What is the role of a Clerical Officer and an Executive Officer?

I dunno guys, I'm not saying all CS or PS jobs are boring or that all those workers are doing "nothing all day" BUT I would guess that the reasons people join the civil service at these type of lower level grades have more to do with the benefits (extra holidays, relatively secure working hours, paid sick leave, job sharing, personalised hours etc), the better likelihood of having fair treatment as regards pay, entitlements and promotions and the (reasonably) good pay from middle grades up.

I would say there are few people who join the civil service to make their mark in a particular arena, because you simply don't know what department you will work in and you don't know exactly what kind of job you are applying for when it comes to positions like Clerical Officer and Executive Officer. For example, there are certain departments I would have loved to get into as an enthusiastic youngster with a view to "working my way up" (remember the days when people did that! :)) but it just doesn't work like that; you could wind up anywhere. I think that's a flaw in the system that will attract the more directionless (for want of a better word) types out there.

Nothing is all good or all bad.

Rebecca
 
A few years ago when the IT boom was on I was slagged wholesale by my circle of freinds for the salary I was earning as a public servant, now a few years later, a few kids later and the IT boom is not what it used to be our salaries are good, annual leave is very generous, I get 31 days annaual leave excluding Christmas......I can work flexi time, take parental leave, work term time, ie have summer's off and many other family friendly schemes.
We get paid to do courses, I went for UCD for a year on full pay, with all fees paid.
In return I work damn hard at what I do but when home time comes that is me finished until tomorrow. I NEVER bring my work home with me.
Like all working environments there are downsides, for instance the building I work in is falling down around our ears and would not pass any health and safety inspection in a million years.
But for me anyway the pros out weigh the cons big time.
There was an initial period when I was earning a pittance but those days for me are thankfully in the past.
i am even glad of the pension scheme now which I thought I would never ever say.
 
tallpaul said:
However, the Civil Service is not merely about processing forms etc. but important work is carried out through policy development, policy implementation, legislative work and many other areas in which the CS is involved.
Click to expand...

Agreed. But if you join the CS, you have no control over the job (or even the Department) you'll be assigned to.

You may initially find yourself assigned to (say) IT and it may suit you. But if you apply for promotion annd get it you may be transferred to a completely differnt function. i think the inability to work towards a clear career path that follows your area of competence and/or interest is something that is detrimental to the interests of the workers themselves and also the CS as a whole.

Whether people are willing to accept this is of course their own business. But I think it's something they are aware of in advance. in other words, while the work of the CS may be intersting and varied, you can't rely on it to come to a town near you!
 
I find it very hard to beliee that CS workers are assigned willy nily to jobs to which their skills are not suited.
This is definately not the case in the Public service.
Surely someone's skills and preferences are taken into consideration.
 
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