Principal Officer 2025

fieldofgreen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123509922#Comment_123509922

I suspect they're going for a short panel to pilot the new approach to assignments before rolling it out for a full-size panel next time around

2021_AP

Last minute application gone in today, not my finest work as didn't get the time to dedicate to it that I had hoped

Not holding out much hope especially with short time frame for panel

Coginthewheel

same as that - found it very frustrating

helimachoptor

Had an application pretty much completed, for some reason had in my head it was the 4th 😪

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123510109#Comment_123510109

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123510117#Comment_123510117

The online form is essentially the same as the old PDF application forms they used to use. They were horrible to format, too. And in my experience could rarely be opened again, at least not using a browser or free Acrobat!

I mentioned I ran into an issue with one of my answers which was apparently triggering the PAS firewall - presumably it thought I was trying to inject malicious code, or something. Serves me right for using semi-colons!

One of these years, there will be an option on PublicJobs to "Save employment history" and "Save education history" that will literally save a candidate's job and education history to their profile so that the next time they apply for a post, they can just click an "Add employment history from profile" and "Add education history from profile" button, and not have to copy/paste from old applications. This is not that year. But the introduction of an online form brings that day one bit closer. Baby steps…

Firsttimer2025

I submitted an application for this competition. It's my first time ever applying for anything in the Civil Service. Anyone any idea of what happens next?

SpringColour

Hi Folks,

Did anyone save a copy of the information booklet for this comp? I forgot to save it down and it's no longer on the website?

PhoenixParker

I'd settle for a "save draft" function that

(1)doesn't require every compulsory box to be filled in

(2) doesn't take you to the top of the form every time.

The form should also allow basic formatting like bullet points.

Mostly though, my cv is long at this point and it just takes forever to put it all in.

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123514932#Comment_123514932

Mostly though, my cv is long at this point and it just takes forever to put it all in.

I hear you! I don't think they actually stated you had to fill in every job all the way back to the start of your career this time, like they usually do - I wasn't taking the chance, though!

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123514925#Comment_123514925

Principal_Officer_2025_Information_Booklet_2522800.pdf

Here you go…

SpringColour

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123515019#Comment_123515019

Thanks a mill, TaurenDruid!

tea and coffee

You'll be invited to psychometric testing. Following that, if you pass that, they'll shortlist your form. If you get through that, you'll be invited to interview and /or presentation task. If you get through that you get on a panel. If there is a vacancy, and you're high enough on the panel, you will get an offer of a job somewhere in the civil service. If the panel expires before they get to you on the panel, you're back to square one.

If you fall at any of the hurdles, you're back to square one

Firsttimer2025

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123515726#Comment_123515726

Thank you. Are you given sample questions for the testing and any examples of what it is like?

tea and coffee

LotLots of info on public jobs

https://www.publicjobs.ie/en/information-hub/our-recruitment-process/test-advice

https://www.publicjobs.ie/en/information-hub?view=article&id=110&catid=2

https://www.publicjobs.ie/en/information-hub?view=article&id=109&catid=2

They will give detailed information and instructions before the tests

headtheball14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123515010#Comment_123515010

there was a limit of max 10 jobs , I hit it

headtheball14

glad to see them moving to new capabilities but hard to see how they shortlist from this form. it doesn't give much opportunity to demonstrate much on this format unless they are taking previous employment into account more.

suspect it is a pilot for presidency vacancies to see how it goes and doubt many will be taken from it

learninglad

Hi All,

I put in a application, which took some time as was used to the competency applications. One grumble (aside from the formatting issue mentioned by others here) is the lack of s statement of suitability box…as the 4 questions boxes is more messy IMHO.

Let's see what happens.

myk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123516065#Comment_123516065

I think they mostly short list based on test results.

learninglad

I think they longlist from the test results...and if you make that cutoff, then they shortlist for interview based on your application form (likely mainly from the 4 question boxes

mckenncl

hi there, do you know will everyone be automatically called to the testing stage?

myk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123516755#Comment_123516755

Yes looks like that…from the information booklet

"For the PO 2025 competition, candidates will be ranked on the outcome of their Stage 1
online assessments. Candidates will be progressed to the shortlisting stage and will be
shortlisted in accordance with their ranking. At shortlisting, applications will be assessed
against a scored criteria, and a further rank order will be created."

tea and coffee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123517743#Comment_123517743

That is how it has been in the past, so im going to say yes. It's an online test so the cost for PAS is likely the same whether it's 200 or 2000 taking it. They will only take those who do best. . The top…100? 140?? 250?? Someone who follows these better than me should know an average over the years, I don't.

PhoenixParker

Basically PAS get several thousand applications.

There's no way they can sit down and shortlist them all in a reasonable time frame. Even if you could, if you use shortlisting to decide who to interview first, it's a recipe for a 100% appeal rate.

So they use the tests to rank the applicants 1 → several thousand.

Then they can start at 1 and shortlist a few hundred. Deal with those shortlisting appeals & interview whoever passed shortlisting. Then move on to the next batch of applicants.

Numbers in each batch vary. I presume its determined by the number of vacancies, the availability of interviewers and estimate for a % that'll pass shortlisting & interview. For PO, I'd expect batch size to be small.

ItsJustMe2025

Current AP. This is my time applying for Open PO. I didnt see option to select location/region on the application. That was a standard question in every other competition I've done (SO, EO, HEO, AP) where usually max of 2 regions could be selected. Anyone else notice that? Any idea if regional panels will be a feature of this competition?

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123527089#Comment_123527089

Hadn't noticed that, but yes, you're right - good catch. I didn't see any mention of regional panels at all.

APapplicant2021

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123527089#Comment_123527089

If you have a look at the info booklet, they are doing it differently because they are focusing on aligning people more with their areas of experience, so you could select Policy & Strategy and talk about why you're experienced there, and so on.

Also I doubt they're expecting many if any outside of Dublin if the panel is genuinely planned to expire in March of next year.

6.5x55 seller ammo

Any updates yet?

mortimer33

No Updates.

Would love to hear how others who have moved into principal officer role directly from private sector have got on?

Curious02

Hi, re. the P.O. aptitude tests -

Any tips on how best to prepare?

Any good free online resources, or is it better to use a paid site?

Are Jobtestprep materials worth getting?

Good luck everyone in the competition 😀

Nocha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123541429#Comment_123541429

Hello, I'd love to hear about this too.

Also, generally speaking what level of experience do people have who are moving from private to apply for PO? Thanks