Temporary Clerical Officer 2024 interview

MagicJ100

Hi all, I have an interview coming up for a TCO position and am wondering what questions I may be asked and how i should go about answering them? Thanks

FunkyChicken24

They generally ask you interviews based on your answers on the application form. They will be asking you questions about your work experience and you need to answer with the competencies or capabilities in midn, so you want to have answers worked out for the different jobs that hit multiple capabilities and try to use the STAR format. Write out a script for yourself for each story from your experience and then practise reading it out loud a few times so that your mouth and brain get used to saying the different sentences but also so that you can see whether it sounds good. Sometimes things sound better when written but clunky when said out loud. Also, try not to be too worried about it, the TCO interviews are relatively difficult to flunk so you are most likely going to pass the interview but obviously how much you impress them may have a bearing on where you get placed, but I am not sure about that though. Good luck

MagicJ100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122397005#Comment_122397005

Thanks for the advice. I think you retain your OOM regardless of the interview though, it's just about passing.

Wonderstruck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058360285/temporary-clerical-officer-2024-interview

The only way you could flunk a TCO interview is if you said you want to knife everyone in the office on arrival. And even then you'd probably pass it if you said that in a way that aligned with the competencies. I've never heard of anyone failing a TCO interview unless he/she was purposely trying to fail it. I got TCO with zero work experience and I think I was asked about 5 questions mainly like "have you heard of Microsoft word". And this was when unemployment levels were about triple what they are now so I'm sure the standard is even lower.

Go in with a positive attitude. Read up on the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel etc).

And have your stories ready in the STAR format as discussed. You'll be fine :)

MagicJ100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122397232#Comment_122397232

Glad to hear, cheers for the advice.

MagicJ100

@Wonderstruck @FunkyChicken24 Interview was fine bar one question I was asked about a project I was proud of, totally stumped me because I don't deal with projects in work and it wasn't listed anywhere in the sample questions or competencies.

Hopefully I'll be ok.

FunkyChicken24

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122397043#Comment_122397043

You're welcome 😊 Just to be clear, when I said "how much you impress them may have a bearing on where you get placed" I meant which department or body you get placed in not about your OOM but again, I am not sure how much of an impact it has or whether it is literally just the luck of the draw in terms of where you end up

FunkyChicken24

I'm glad it went well, I wouldn't worry about that one question. Sometimes they might ask you a question that is a little left field just to see how you handle it but as long as you don't display concerning behaviour that suggests you are un hinged then you should be fine for TCO @Wonderstruck was pretty on the money in his analysis 😁

GaffJack

My son is doing the TCO interview next week - do they ask for examples of the competencies for the TCO?