NEW 2018 Assistant Principal Officer Competition

Addle

What are sub competencies?

PhoenixParker

Addle wrote: »

What are sub competencies?

It's what I call the sub-headings under each competency on page 3 here:
https://www.publicjobs.ie/images/pdfs/Assistant_Principal_Officer_Level.pdf

quad_red

PhoenixParker wrote: »

The final page count is a bit meaningless. Some of us might have eight pages of jobs while others have 2. I've about a page on each of the four competency questions and half a page or thereabouts on the others. I felt that was enough to tick the sub-competency boxes well with my own examples. I'm no expert though.

No point worrying about it now it's in.

Absolutely. You have to paddle your own boat and it's quality over quantity all the way.

Tedda2016

Hi All,

Trying to submit my form this morning, anyone any problems opening 'Step 2 - Online Application Form', it has worked before, but now its blank when I try to open it. Anyone having the same problem? Thanks

relax carry on

Tedda2016 wrote: »

Hi All,

Trying to submit my form this morning, anyone any problems opening 'Step 2 - Online Application Form', it has worked before, but now its blank when I try to open it. Anyone having the same problem? Thanks

Getting the same issue. Going to contact them now.

Tedda2016

relax carry on wrote: »

Getting the same issue. Going to contact them now.

Ok, at least I know I'm not losing it !!! Can you let me know what they say? Thanks

relax carry on

Tedda2016 wrote: »

Ok, at least I know I'm not losing it !!! Can you let me know what they say? Thanks

It's working now. There was an issue this morning. You'll need to logout of PAS, then close your browser. You then need to reopen the browser and login again and it should work fine. Use internet explorer as Chrome isn't great apparently.

divide_by_zero

Just finishing the application this morning, rereading it it feels like I'm just repeating myself with what I've already outlined in key achievements in the additinal questions section. Should I not repeat myself and try and give different examples, my management experience is within a small start up and not much staff, so don't have much to draw on. Any advice would be helpful.

relax carry on

divide_by_zero wrote: »

Just finishing the application this morning, rereading it it feels like I'm just repeating myself with what I've already outlined in key achievements in the additinal questions section. Should I not repeat myself and try and give different examples, my management experience is within a small start up and not much staff, so don't have much to draw on. Any advice would be helpful.

The format I used was questions 1 to 4 were bullet points of a line each demonstrating something relevant to the competency.

With the additional questions 1 to 3, I used specific worked through examples which either weren't in the bullet points or were very briefly mentioned.

Tedda2016

relax carry on wrote: »

It's working now. There was an issue this morning. You'll need to logout of PAS, then close your browser. You then need to reopen the browser and login again and it should work fine. Use internet explorer as Chrome isn't great apparently.

Thanks for that, I'll try again. Best of luck to everyone

Crunchymomma

divide_by_zero wrote: »

Just finishing the application this morning, rereading it it feels like I'm just repeating myself with what I've already outlined in key achievements in the additinal questions section. Should I not repeat myself and try and give different examples, my management experience is within a small start up and not much staff, so don't have much to draw on. Any advice would be helpful.

I felt mine was quite repetitive too to be honest

quad_red

I was just coming on here to ask about repetition of examples? :P

Like Q2 (outline experience of.... operations management... strategic change management) etc is going to totally overlap with leadership etc.

I would love to know how much of this stuff they can possible read. How long do they have to review these applications if they have thousands of them?

Crunchymomma

quad_red wrote: »

I was just coming on here to ask about repetition of examples? :P

Like Q2 (outline experience of.... operations management... strategic change management) etc is going to totally overlap with leadership etc.

I would love to know how much of this stuff they can possible read. How long do they have to review these applications if they have thousands of them?

I think they will only be shortlisting after they hsve results of our stage one tests, so most likely they will only be looking through the first four or five hundred initially. And then they will go through them as they intend to call up batches to the next stage. At least that's how I envision it will work anyway

quad_red

Anyway - application in.

One more go on the merry go round!

Sir Ophiuchus

My application is in!

A friend who got AP in a different Department a few years ago was kind enough to meet up and give me some tips, and cast a glance over the final form.

It's been driving me mad for days, so I'm pleased to be finally done with it. Here's hoping I do well, but I'm glad I put the effort in for a good form regardless.

Addle

Hopefully everyone passes the test and the effort will be worth it.

Has shortlisting by way of the form applied in AP competitions applied before?

The_Conductor

Addle wrote: »

Hopefully everyone passes the test and the effort will be worth it.

Has shortlisting by way of the form applied in AP competitions applied before?

In internal competitions- definitely- not so sure about the externals and interdepartmentals (though it definitely didn't feature last time round.

