Clerical Officer 2018

I'm in the top 20 permanent for Kerry, have interview next week. I'm still going to apply for TCO, but I'm wondering if (successful at inrerview) next week roughly how long I'd be waiting for a permanant Job, also as TCO is advertised early this year, and I generally do very good in OOM, I wonder when placement will start commencing for that. It's fine if Interview is in Tralee or Killarney but having to travel to Dublin again for interview is a major disencentive. I will know the result of Permanant interview before interview for Temporary Clerical.

Mike Foxtrot wrote: »

During the moratorium alot of departments did give TCO's extensions and some still do but they are less incline too now.

One example I came across recently a department/office had a TCO for 10 weeks during a busy period, despite the fact that the only other permanent CO was going on two weeks leave starting the monday after the TCO finished, they wouldn't extend their contract. They literally had to push a TCO from a different section with little or no experience to cover the permanent staff members annual leave.

Essentially, the guy in your case was the exception not the rule.

Ara depends, what dept. I'd disagree with it been an exception. Alot of TCOs I know were offered extensions, some indefinately. Yes Term Time is the worst to get, but extensions still happen, but at the end of the day, how much security is in it. The not knowing, living from contract to contract. Wanting to take on loans etc can be bothersome, but look everyone's circumstances are different.

Xenji wrote: »

Sorry your wrong, for the last 4 years our department has always given out 6 month contracts and we give about 38 a campaign, outside Dublin especially in the West 6 months is the most common contract length.

Sorry but how am i wrong? It clearly states in the informational booklet:

"While temporary vacancies may arise at various times and for various reasons, many of the vacancies occur during the summer period. The terms and conditions, including the duration and period of temporary contracts offered will vary from post to post. Please note that a standard contract duration is for an eight- week period. "

This is consistent with my experience of TCOs outside dublin. I didnt say there arent contracts for 6 months, 9 months or even 12 month contracts, and of course it depends on the department/office and the project your working on, but its not common practise or at least not anymore.

Xenji wrote: »

It's very common for candidates to work multiple campaigns in the same department, candidates can finish one campaign and start again a few weeks in the same department with a new campaign.

Although i agree with you on this to a certain extent, it is clearly not an extension. In your own words they go through a new campaign and there is a break for a few weeks.

Advising someone to give up a permanent job (which is were this conversation started) to take up a "short TCO contract" (quoting my own words) in the hopes of an extension would be reckless and pretty dishonest, however as i clearly said they should apply and see what they are offered and decide then.

Gaffer78 wrote: »

TCOs are not brought in to cover annual leave absences

He wasn't . There use to be two permanent staff in that office but one is gone through attrition, now they bring in a TCO over the summer months.

Paddy93 wrote: »

What sort of questions do they ask in the interview ?

During mine, they went through my application form and asked about employment gaps, why i had left jobs, college, my professional history basically.

Then they went through the competencies; "tell us of a time with an angry customer", "tell us of a time that you needed excellent attention to detail" etc. etc. (Have examples ready!) They also asked about how I continously improve myself.

They asked about hobbies and stuff at the end when it was winding down, it felt more like polite conversation.

It's very easy to prepare for, nothing very surprising at all. Good luck!

lamb stew wrote: »

How could people fail do yee think. Is it not knowing competencies etc, or they just don't think you have exp, gaps in unemployment etc. A bit nervous now I am. Also how long is the wait to see if you passed. Thanks

From what I’ve seen on 2016 and 2018 threads people rarely fail but I’d say it’s failure to do enough prep. No need to be nervous. Interviewers are lovely and one comes out and has a little chat with you before you go in to put you at ease. They’ll ask you a competency and tie it to a particular role e.g when you worked in “X” tell me about a time that you felt you gave good customer service.

The wait to see if you passed can vary. For me it was 2 weeks...but everyone hears on the same day so for people interviewed the week before me it was 3 weeks. Just arrive early, present yourself well, double and triple check that you have all your requested forms and ID with you, and know how the competencies tie back to each of your previous roles and you’ll sail through. The time will fly when you’re in the interview room.

Clairebear12 wrote: »

Besides the publicjobs.ie site is there anywhere else I can get good practice questions for the aptitude test please? Thanks

Buy the online course on the careerservices. Ie, but the Public Appointment Service, suprised us with away harder questions than previous. Also google clerical officer aptitude tests, something might come up.

Clairebear12 wrote: »

Did anyone buy the course on careerservices.ie for €80 to practice aptitude test? Was it worth it? Thanks

I did Clairebear. I felt after coming out of the real test that it was a waste of time, as the Public Appointment service changed it and introduced aload more of difficult numerical. Also they totally changed the verbal. The passages in the real one were twice as long, careerservices. Ie is based on previous campaigns, so it's not their fault it was changed. However in hindsight the careerservices. Ie tests probably stood to me with the easier questions in the verbal. As it thought me to always look out for the trick element of the Question. Such as let's say if a group of 5 went on holidays in either June or Sep, one part of the Question might say groups of 5 or more have a discount of 10%, and it's so easy to forget that part when you're under pressure answering a question. But just remember if you don't know what your doing just guess, there is no negative marking, so you have nothing to lose. I was shocked I passed.

Clairebear12 wrote: »

Did anyone buy the course on careerservices.ie for €80 to practice aptitude test? Was it worth it? Thanks

Everyone is different but I didn't pay for any courses/tests was my first time in a clerical campaign and I came 1st in one county and 5th in the other after supervised tests. All I did was practise, practise, practise the sample tests provided to us by PAS. Every spare few minutes I had I would clock in and re-do them again and again. Each time I was building up my speed and this helped especially with the checking test and numerical (though I know in the actual tests the verbal and numerical were harder). its very important that if you are unsure of something don't dwell on it...just hazard a guess and move on.

Ernesto Guevara wrote: »

When they ask questions relating to the competences in the interview, do they ask them in a job specific way - When working at _ give an example of ... It's just I can't think of examples for some competencies for certain roles. If they asked about an example from one role, could you answer it with an example from another? Also is it just one example per competency?

I'd have 2 or 3 per competency prepared just in case.

And if you dont have something related to x job then simply say :: "hmm, I wouldnt really have had anything like that in x job, but in Y job I did this and that and that"

Did anyone have an interview today and know when we should expect our results??

just wondering when does the PAS staff look at an application form. would they look at it when submitted last July or will they be only looking at it Tomorrow

milkandsugar wrote: »

My interviewers had my application in front of them during the interview.

Oh I know they would sorry, but wondering are they looked at when we submit them

I had my college degree down and my masters and they asked me in interview "and do you have a leaving cert?" I was stunned I had left it out. I had also left out some previous work experience too. I just filled in all the blanks during the interview after the leaving cert question.