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Clerical Officer in Dept of Social Protection?

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  • 05-09-2019 8:54pm
    #1
    Booella69
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭


    Anyone have any experience working with social protection as a clerical officer.

    Would love to hear the pros and cons?
    Can you do flexi time?
    Do you get good training?
    Are you thrown in with dealing with the public straight away?


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    #2
    whampiri
    Registered Users Posts: 395 ✭✭whampiri


    Booella69 wrote: »
    Anyone have any experience working with social protection as a clerical officer.

    Would love to hear the pros and cons?
    Can you do flexi time?
    Do you get good training?
    Are you thrown in with dealing with the public straight away?

    I did it for a number of years up to an through the recession. To answer 2-4, yes.
    Flexibility, permanency and job security, possibility for promotion and education are the big bonuses.
    Negatives include: being forever vilified by everyone and the media. Taking crap from customers who believe that you have personally messed up their "wages", can be very high pressure at times, no bonuses or rewards for work done over and above.

    Overall I'd recommend it but I'm risk averse meaning I'd prefer a stable job to taking the possibility of earning higher amounts but being unsure if I have work the following week.


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    #3
    Booella69
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭Booella69


    Thanks for your reply Whampiri. Nice to hear some positives and negatives. I think I am just panicking a bit, as social protection wouldn't of being my 1st choice for clerical officer and I'm hoping I don't hate it. I still have to go through with vetting and references process yet. Thanks again.


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    #4
    whampiri
    Registered Users Posts: 395 ✭✭whampiri


    Booella69 wrote: »
    Thanks for your reply Whampiri. Nice to hear some positives and negatives. I think I am just panicking a bit, as social protection wouldn't of being my 1st choice for clerical officer and I'm hoping I don't hate it. I still have to go through with vetting and references process yet. Thanks again.

    Pm me your location and if im about I can meet you for a chat


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    #5
    billyhead
    Registered Users Posts: 9,592 ✭✭✭billyhead


    I presume its an Intero office your going to? I worked in one in a middle management capacity for a number of years. Its a very busy working environment. Lots of changes too in terms of technology and legislation, procedures to follow. The technological changes could have quietened down somewhat since left;). My advise would be to be patient with all the training. It will come to you eventually. You will need to familiarize yourself with all the acronyms which at the beginning of your career there will be a lot to take on. Overtime was sometimes available when I worked there as you can be dealing with huge caseloads. One thing I found was the great camaraderie and support amongst the workers which is invaluable.


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