APPLYING FOR A JOB IN IRELAND ON RETURN FROM UK HELP?

I recently applied for an Information Officers post with Citoizens Advice and never even got an interview. I have a degree in Human Resourcing, a Charted Member of the Insitute of personnle and Development(CMIPD)a trained counsellor, worked in HR for 20 + years and this was with BT in the UK in their IT department so I am computer literate. I have other qualifications as well, ie leaving certificate, accredited trainer. I was so disgusted in that the letter advising me of non selection was badly typed and even omitted to say what post I had applied for. I worte back asking for an explanation and got a phone straight away with the reasons given as, not enough qua;lification in community work, lots of dealings with travellers. refugees, require good knowledge of Social Benefits and so on. In all I was fobbed off with the classic, we had stronger candidates!!! The job was funded by COMHAIRLE.

Unfortunately I applied 30 April and did not have the ad with me and one said to me was " You have not seen the job spec!!!" I asked if this was available and told yes but when I checked jo advert no mention of job spec or even a contact no.

What is the score with applying for jobs here and what tips can anyone give me becuase if I could not get an interview for this job I don't think I have a hope in hell of getting work!

ANOM

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people will judge you by your cv and if you do not type it out accurately then maybe the impression you are giving is that all your work will be inaccurate. take your post here for example which has spelling mistakes and punctuation problems. apologies if english is not your first language. you need to keep applying for jobs and try not to take any rejections to heart. getting the job you really want does not come easy in my opinion.

Re: .

In all I was fobbed off with the classic, we had stronger candidates!!!

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Isn't there the possible simple non-conspiracy-theory, non-paranoid explaination that in fact, there were stronger candidates?

APPLYING

Thanks for replies. My claim for the typos in 1st thread is that I was watching the footie and listening to the radio, all at the same time, and pressed the submit button too quickly. The CV reads much better. I will take on board rainy days comments one day when a) the jobs that I have already applied for are even acknowledged, b) the notifications that I have received are not badly typed, late, get my address wrong, not even mention the actual positions applied for, and so on.

I only posted on this one because of the job advert and how it fitted with my own qualifications. I may one day meet the person who got the job and compare notes!

I do hope I do not become paranoid in this very interesting job search. I was really looking for reactions from other people's experiences in similar circumstances.

anom

It's easier to lie

Hi anom

One of the big downsides of the equality legislation is that an emloyer has to be very careful about giving you the reasons for rejecting your application. The simplest thing to say is "We found someone with more suitable eperience". If they told you that your CV was very badly written, you could conceivably take an action against them for discrimination on the gounds of disability. It sounds stupid, but it's just must simpler to lie.

It's possible from your CV that you had too much experience? You may have been used to fairly senior jobs and you were applying for a much more junior job. You might not get job satisfaction. A less experienced, i.e. younger applicant, may get more challenge out of the job and be more enthusiastic. But if they told you that, you would have a clear case against them. You woudn't win. but you would tie them up for a long time in legal fees and it wouldn't cost you anything.

It's always easier to lie.

JOB

Thanks employer.

That makes more sense and is probably the actual scenario but I would have liked the test of an interview.

I shall plod along and see what transpires.

anom

An information officer with citizens advice would suggest to me someone who answers the phone, gives general info and posts literature to people.

You sound over-qualified. Various international companies are setting up/expanding in Ireland (eg Intel, Elan). You might get more success there. Alternatively, try a company that's expanding to the UK and needs someone with 'local (UK)knowledge'. Maybe a 'services' company that needs someone who can negotiate the corporate structures of UK companies. Or contact the IPD and see if they offer job placement help (or networking opportunities).

Sluice

Public sector . . . bah!

I would guess that your problem was that this was effectively the public sector and they are notorious for bizarre hiring practices. (For example my brother was refused a job in one county council because he was "not qualified enough" - the job required a certificate in the same subject that he studied to degree level). I think they seem to have the most innane, stupendously indiotic halfwits working for them in recruiting departments and very poor decision making is common. I would suggest that you explore the private sector as HR practices are actually in this century. They tend to be better developed and no doubt would be delighted to have you working for them. Also sometimes they can be funny about experience gained working in other countries. In short - check out the private sector or semi-state sector first.

JOB

Thanks for further replies and both make perfect sense. I am getting the picture and hopefully will get something eventually.

I am semi retired and thought(wrongly) that I would be a fairly ideal candidate to dispense information on various matters in relation to what my understanding of what a Citizens Advice Centre does. Never mind they missed a good candidate and I have recovered from the shock now.

anom

No offence, but Rainyday's post above might be just as reasonable an explanation for your failure to secure the job as any other, and possibly more so than conspiracy theories that involve accusations of systematic and institutionalised ineptitude or nepotism on the part of the organisation in question. I mean, OASIS rejected my own application for a job at the first hurdle even though I myself am convinced that I am a genius!

Shoegirl,
You wrote

For example my brother was refused a job in one county council because he was "not qualified enough" - the job required a certificate in the same subject that he studied to degree level).

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Odds are this was a union or closed shop thing. For example, a science technician in one of the IT's gets paid a lot of money for doing very little. The job spec is for a Cert or diploma but due to the money, many degree or MSc people apply. The unions don't like this and exert subtle pressure to stop these people getting hired.

Your brother could always use the FoI act to get the notes of his interview and see how he scored against the 'ideal candidate' (which should have been prepared beforehand).

Sluice

jobs in Ireland on return from UK

I've been involved with seeking work in Ireland after living UK since 1973. One semi-civil-service post (Psychologist) I interviewed for 10 years ago was panel interview competition. There was a weighting for Irish (which I love but failed in Leaving Cert many years ago through sheer nerves at its vital importance!) There was a "viva" which would be marked and formed part of the competition but I was so keyed up it was difficult to relax.

I did not get the job.

On dozens of occasions I haven't even received an acknowledgement of carefully-prepared C.V.'s and application forms which take a great deal of time and trouble to complete.

One competitive panel interview for a mental healthcare project about 3 years ago when I desperately wished to return to Dublin to have input into the care of my elderly mother who was in the early stages of Dementia "marked me down" for lack of direct experience of "the IRISH health care system and networks" though I had scored high on all the rest. The procedure was that the successful candidate must score at least 40% "in all categories".

When I protested and appealed the decision (It was a very emotional time and I really, really wanted to get back at that time and actually didn't care WHAT I did as long as it put a roof over my head!) the response was that I was "too highly qualified"!

I agree with the poster who commented on "bizarre practices" in state and semi-state appointments. In my view these rigid formats are archaic and unlikely to encourage innovation, best-practice and entrepreneurial and energetic individuals into sectors where they are very badly needed as health and semistate organisations are in a time of rapid change and development.

Best of luck with your job-search; don't give up and don't take it personally "it's the system"!