NEW 2020 Assistant Principal Officer Competition

Nicole2020

Pdbtsi wrote: »

Congratulations! I emailed - they couldn't tell me how quickly the panel will move but they did tell me where I sit in the grand scheme of things - i.e. how many people in total in front of me from all batches - and said I'd be welcome to check back in on progress in the coming months. Might send them another message end of Jan. I'm only on open, so don't know how inter-departmental works.

Oh brilliant, I didn’t know you could clarify exactly how many are in front of you. Someone said to me that it seems they’re calling on a 1:2 ratio from inter departmental and open.

We’ll be called in the next few months I’d say!

Boysinred

I’m looking for some advice please. I’ve been placed on the panel but I’ve realised there’s a mistake on my application form. I have my college results incorrect, my degree is down as a 2.1 instead of a 2.2 and I’m unsure if my second degree is correct either as I put 2.1 for this but I think it could be higher, I can’t remember it’s so long ago. The application form didn’t specify college education as a requirement so am I right in saying this won’t be an issue?

I really don’t know how I made such a mistake and haven’t been able to sleep properly in days since I realised. This job would change a lot for my family and there’s been a lot of celebrations for me making the panel, can’t believe this has happened and I hope I’m just overthinking it and this won’t make any difference. I haven’t been able to bring myself to confide in anyone about it.

Ravelleman

Boysinred wrote: »

I’m looking for some advice please. I’ve been placed on the panel but I’ve realised there’s a mistake on my application form. I have my college results incorrect, my degree is down as a 2.1 instead of a 2.2 and I’m unsure if my second degree is correct either as I put 2.1 for this but I think it could be higher, I can’t remember it’s so long ago. The application form didn’t specify college education as a requirement so am I right in saying this won’t be an issue?

I really don’t know how I made such a mistake and haven’t been able to sleep properly in days since I realised. This job would change a lot for my family and there’s been a lot of celebrations for me making the panel, can’t believe this has happened and I hope I’m just overthinking it and this won’t make any difference. I haven’t been able to bring myself to confide in anyone about it.

I can't see the grade being a big issue as long as you have done the degree(s). There is no explicit requirement for you to have a degree or any specific results for AP but it arises indirectly as part of self-development. In my interview, they made the briefest of reference to educational achievement; the assessment was very much focused on work experience via the competencies.

For the AO competitions historically, they made you bring your original degree parchment with you to the assessment centre! It was amusing to see everyone walking around from room to room with oversized envelopes that couldn't be bent.

John Hutton

Boysinred wrote: »

I’m looking for some advice please. I’ve been placed on the panel but I’ve realised there’s a mistake on my application form. I have my college results incorrect, my degree is down as a 2.1 instead of a 2.2 and I’m unsure if my second degree is correct either as I put 2.1 for this but I think it could be higher, I can’t remember it’s so long ago. The application form didn’t specify college education as a requirement so am I right in saying this won’t be an issue?

I really don’t know how I made such a mistake and haven’t been able to sleep properly in days since I realised. This job would change a lot for my family and there’s been a lot of celebrations for me making the panel, can’t believe this has happened and I hope I’m just overthinking it and this won’t make any difference. I haven’t been able to bring myself to confide in anyone about it.

You'll be grand as long as you have the degree. I never even told them the grade I got

TaurenDruid

Boysinred wrote: »

I’m looking for some advice please. I’ve been placed on the panel but I’ve realised there’s a mistake on my application form. I have my college results incorrect, my degree is down as a 2.1 instead of a 2.2 and I’m unsure if my second degree is correct either as I put 2.1 for this but I think it could be higher, I can’t remember it’s so long ago. The application form didn’t specify college education as a requirement so am I right in saying this won’t be an issue?

I really don’t know how I made such a mistake and haven’t been able to sleep properly in days since I realised. This job would change a lot for my family and there’s been a lot of celebrations for me making the panel, can’t believe this has happened and I hope I’m just overthinking it and this won’t make any difference. I haven’t been able to bring myself to confide in anyone about it.

It's grand and will be excused as a typo, especially if you downgraded yourself on one of them. There is no specific requirement for a degree for this competition, as another poster pointed out.

The only time I've seen this be an issue is, ironically, for lower grades - someone going for EO, just putting "Leaving Cert" down for their qualification, acing the competition and interview, then being excluded because they didn't have 5 honours in their leaving (or whatever it was for that particular competition). Run a household, raise a kid successfully, do really well in a career for a decade and be commended by their managers, but nah, don't have those 5 honours, you're not getting a promotion

Boysinred

Ravelleman wrote: »

I can't see the grade being a big issue as long as you have done the degree(s). There is no explicit requirement for you to have a degree or any specific results for AP but it arises indirectly as part of self-development. In my interview, they made the briefest of reference to educational achievement; the assessment was very much focused on work experience via the competencies.

