Administrative officer 2016

The_Conductor

Good morning all-

The 2016 Graduate Recruitment Campaign for the civil service went up on Gradpublicjobs.ie overnight.

Link and all details here:

http://www.gradpublicjobs.ie/gradpublicjobs/campaignAdvert/39073.htm?lang=en

Please note the closing date for applications: the 13th of October 2016 - you have 4 weeks to get those forms submitted.

pixieprincess

Hi guys,

AO 2016 campaign-

https://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/39073.htm

RumTumTiger

Saw that this morning...maybe it will be a case of 4th time lucky??

pixieprincess

RumTumTiger wrote: »

Saw that this morning...maybe it will be a case of 4th time lucky??

Ha ha I am hoping that as well! Going to start swotting and check out those online tests- they are not stopping me this time!! 💡💻
Good luck with your application!!

Yenwod

PAS are fairly feckin busy lately!!

RumTumTiger

pixieprincess wrote: »

Ha ha I am hoping that as well! Going to start swotting and check out those online tests- they are not stopping me this time!! 💡💻
Good luck with your application!!

You too Pixie!

pixieprincess

Yenwod wrote: »

PAS are fairly feckin busy lately!!

Hopefully that means there are thousands of positions going across the grades for us! ðŸ™ðŸ»ðŸ™ðŸ»

ParkRunner

RumTumTiger wrote: »

Saw that this morning...maybe it will be a case of 4th time lucky??

pixieprincess wrote: »

Ha ha I am hoping that as well! Going to start swotting and check out those online tests- they are not stopping me this time!! 💡💻
Good luck with your application!!

Our time will come https://youtu.be/cGo5rXUAH2o

RumTumTiger

ParkRunner wrote: »

Our time will come https://youtu.be/cGo5rXUAH2o

:pac: :pac: :pac:

The_Conductor

Does anyone have any examples or suggestions of where we might practice for the computerised tests which I've been told they intend to hold the 2nd week of November onwards?

RumTumTiger

The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the centralised recruiter for the Civil and Public Service. Through this competition, PAS will establish panels of suitably qualified individuals from which vacancies may be filled. Please note that not all vacancies will be filled through the PAS competition.


From the booklet. First time I've seen that in one of the info booklets. Is there an internal panel in one of the departments??

keepkeyyellow

RumTumTiger wrote: »

The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the centralised recruiter for the Civil and Public Service. Through this competition, PAS will establish panels of suitably qualified individuals from which vacancies may be filled. Please note that not all vacancies will be filled through the PAS competition.


From the booklet. First time I've seen that in one of the info booklets. Is there an internal panel in one of the departments??

I can't imagine there would be but it some positions could be filled by transfers as well.

Got something like 500 last year and I'm gonna give it a damn good go this year, really fell down in management scenarios so gonna practice those for a good while.

RumTumTiger

Well if you find any good management scenarios examples, do share!
Didn't do the 2015 competition but got about 700 in the 2014 I think. A month to practice!
I also notice in the booklet that they don't mention stage 2 as the usual supervised tests, but instead mention shortlisting and preliminary interview.
Nothing like a month of speculation to whet the appetite for a good ole civil service competition :pac:

Slydice

Weren't the last few using this crowd?
http://practicesite-pas.cut-e.com/.

Heart Break Kid

Would love to know ppls background that have applied or have been successful at getting one of these grad roles. No specifics just general info.


Would many have a Masters or just undergrads?

Retail background, mature business grad myself.

RumTumTiger

Heart Break Kid wrote: »

Would love to know ppls background that have applied or have been successful at getting one of these grad roles. No specifics just general info.


Would many have a Masters or just undergrads?

Retail background, mature business grad myself.

Anecdotally, I know many with several degrees that haven't made the cut. I, myself am doing my 3rd postgrad and if I apply, it will be my 4th time I think. Always do very well on the exams, but just not well enough. I would have a much better chance if they shortlisted on basis of relevant experience and quals. :rolleyes:

RumTumTiger

Are there two 2016 AO threads now?

The_Conductor

Heart Break Kid wrote: »

Would love to know ppls background that have applied or have been successful at getting one of these grad roles. No specifics just general info.


Would many have a Masters or just undergrads?

Retail background, mature business grad myself.

I'm applying- I've two undergrads, a Masters and a Grad Dip- along with professional qualifications.

