through for everyone else ahead of you yet, not all of them may make it and ultimately the relative success of where you ended up on the list will be determined by demand for EO's as opposed to anything else.
They may well decided to call another 80 or 100 people for the next stages on top of those already called in a few months time but you may end up waiting a bit.

myrns

Does anyone know if your location factors into the results at all?

InReality

myrns wrote: »

Does anyone know if your location factors into the results at all?

99.99% sure it doesnt

(am in civil service a few years )

schmillson2

Can anyone clarify if the order of merit is based solely on the test results or is your original application form also taken into account as well?