I got a job in the public sector and didnt have to sit any written exams I just had to do an interview but that is because my job is specialised and requires a specific qualification. I think I was always going to end up in the public sector, both my parents are working for the same people since they were 17 (eircom and HSE) and my sister is a civil servant. Just turned out though that when I want to college, during my degree I discovered a chance to do a masters that would leave me with a job I would really enjoy and that job was in the public sector. I worked in it in the private sector and could probably have made more money by negotiating things but the reason I left was because I was commuting 4 hours a day 5 days a week and I wanted to have a baby and wasn't going to do 4 hours a day on the train/road while pregnant and would not have gotten paid maternity leave in the private sector job I was in. So I sought out a public sector job and I got it. People made fun of me but I knew what I wanted and I got it and have since been able to secure a higher level job which is even better suited to my background and qualifications