Qualifications really don't matter though- and other than passing the barrier (i.e. meeting the qualifying criteria for the competition)- simply don't mean anything further. Aka- you might have a qualification especially pertinent to the role of one particular government Department- however, there is absolutely nothing to say you would ever in a civil service career, have the opportunity to put it to use.

Being able to sell yourself at the interview- and show how your experiences thus far would relate to working in the civil service- is far more important (of course you have to get to the interview stage first)..........

Looks like they are formally announcing that EO Grad recrutiment and AO Grad recruitment are to be annual competitions going forwards (some of the others- AP/PO etc- look more likely to be two yearly competitions).

The_Conductor

RumTumTiger wrote: »

Are there two 2016 AO threads now?

It would appear so.
I report posted suggesting they be merged- however, the powers that be haven't done so.

RumTumTiger

Conductor- another EO, really?? when?

The_Conductor

RumTumTiger wrote: »

Conductor- another EO, really?? when?

They have been migrating grad recruitment from the AO grade over to EO grade- if they've just announced the AO competition, odds are their small grad recruitment section will try to get the donkey work done on that- before committing to another large competition. Its possible it may be this side of Christmas- however, I'd hazard that late Jan/early Feb is more plausible.

jaffa20

Anybody know how many roles are available? I'm guessing the competition is high. I graduated in 2008 but i guess it doesn't make a difference.:D

donvito99

Hi all,

I'm currently filling out the pdf download. Where it asks for all full particulars of all employment (including periods of unemployment) since the date of leaving school or college and the present dates, does it mean to say any employment I've had since leaving school?

I'm torn between including all employment history or just accounting for the 2 weeks or so I've technically been unemployed since graduating.

Also looking forward to the inevitable rollercoaster that this thread always is.

Heart Break Kid

jaffa20 wrote: »

Anybody know how many roles are available? I'm guessing the competition is high. I graduated in 2008 but i guess it doesn't make a difference.:D

Yeah while most private grad roles state that you mist be within 2 years of graduating. These roles dont seem to have that exclusion.

hardybuck

Folks, some information which potential candidates may benefit from:

1. Last year's AOs went into over 20 Departments. A panel is formed, you get a number or rank, and Departments draw from it as vacancies arise.

2. Over 180 people made the panel last year, and that panel was exhausted halfway through the year. I think about 75% of people accepted their posts.

3. I think a panel of at least the same size will be formed in 2016, but it's in the lap of the Gods as to how many people are called.

4. Competition will be high, but competition is healthy.

5. Someone mentioned graduating in 2008 - you have as much right to apply as someone who graduated in 2016.

Best of luck.

Cakerbaker

jaffa20 wrote: »

Anybody know how many roles are available? I'm guessing the competition is high. I graduated in 2008 but i guess it doesn't make a difference.:D

I graduated in 2004 and was appointed as AO last year. It really just means that the minimum educational requirement is a degree, it doesn't matter when you got it!

lightspeed

Ive a few questions i hope someone can answer.

is it like other jobs in the sense that that perhaps not every graduate that applies will get the chance to take the online test and subsequent interview if successful?

Or given that it is a public job, if you meet the requirements of having a degree, will you at least get to sit the online assessment?

Regarding the application, it asks "description of duties, salary etc". This seems a vague but broad instruction. Would it be enough to just copy and paste in bullet point format the duties i have listed on my cv and then also list the salary?. What exactly does "etc" consist of?

Im probably overthinking it but i dont want my application overlooked because i didnt provide all details required.

Cakerbaker

lightspeed wrote: »

Ive a few questions i hope someone can answer.

is it like other jobs in the sense that that perhaps not every graduate that applies will get the chance to take the online test and subsequent interview if successful?

Or given that it is a public job, if you meet the requirements of having a degree, will you at least get to sit the online assessment?

Regarding the application, it asks "description of duties, salary etc". This seems a vague but broad instruction. Would it be enough to just copy and paste in bullet point format the duties i have listed on my cv and then also list the salary?. What exactly does "etc" consist of?

Im probably overthinking it but i dont want my application overlooked because i didnt provide all details required.

Everyone who applies will get to sit the online assessment. those who pass are ranked in order of merit and the those at the top of the ranking will be called for interview. The number called for interview will depend on the number of vacancies they have. I did the 2014 competition and they called a second batch (luckily for me!) because they had more vacancies than they expected.