Apparently- there were too many people getting through to interview last time round- who had very weak CV and/or experience- this is an effort to cut off that cohort (which included myself) at the pass.

gmisk

OK silly question should I apply for both AP open and AP interdepartmental?
I am an existing HEO.... Thanks

The_Conductor

gmisk wrote: »

OK silly question should I apply for both AP open and AP interdepartmental?
I am an existing HEO.... Thanks

Sure- the majority of prospective candidates will be applying for both- however, the trick is- if you have choice- take the interdepartmental rather than the open- so you don't have to mark time on the payscale once you're appointed (pre-existing civil or public sector employees who get a post in an open competition are appointed at the point on the salary scale closest to their current salary- however, they must then mark time on that point- until the external candidates who come in at point 1 catch up with them on the scale. So- if you have choice- always take the Interdepartmental over the Open- however, you'd be silly not to apply for both........

eigrod

The_Conductor wrote: »

Sure- the majority of prospective candidates will be applying for both- however, the trick is- if you have choice- take the interdepartmental rather than the open- so you don't have to mark time on the payscale once you're appointed (pre-existing civil or public sector employees who get a post in an open competition are appointed at the point on the salary scale closest to their current salary- however, they must then mark time on that point- until the external candidates who come in at point 1 catch up with them on the scale. So- if you have choice- always take the Interdepartmental over the Open- however, you'd be silly not to apply for both........

Is the max of the HEO (Higher scale) not well below the 1st point of the AP, so surely what you say doesn’t apply?

Crunchymomma

eigrod wrote: »

Is the max of the HEO (Higher scale) not well below the 1st point of the AP, so surely what you say doesn’t apply?

You are correct, even the higher heo scale tops put at around 62k I think

doc22

The_Conductor wrote: »

Sure- the majority of prospective candidates will be applying for both- however, the trick is- if you have choice- take the interdepartmental rather than the open- so you don't have to mark time on the payscale once you're appointed (pre-existing civil or public sector employees who get a post in an open competition are appointed at the point on the salary scale closest to their current salary- however, they must then mark time on that point- until the external candidates who come in at point 1 catch up with them on the scale. So- if you have choice- always take the Interdepartmental over the Open- however, you'd be silly not to apply for both........

It doesn't really matter with AP as the AP payscale is above HEO highest point unlike say a CO and EO promotion. Could a AP on the open revert to previous grade?

quad_red

The_Conductor wrote: »

Sure- the majority of prospective candidates will be applying for both- however, the trick is- if you have choice- take the interdepartmental rather than the open- so you don't have to mark time on the payscale once you're appointed (pre-existing civil or public sector employees who get a post in an open competition are appointed at the point on the salary scale closest to their current salary- however, they must then mark time on that point- until the external candidates who come in at point 1 catch up with them on the scale. So- if you have choice- always take the Interdepartmental over the Open- however, you'd be silly not to apply for both........

Can’t appy for inter Dept cos I’m not a civil servant for two years yet.

Crunchymomma

quad_red wrote: »

Can’t appy for inter Dept cos I’m not a civil servant for two years yet.

Me either!

The_Conductor

eigrod wrote: »

Is the max of the HEO (Higher scale) not well below the 1st point of the AP, so surely what you say doesn’t apply?

The interdepartmental is open to both civil and public servants (according to the prospectus). There are several analogous grades- eligible for the interdepartmental AP- other than HEOs- with scales significantly higher than HEO scales.

Good luck to everyone who is desperately trying to get their applications in this morning- remember the cut-off is 3PM!!!

:Keith:

I've hit a brick wall with the personal statement after writing everything else. Hoping some inspiration comes to me while I proof read the rest of the application form. Anyone else having difficulty?

prettyboy81

My Foxit Reader has hit a brick wall & cannot get into my form debug message crap. The joys, have some answers to cut & paste in from word fingers crossed I figure it out.

HowItsMade

Some laugh reading this tread.

The civil service in this country is inept and from the vibe in here full of incompetent people pushing for promotions upon which they can brag about once they achieve them.

A number of you wouldn’t get past an application process in the private sector, hang on in there for dear life.

A real alarm, not sure what training you get once in the civil service but anyone I’ve spoken to says it’s nonexistent and a number of them sit in the office for an hour after their shift prying some overtime.

And now another group will be promoted within and churn the square wheel for another few years.

Sir Ophiuchus

:Keith: wrote: »

I've hit a brick wall with the personal statement after writing everything else. Hoping some inspiration comes to me while I proof read the rest of the application form. Anyone else having difficulty?

I basically just wrote: this is my educational background, since then I've worked to broaden my skills in the following areas and taken every opportunity for independent work and self development; I feel I could do the job well and be good at it, and I would want the opportunity to do so.

Nody

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