For the AO competitions historically, they made you bring your original degree parchment with you to the assessment centre! It was amusing to see everyone walking around from room to room with oversized envelopes that couldn't be bent.

My interview was the same, that’s why I don’t feel it will make a big difference. I am just a little worried that if the exam results are asked for in the screening process that it might lead to dismissal from the panel due to the form not being right.

Ha ha that’s great, how random!

Boysinred

TaurenDruid wrote: »

It's grand and will be excused as a typo, especially if you downgraded yourself on one of them. There is no specific requirement for a degree for this competition, as another poster pointed out.

The only time I've seen this be an issue is, ironically, for lower grades - someone going for EO, just putting "Leaving Cert" down for their qualification, acing the competition and interview, then being excluded because they didn't have 5 honours in their leaving (or whatever it was for that particular competition). Run a household, raise a kid successfully, do really well in a career for a decade and be commended by their managers, but nah, don't have those 5 honours, you're not getting a promotion

Thank you and I did read last night on the PAS website that unless it’s a specific requirement for the competition, they don’t ask for your qualifications so looks like it won’t be part of the screening process anyway and I’ve been worried for no reason. Lesson learnt for the future after a few sleepless nights!

That’s awful for her, really shocking. Especially as you get older, the leaving cert should become irrelevant if you have experience.

Kanovara

Hi, I placed 1329 after stage 1 InterDepartmental & have selected Dublin region. Anyone any idea when I may be called for stage 2 or is that months away? Thanks and congrats to all who have gotten through so far.

Toulouse

Kanovara wrote: »

Hi, I placed 1329 after stage 1 InterDepartmental & have selected Dublin region. Anyone any idea when I may be called for stage 2 or is that months away? Thanks and congrats to all who have gotten through so far.

I was 480 interdepartmental for Dublin and we’ve just been called for stage 2.

Ravelleman

Minor update: PAS are still bringing the last of batch one into clearance. I believe that they have yet to start on batch two but will do so very soon.

Cheeseplant

anyone attempt the video yet? For info my invite says B4, presumably batch 4.
I'm still trying to think of opening statements nevermind actual examples!

HannahR31

Cheeseplant wrote: »

anyone attempt the video yet? For info my invite says B4, presumably batch 4.
I'm still trying to think of opening statements nevermind actual examples!

I did the video in the first batch - from what I remember I think I launched straight into the STAR. With so little time to get the point across, you want to start getting points straight away not wasting time with pleasantries.

Sparks15

HannahR31 wrote: »

I did the video in the first batch - from what I remember I think I launched straight into the STAR. With so little time to get the point across, you want to start getting points straight away not wasting time with pleasantries.

Can you take a breather between questions or does it run straight from one to the next?

HannahR31

Sparks15 wrote: »

Can you take a breather between questions or does it run straight from one to the next?

If I remember right, there was 1 minute in between each to read the next question (which of course you've already read and prepared so don't need to actually read).

Cheeseplant

HannahR31 wrote: »

I did the video in the first batch - from what I remember I think I launched straight into the STAR. With so little time to get the point across, you want to start getting points straight away not wasting time with pleasantries.

Thanks Hannah. It asks for an overview; did you just launch into a specific eg or give an overview of all experience for that particular question (which is what I'm struggling with) and then lead into STAR on a specific eg?

Crimson_Ghost

I submitted my video responses yesterday.

This was my approach.

Review the application form and update some examples.

Review the competencies (particularly Leadership, Management and Delivery of Results, and Analysis and Decision-making) so that I made sure my updated examples still hit all of the bullet points. I might have done it right, I might not. That's what I was aiming for anyway.)

Overviews were brief because I felt I was getting into too much detail. For management, I just mentioned I had direct reports in my units and explained how I managed their workload and priorities through the PMDS system. Then gave an example of last years achievements in terms of project outcomes.

Wrote out my answers as a script. The potential for me to start muddling even with bullet points is too high.

Practiced reading the script in as natural a manner as possible, while maintaining eye contact as much as possible with the camera. Like reading the news I suppose.

Timed my answers in practice. They came in around the 2:45 mark, but I sped up a bit in the real thing and one was barely over 2 minutes. I'd rather get the main points across and have time left then trying to cram too much into three minutes. Again, who knows how that will go down but I was comfortable with my responses.

