# Public Service Appointments



## Suse (1 Oct 2007)

_Hi, I have an interview with Public Service Appointments in Galway shorlty for a Clerical Officer poisition. Does anyone know what the procedure is? Would this be for an "open position" or for a "panel". I haven't been given very much information only that it is for the local county council and/or An Garda Siochanna (administrative)._
_I have done the aptitude test already. _
_Also does anyone know how formal these interviews are?_

_Any information would be appreciated._
_Thanks,_


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## foxylady (1 Oct 2007)

There is usually a panel set from these competitions and it merely a matter of waiting to be called for the job assuming the interview goes well.


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## Suse (2 Oct 2007)

Foxylady - do you know what the lenght of time is roughly waiting on these positions?


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## KathScan (2 Oct 2007)

I went for an interview for clerical officer panel with my local County Council. I didn’t get it (not everyone can be successful ). Although I was very experienced and in my opinion I performed well at interview, this certainly wasn’t reflected in the marking sheet I received back with my letter of rejection  . 

The interview lasted fifteen minutes and a panel of three interviewed me. You would need to have read their latest budget and be familiar with who your local councillors are and what county councillors do, know where the council gets it’s funding, know about the county development plan and know the big projects the council have undertaken throughout the county and in your local area.  I was asked what the council spent most money on. I was also asked if I ever had any dealings with any of the councillors and was there even a need for local government. 

I was asked if I was good at computers, and as I would be coming from a small firm would I be able to cope with working in such a large organisation, would I be able to cope with being moved from one section to another and did I ever have to deal with irate clients.   I hope this will be of some use to you and wish you the best of luck.


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## Suse (2 Oct 2007)

Kathscan, thanks for the reply. I really didn't think it was necessary to have so much info on the co co for the interview, good job you told me. I'll have to get cracking on it. 
I really want this position, mainly for the prospect of having time off in the future and flexi time etc!!!!
thanks for the advise and finger crossed!


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## KathScan (2 Oct 2007)

After a few of these questions I thought I was mistakenly being interviewed for the County Manager's job .  They also like you to be flexible in your working hours to suit them so I wouldn't go mentioning the flexitime to them.  If it is like my interview you will get marked in four categories - Educational Qualifications, Relevant Experience, Knowledge of Local Government and Communication/Interpersonal Skills.


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## foxylady (2 Oct 2007)

To be Honest Suse thats like asking how long is a piece of string as the waiting times vary from place to place.


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## Suse (2 Oct 2007)

Thanks for that, I'm becoming a little disheartened really. I would have thought it was much easier to get in and as for waiting on a panel for a job! Seems like a mad system to me.


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## Suse (2 Oct 2007)

Kathscan - do you mind me asking which co co you applied to? I'm wonder if there are different formats for different counties or are they all the same? Does public jobs look after them all?


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## AnnT (2 Oct 2007)

Applying for the public sector Clerical Officer positions, is a long process.  

Even if you get called to interview, you may not qualify at interview to be put on the panel.

In my experience, one would need to get on the top 10 in a panel to have a reasonable chance of getting a job.  The panels expire after one year (sometimes they are extended to 2 yrs).  Any unfortunate people on the panel when it expires, must make a fresh application to get on a new panel whenever the public sector re advertises for a panel.

In my experience, they are afraid of getting applications from people who think the public service is 'a soft option' and are only there to get time off/flexi time etc.  This is why the public service make it so difficult for people to get in.  They don't want to get tsds of COs who are only there for the perks. The public service give marks for education & experience. They want to make public service a more attractive option for highly skilled & educated people.  Everyone in the public service says the hardest part is 'getting in'.


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## Suse (2 Oct 2007)

Ann T - thanks for the reply. It would seem alot more difficult to "get in" than I had imagined. Hopefully it will go okay, if not I'll just have to keep trying. Thanks for the reply.


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## Killter (9 Oct 2007)

i rang about those positions and was told that there were 20 positions available and that 1200 applied.


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## snuffle (24 Oct 2007)

Killter said:


> i rang about those positions and was told that there were 20 positions available and that 1200 applied.



Yes, there's always a high volume of applicants, and for clerical positions, it's more often than not a matter of filling a panel too.
Even then you may never be offered a position before the year is up. I have been on a few panels over the years, and only once did I get offered any work, even though I was consistently in the top 10/20 places on the panel, and the position I was offered was only a maternity leave cover contract for 6 months.

Very very difficult to get into a job that is a long term prospect in my experience, as so many people are trying to get in for the very reasons you outlined (flexitime and other perks). During my time of applying for various panels I met other people who were applying for every panel that came up (seems to be a lot of the same faces turning up each year for the aptitude tests and interviews in my area), and a lot of them, for the past x number of years, had only gotten as far as 3 months contract here for sick leave, 6 months contract there for maternity leave.


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## AnnT (25 Oct 2007)

Snuffle, sorry to hear you are only getting called for Mat leave & short contracts.  I thought that when people applied, they could specify that they are only interested in permanent work.

Are you applying to everything on the public jobs website?  E.g.  HSE, Councils, Civil Service ?  Are you applying for Executive Officer and also to Clerical Officer jobs.  Look at the Independent on Thurs for City Council and semi state body jobs too.

I started applying 2 yrs ago.  Got on a number of panels.  I have been placed high up on the panels, but because everything runs so slow, I don't know if I will get an actual job.  (The HSE cutbacks have affected me, I'm on this panel).

It seems that getting a job is down to luck.  Even if a person is no. 4 or 5 on a panel, the panel could expire and they could only take about 1 or 2 people off the panel.  Then whoever is placed 4 and 5 would have to make a fresh application the following time a competition comes up.  

Did you apply directly to your local council/HSE to do temping Clerical Officer work?  I know that every so often the HSE runs competitions which are confined to the 'long term temps' to make them permanent.  Maybe you could get in this way?  

Recently I noticed that the competitions for each sector e.g HSE are only coming up every few years, and the panels are lasting 2 yrs, so you may get a job if you are fairly high up on the panel.

From talking with friends who are in the public service, they said they had got no.s 8 and 5 on the Clerical Officers panel a few years ago and they got into their local Council.


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## snuffle (25 Oct 2007)

AnnT, Thanks for the tips! Much appreciated.

The main problem I have is that I am tied to the city I live in for the next few years due to family commitments and it seems very few positions come up round here, be they HSE, local council, educational establishments, etc. Most of the positions that do come up are short term contracts as staff that have permanent jobs prefer to hold onto their jobs, taking career breaks etc instead and holding their position open (understandably enough!) 
There's so many different positions cropping up for the Dublin area every month, but I can't consider moving at the moment. I guess I'll just keep banging my head off the door locally for the moment and hope something comes up in the future  

It's not the end of the world if I don't get into the public sector, it would just be nice to do the same type of work I do in the private sector anyway, but with perks like the flexitime, termtime, pretty much guaranteed salary increases as you progress through the grades, more annual leave, opportunities such as the career breaks etc. 

Hope you get somewhere with the panel you're on at the moment Ann!


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