What you've described for description of duties and salary sounds like what I included. May be worth mentioning if you're involved in any committees or anything like that in work if you are. If the form is the same as the one I filled out, in my opinion the competencies are the most important part as questions about these sections are what you'll be marked on if you get to the interview stage.

Villaboi!

Hi all,

Bit of a daft question but just wondering what are you meant to put for the education section of the application form in the final examinations?? As the section doesn't allow me to fit all the subjects studied at undergrad or postgrad. Cheers for any help and good luck to everyone with the applications!

lightspeed

Can anyone confirm how salary increases are decided each year and clarify the rates?

From the below, am i correct to assume the starting wage is €29,922 and assuming there are no performance issue, it will increase to €32,575 after your first year and so on?

http://www.pseu.ie/pay-rates.254.html

Administrative Officer Standard Scale - PPC
€29,922 €32,575 €33,247 €36,194 €39,967 €42,838 €45,711 €48,593 €51,466 €54,329 €56,314 €58,294

misslemon

lightspeed wrote: »

Can anyone confirm how salary increases are decided each year and clarify the rates?

From the below, am i correct to assume the starting wage is €29,922 and assuming there are no performance issue, it will increase to €32,575 after your first year and so on?

http://www.pseu.ie/pay-rates.254.html

Administrative Officer Standard Scale - PPC
€29,922 €32,575 €33,247 €36,194 €39,967 €42,838 €45,711 €48,593 €51,466 €54,329 €56,314 €58,294

In the booklet it says the starting salary for this post is €30,221. I'm not sure where it goes from there though.

Dodge

Salary scales are here.

http://www.impact.ie/your-sector/public-sector/civil-service/civil-service-salary-scales/civil-service-salary-scales-2016/civil-service-general-service-grades-2016-full-prsi/

€30,221 and yes, each of the first 9 increments are annual. Then 3 years until the LSI kicks in

FitSpin

Hi all. Does anyone think it's unusual that this time they aren't looking for examples for competencies in the form? Normally they do on such competitions but in this one it doesn't appear to be the case.

Aglomerado

FitSpin wrote: »

Hi all. Does anyone think it's unusual that this time they aren't looking for examples for competencies in the form? Normally they do on such competitions but in this one it doesn't appear to be the case.

I'm glad they're not, to be honest. My experience with the Interdepartmental HEO one was a waste of time. I had to fill in a whole load of competencies prior to doing the online test, which I didn't get through because I didn't make the grade on the management scenario score, so that was a couple of hours of my life wasted. It's better to filter the candidates and then get the successful ones to complete the forms.

j.s. pill II

Page 1 of the application form and I'm stuck already.....this does not bode well!

For the section on academic, professional & professional qualifications, I need some insights on what I need to fill in for my technical & professional qualifications. I've accumulated rather a lot of these over the years. OK, so the date & title section is fairly self explanatory. "Subjects taken in final examination" could be more tricky however.

For example, one of my professional qualifications is the Professional Diploma in Insurance from the Insurance Institute of Ireland. It consists of 6 modules, each of equal weight with a multiple choice/written exam for each individual module. The usual practice is to attempt one exam every 6 months. - So, for "subjects taken in final examination" would I just list the title of each module (given that there is no 'final' exam as such)??

In a similar vane, for "Subject(s) taken in final examination", what do people do when noting their degrees?? Most people who have done degrees in the last 20 years will presumably have undergone some manner of cumulative assessment so the term 'final examination' might be a bit redundant here. Should just the degree subject be noted here (e.g. engineering for an engineering degree or economics for an economics degree) or should more detail be provided about individual modules taken?

Finally, I have two IT certs completed also - now, the certification for these lasts a total of 3 years and both are due to expire in December of this year. I don't see myself renewing these so by the time the selection process gets underway in earnest, these certs will have expired (though they are valid now, at the time of application). Should I include these?

I have a few QQI qualifications too but noting these should be reasonably straightforward.

kellyi3

Hi all, hopefully this'll be fourth (or fifth, I'm not too sure) time lucky on the tests front. Just wondering if anyone who has experience of passing the tests used any of the available practice tests out there and could recommend a good one. In particular, the workplace scenario test always seems to do me in for some reason. Any help would be great thanks!

misslemon

kellyi3 wrote: »

Hi all, hopefully this'll be fourth (or fifth, I'm not too sure) time lucky on the tests front. Just wondering if anyone who has experience of passing the tests used any of the available practice tests out there and could recommend a good one. In particular, the workplace scenario test always seems to do me in for some reason. Any help would be great thanks!

