Getting a job in the Public Service/Civil Service HELP PLEASE

yellowhouse

Hi all,

I am seriously considering applying for a position in the civil service in the next few months. I would ideally like to get a Higher Executive Officer position in a Department. I am curious about a number of things and I am asking all of you out there that currently work in the civil service for some advice.

Firstly, what are the realistic chances of me getting an interview. I am currently a barrister with decent academic qualifications as well as good private sector experience, but I dont know if that honestly means anything when applying for a position? What are they looking for? What on my cv will jump out to potential civil service recruiters.

Secondly, the actual application. I am not particularly familiar with the different headings that seem to accompany the application forms for civil service positions. Every single job that I have looked at (not applied for) have requested particular competencies to illustrate my experience. Am I correct in thinking that these are basically examples of things that I have done or experienced in previous positions that would be relevant for the position that I am looking at ?? apologies if this is a ridiculously obvious question but I just want to make sure. Can anyone give me some examples of what these actually look like in a successful application.


Thirdly, what does an interview generally entail in the civil service? Are there multiple interviews? are there tests etc?

Fourthly, how easy is it to get assigned to a different county down the line. Ideally I would like to move back home (which is in the south west of Ireland) but I am wondering if this is an easy thing to accomplish?


Finally, the pension? How exactly are civil service pensions calculated now. I know this is very early days but I am generally curious as to what kind of pension I would be entitled to when I retire? Also am I entitled to my civil service pension and the state pension also ??



I know I am asking a lot there but there is nowhere that I can go or anyone that I know that I can ask these questions!!

Thanks all.

uck51js9zml2yt

yellowhouse wrote: »

Hi all,

I am seriously considering applying for a position in the civil service in the next few months. I would ideally like to get a Higher Executive Officer position in a Department. I am curious about a number of things and I am asking all of you out there that currently work in the civil service for some advice.

Firstly, what are the realistic chances of me getting an interview.
Thanks all.

Firstly you need to apply via Publicjobs.ie when the competition is being run.
Secondly you need to pass the aptitude tests to get a place on the potential interview panel.

Riskymove

yellowhouse wrote: »

Firstly, what are the realistic chances of me getting an interview. I am currently a barrister with decent academic qualifications as well as good private sector experience, but I dont know if that honestly means anything when applying for a position? What are they looking for? What on my cv will jump out to potential civil service recruiters.

For generals service grades, so many apply that aptitude tests are required to plac epeople on emrit for an interview (this also can include other elements like a presentation or a job simulation exercise)

HEO is not an entry grade - a mor erelevant grade would likely be Administrative Officer or Assistant Principal

In soem places a smaller competition may take place, perhaos even for a specific job so the tests may not be required.

check www.publicjobs.ie for details

Am I correct in thinking that these are basically examples of things that I have done or experienced in previous positions that would be relevant for the position that I am looking at ??

Yes

Fourthly, how easy is it to get assigned to a different county down the line. Ideally I would like to move back home (which is in the south west of Ireland) but I am wondering if this is an easy thing to accomplish?

This depends on the organisation you are appointed to (if they have a presence or not in SW can help). A mobility porogramme is also being rolled out so you cna delcare your interest in a location.

Finally, the pension? How exactly are civil service pensions calculated now. I know this is very early days but I am generally curious as to what kind of pension I would be entitled to when I retire?

The new single pension scheme can be looked up onlne for detail. Your pension will be based on your career average eanrings rather than final salary.

Also am I entitled to my civil service pension and the state pension also ??

Yes, You will be on Class A PRSI so will likely qualify for a state pension

Blanchguy

yellowhouse wrote: »

Hi all,
Firstly, what are the realistic chances of me getting an interview. I am currently a barrister with decent academic qualifications as well as good private sector experience, but I dont know if that honestly means anything when applying for a position? What are they looking for? What on my cv will jump out to potential civil service recruiters.