So in all, I spent half a day preparing and then the 15 minutes to record the interviews. I feel good about it. If its not good enough, I think I can walk away happy at this stage. Not much more I could do.

Good luck to everyone. The main thing is to take whatever approach makes your relevant experience come across clearly.

Cheeseplant

Crimson_Ghost wrote: »

I submitted my video responses yesterday.

This was my approach.

Review the application form and update some examples.

Review the competencies (particularly Leadership, Management and Delivery of Results, and Analysis and Decision-making) so that I made sure my updated examples still hit all of the bullet points. I might have done it right, I might not. That's what I was aiming for anyway.)

Overviews were brief because I felt I was getting into too much detail. For management, I just mentioned I had direct reports in my units and explained how I managed their workload and priorities through the PMDS system. Then gave an example of last years achievements in terms of project outcomes.

Wrote out my answers as a script. The potential for me to start muddling even with bullet points is too high.

Practiced reading the script in as natural a manner as possible, while maintaining eye contact as much as possible with the camera. Like reading the news I suppose.

Timed my answers in practice. They came in around the 2:45 mark, but I sped up a bit in the real thing and one was barely over 2 minutes. I'd rather get the main points across and have time left then trying to cram too much into three minutes. Again, who knows how that will go down but I was comfortable with my responses.

So in all, I spent half a day preparing and then the 15 minutes to record the interviews. I feel good about it. If its not good enough, I think I can walk away happy at this stage. Not much more I could do.

Good luck to everyone. The main thing is to take whatever approach makes your relevant experience come across clearly.

Thank you for this. Best of luck with the rest of the competition. I won't be attempting until Monday afternoon!

Mbwb

Cheeseplant wrote: »

Thank you for this. Best of luck with the rest of the competition. I won't be attempting until Monday afternoon!

oh I am petrified my internet would go down or something if I did it on Monday, so I'm going to attempt it on Sunday, the tips on here have been brilliant, thanks to everyone! my examples are way too long, trying to cut it down and practice recording, I can't seem to angle my camera in a way that it doesn't show I am reading a script, memorising is a nightmare!
Best of luck!

Thisisit90

Does anyone know if you could get one shot to record a reply, or if you can redo it?

SmileyPaul

Thisisit90 wrote: »

Does anyone know if you could get one shot to record a reply, or if you can redo it?

It's a one shot, no chance to redo.

Thisisit90

SmileyPaul wrote: »

It's a one shot, no chance to redo.

thank you!

mariagirl

Hi all, does anyone happen to know what score PAS have reached to call Dublin applicants forward to Stage 2? I seen it was a score of 120 or above before Christmas, just windering if they have called forward scored below 120 yet or what number they are at..Thank you

Mbwb

mariagirl wrote: »

Hi all, does anyone happen to know what score PAS have reached to call Dublin applicants forward to Stage 2? I seen it was a score of 120 or above before Christmas, just windering if they have called forward scored below 120 yet or what number they are at..Thank you

My score was 117 and I did the video interview yesterday (we have until today to do it)

mariagirl

Mbwb wrote: »

My score was 117 and I did the video interview yesterday (we have until today to do it)

Thanks so much for that and good luck..

batman007

Hi all - does anyone have a good resource of sample answers for the CAR/STAR technique? I have a lot of answers written out myself but I'd love to compare them to a bank of answers written by HR professionals or the like.

There is a plethora of articles explaining the techniques but no actual samples. Indeed.com have a bank of answers but these are more suitable to entry level interviews than management level.

HelloPeeps

mariagirl wrote: »

Hi all, does anyone happen to know what score PAS have reached to call Dublin applicants forward to Stage 2? I seen it was a score of 120 or above before Christmas, just windering if they have called forward scored below 120 yet or what number they are at..Thank you

My score was 115 and I completed the video interview last night.

After a long day of work and homeschooling, I nearly dropped out but I finally got it done with 20 minutes to spare until midnight!

Pdbtsi

Ravelleman wrote: »

Minor update: PAS are still bringing the last of batch one into clearance. I believe that they have yet to start on batch two but will do so very soon.

Might be too early, but does anyone know if there's been movement?

Ravelleman

Pdbtsi wrote: »

Might be too early, but does anyone know if there's been movement?

I was wondering that myself. Based on my position and lack of contact, they haven't made any inroads into batch two. Email them and let the rest of us know!

Hindutimes

All Sorted now. Thank you for tagging me in the right previous post


Hi All,

Does anyone have the candidate booklet handy for this AP competition?

Ravelleman

Hindutimes wrote: »

Hi All,

Does anyone have the candidate booklet handy for this AP competition?

Post 309.