Are there any practice tests for AO outside PUblic Jobs? I contacted Career Services and they said they didn't run a course for AO campaigns and couldn't say whether the tests for clerical officer, which they do run a package for, are similar to the AO tests.

kellyi3

misslemon wrote: »

Are there any practice tests for AO outside PUblic Jobs? I contacted Career Services and they said they didn't run a course for AO campaigns and couldn't say whether the tests for clerical officer, which they do run a package for, are similar to the AO tests.

Hey, I'm not too sure about this myself. A few people recommended JobTestPrep, a UK-based website. I emailed them with a query about the tests this morning but haven't heard anything back. They have some free ones that are quite good but they have a larger batch you have to pay for. When they email me back I'll share the info if that suits.

I've also been told about cut-e, but their website is confusing if I'm being honest.

Dodge

kellyi3 wrote: »

I've also been told about cut-e, but their website is confusing if I'm being honest.

This is the company that PAS have used for recent exams

kellyi3

If anyone wants to do some practice tests I signed up with Job Test Prep (https://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/). A number of different people recommended the site to me and the tests can be tailored to the position or organisation you're applying for.

Also, the practice tests are quite good for illuminating the answers the PAS are looking for in the job simulation tests and they also explain the reasoning behind the preferred answers. Quite handy, if like me, you fall down at this part. The tests do cost but for some of you it might be worth the money.

The_Conductor

http://www.shl.com/shl/en-int

http://www.practicetests.co.uk/Launchtest.asp

http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/psychotests.htm

http://www.peoplemaps.com/html/report_free.php

http://europa.eu/epso/competitions/test_interactif_en.cfm

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/prep_one/prep_one.html

http://www.assessmentday.co.uk/aptitudetests_numerical.htm


Both free and paid for tests (and it is often worth paying the shekels for them!)

https://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/

kellyi3

Hi all, just wondering if anyone was able to access test on cut-e. I know PAS use their tests but there don't seem to be any available for members of the public to buy or access, just wondering if anyone else had any luck.

Slydice

First page of the thread:

Slydice wrote: »

Weren't the last few using this crowd?
http://practicesite-pas.cut-e.com/.

lightspeed

Is the recruitment process the same as last year?

Is there a presentation as i read another thread discussing AO positions last year in which people had to do a presentation.

Does anyone know if that is part of the interview or before it?

5p9arw38djv2b4

Can anyone open the PDF they ask you to download? Think its been corrupted, I've tried on 3 different computers, upgraded software etc. Nothing.

tomred1

LadyLabyrinth wrote: »

Can anyone open the PDF they ask you to download? Think its been corrupted, I've tried on 3 different computers, upgraded software etc. Nothing.

Try a different t browser usually works for in Internet Explorer doesn't work in Chrome.

Dodge

Don't open it in a browser. Save it and open it with Adobe

kellyi3

LadyLabyrinth wrote: »

Can anyone open the PDF they ask you to download? Think its been corrupted, I've tried on 3 different computers, upgraded software etc. Nothing.

No joy on my end, when I open the management scenarios questionnaire I can only access te first page. That's trying both online and downloading the PDF to open myself. Might just contact them.

kellyi3

And one more thing, the verbal and numerical reasoning tests work fine so the problem seems to be with the management scenarios, like every other time I apply to PAS :-)

surfaceV

Any point in applying for this, with a pass Degree at level 8 (got years ago)? I've since done a few diplomas I did well in, and will be finished a masters next year. Will I throw my hat in, anyone with experience on this?

Cakerbaker

surfaceV wrote: »

Any point in applying for this, with a pass Degree at level 8 (got years ago)? I've since done a few diplomas I did well in, and will be finished a masters next year. Will I throw my hat in, anyone with experience on this?

The minimum qualification requirement is an honours degree. They check your qualifications when / if you're called for the supervised tests and interviews. I'm not sure what would happen if you got your masters before being called for interview seeing as you didn't have that qualification when applying. It may be worth ringing them to ask, I've always found them helpful on the phone.