CV isn't really relevant, aptitude test and interview count for everything. Your application form will guide the interview to a certain extent.

yellowhouse wrote: »

Secondly, the actual application. I am not particularly familiar with the different headings that seem to accompany the application forms for civil service positions. Every single job that I have looked at (not applied for) have requested particular competencies to illustrate my experience. Am I correct in thinking that these are basically examples of things that I have done or experienced in previous positions that would be relevant for the position that I am looking at ?? apologies if this is a ridiculously obvious question but I just want to make sure. Can anyone give me some examples of what these actually look like in a successful application.

They may ask for example about your supervisory skills, so you would give two examples of where you supervised staff, in the interview you would expand and give an example of a problem and how you fixed it.

yellowhouse wrote: »

Thirdly, what does an interview generally entail in the civil service? Are there multiple interviews? are there tests etc?

Typically online aptitude test, then supervised aptitude test, then 1 interview with two people, one of whom may be from outside the civil service.

yellowhouse wrote: »

Fourthly, how easy is it to get assigned to a different county down the line. Ideally I would like to move back home (which is in the south west of Ireland) but I am wondering if this is an easy thing to accomplish?

Not easy at all, almost everyone else in there also wants to work in a rural area on a Dublin salary...

yellowhouse wrote: »

Finally, the pension? How exactly are civil service pensions calculated now. I know this is very early days but I am generally curious as to what kind of pension I would be entitled to when I retire? Also am I entitled to my civil service pension and the state pension also ??

They have gotten significantly worse recently, based on career average earnings instead of last three years, 40 years service gets you a full pension which would be half your average salary, minus the old age pension.

yellowhouse wrote: »

I know I am asking a lot there but there is nowhere that I can go or anyone that I know that I can ask these questions!!

Thanks all.

PM me if you want.

amtc

You're ruling out swathes of the public service that recruit via ...often speculative...application. i know of three regulatory agencies recruiting in this area at the moment.

griffin100

Keep an eye on publicjobs.ie. In the last while they have been recruiting lawyers for Office Data Protection, Office Corporate Enforcement, Revenue, etc. If you want to utilise your legal qualifications then this is the way to go rather then general civil service entry I would think.

A quick search using barrister or legal as a term today throws up:

https://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/58475.htm

https://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/59036.htm

Some parts of the Public Service don't advertise on publicjobs so you need to also watch the usual places. I watch the recruitment sections on the websites of the large public sector organisations located in the area I am hoping to move to. For you hoping to get back to the SW that could include UCC, CIT, etc.

tea and coffee

yellowhouse wrote: »

Hi all,

I am seriously considering applying for a position in the civil service in the next few months. I would ideally like to get a Higher Executive Officer position in a Department. I am curious about a number of things and I am asking all of you out there that currently work in the civil service for some advice.
HEO isn't recruited by the civil service as an open position, generally. I have seen some Co Councils or agencies recruiting for a HEO grade equivalent- again check their websites or publicjobs.ie - bugbear of mine- It would be easier if all public service jobs had to be advertised on PAS website. Also some of the technical grades- IT, accounting in Revenue and so on are sometimes recruited openly at this grade. The most common grades for the civil service open recruitment are AO (which is approx. HEO equivalent) or EO (Lower than HEO) or other tech grades, 3rd secretary in the D/Foreign Affairs etc.
Some of these roles e.g. 3rd Sec would have no openings in the SW of Ireland- you would need to look at what Depts have offices there. Regional locations are harder to get.
Firstly, what are the realistic chances of me getting an interview. I am currently a barrister with decent academic qualifications as well as good private sector experience, but I dont know if that honestly means anything when applying for a position? What are they looking for? What on my cv will jump out to potential civil service recruiters.
If you are being recruited through PAS (Public Appointments Service) a CV will be irrelevant. There are competitions held (create an account and set up alerts on publicjobs.ie and gradpublicjobs.ie ) You will need to apply to the competition using the application form (see the HEO Interdepartmental thread recently opened here for example), fill it out, take a series of online tests. If you pass these, then you will be asked to repeat them in a supervised setting, as well as other tests, and then if you pass those, you will be called to interview.
If you pass the interview, you get put on a panel. If a vacancy becomes available in your chosen area (e.g. Kerry) then you will be taken off the panel in the order you have been ranked on it. I,.e If there are 25 people for Kerry and you are number 7, there would need to be 7 vacancies before you will be offered a post. This is why Dublin is easier to get as there are more vacancies.
For the public service, there may well be an interview only- check out the co co websites. I do know for example, that Dublin City Council were looking for HEO equivalent by application form, and then possibly only shortlisting/ interview- so it might be a more straightforward process.
What are they looking for: Look at the competencies charts on Public Jobs- you would need to be able to demonstrate examples of some/all of the attributes listed under each competency in your examples in your application form- the form will be given to the interview board and they will likely use it as the basis for their questions.

Secondly, the actual application. I am not particularly familiar with the different headings that seem to accompany the application forms for civil service positions. Every single job that I have looked at (not applied for) have requested particular competencies to illustrate my experience. Am I correct in thinking that these are basically examples of things that I have done or experienced in previous positions that would be relevant for the position that I am looking at ?? apologies if this is a ridiculously obvious question but I just want to make sure. Can anyone give me some examples of what these actually look like in a successful application.
Yes, you will need examples. e.g. I led a team of 10 people in X project. Our objective was X. I did this and that, led the team, (hit all the competencies you want), scored the goal etc etc. and the result was Y. At interview, a follow up question here might be: what did you learn. What would you have done differently.

Thirdly, what does an interview generally entail in the civil service? Are there multiple interviews? are there tests etc?
I have answered this above. Lately, seems to be for Civil Service: app form, online tests, repeat the tests and do some other exercise (e-tray, presentation), interview. There are (not very comprehensive) test examples on publicjobs.ie for Junior and Middle management grades. There are generally 3 tests- verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and management scenarios. These are timed. Sometimes the first 2 are negatively marked.
In general, for CS there is only one interview. As per above, for direct technical departmental recruitment or PS recruitment this may vary. There are a number of threads on here which may be of benefit to you in terms of information.

Fourthly, how easy is it to get assigned to a different county down the line. Ideally I would like to move back home (which is in the south west of Ireland) but I am wondering if this is an easy thing to accomplish?

Hard from what I read. There are requests for swaps in the civil service union publications, but seems to be between regions mainly. Others may have more info/ differing opinions, but getting highly placed on a regional panel initially would be the better bet rather than looking for a move after the fact. Plus, they would be unlikely to move you during your probationary period in any event.

Finally, the pension? How exactly are civil service pensions calculated now. I know this is very early days but I am generally curious as to what kind of pension I would be entitled to when I retire? Also am I entitled to my civil service pension and the state pension also ??

http://www.cspensions.gov.ie/ Plenty of information here and elsewhere online including relevant circulars from D/PER


I know I am asking a lot there but there is nowhere that I can go or anyone that I know that I can ask these questions!!


Thanks all.

Please see my responses in blue italics above.

Wheety

Riskymove wrote: »

Yes, You will be on Class A PRSI so will likely qualify for a state pension

It's part of your CS pension.

You will get 50% of salary average (if you have 40 years service, otherwise it's reduced pro-rata). But it includes the state pension.

They're not as gold plated as they used to be.

Riskymove

Wheety wrote: »

It's part of your CS pension.

Technically it isn't, but the CS pensions are calculated so as to be reduced by the amont of the State pension

you will actually get two pensions

For people starting after april 95 up to 2014 the CS pension is reduced by the amount of the current state pension so that the overall effect is a combined pension around 50% of final salary

For the new single pension scheme the value of the state pensions is also integrated so that you get €x amount as your CS pension and can also get the State pension

Lux23

If you're a barrister I would consider a position like this one at the CCPC? This at AP level.

https://lexconsultancy.ie/job/consumer-protection-manager-lc12102/

yenom

They are currently recruiting HEO's at the moment but internally only. It'll be two years before they do it again.