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(Aug 17) NEW Interdepartmental HEO comp (Serving civil servants only)

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24567…54

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    #32
    Jakeren7
    Registered Users Posts: 207 ✭✭Jakeren7


    where on public jobs website is this advertised cause I cannot see it online thanks


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    #33
    drake70
    Registered Users Posts: 656 ✭✭✭drake70


    Jakeren7 wrote: »
    where on public jobs website is this advertised cause I cannot see it online thanks

    https://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/59560.htm


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    #34
    Idjit
    Registered Users Posts: 853 ✭✭✭Idjit


    I haven't spoken to anyone at even EO level that seems able to answer the 'Policy' question.

    Do you think implementing policy could be something as simple as following the changing procedures of your office or would it have to be that you yourself had an active role in policy being launched?
    I don't really understand how complicated or how simple the answers to this question should be.


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    #35
    Avada
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,411 ✭✭✭Avada


    Jade182 wrote: »
    I haven't spoken to anyone at even EO level that seems able to answer the 'Policy' question.

    Do you think implementing policy could be something as simple as following the changing procedures of your office or would it have to be that you yourself had an active role in policy being launched?
    I don't really understand how complicated or how simple the answers to this question should be.

    Personally my job involves a good bit of policy work, so there are EO roles out there that do.


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    #36
    drake70
    Registered Users Posts: 656 ✭✭✭drake70


    I've been in IT for the last 17 years, so haven't a clue what to put in the policy box


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    #37
    sinorita
    Registered Users Posts: 239 ✭✭sinorita


    I thought it was optional to complete that section? That you only input an answer if it applied to you?


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    #38
    eimaj18
    Registered Users Posts: 442 ✭✭eimaj18


    sinorita wrote: »
    I thought it was optional to complete that section? That you only input an answer if it applied to you?
    sinorita wrote: »
    I thought it was optional to complete that section? That you only input an answer if it applied to you?

    Yeah looks like it's optional but I would have thought putting something in may give you an edge?


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    #39
    bronzesheep
    Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭bronzesheep


    eimaj77 wrote: »
    Yeah looks like it's optional but I would have thought putting something in may give you an edge?

    I think the same - it's a difficult one!

    How long are your answers for each competency? It says: 'Please try not to exceed the space provided in the boxes.'. Apart from the Personal Statment however there is no word count, and I just put in 5 A4 pages into one to check if it had an unseen wordcount and it accepted that amount of text. Generally, I put in one A4 page worth per answer if there is no word count, but I've seen other competitions with word counts of around 300 words per competency.


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    #40
    drake70
    Registered Users Posts: 656 ✭✭✭drake70


    eimaj77 wrote: »
    Yeah looks like it's optional but I would have thought putting something in may give you an edge?

    I see that now

    "Please outline your experience of Policy Development or Implementation (if any)"


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    #41
    Aglomerado
    Registered Users Posts: 5,761 ✭✭✭Aglomerado


    drake70 wrote: »
    I see that now

    "Please outline your experience of Policy Development or Implementation (if any)"

    I thought about cobbling something together for that, but I think it would bite me on the backside were it to come up in interview.

    I understand policy development, implementation and evaluation from a theoretical point of view, but I'd only be citing textbooks and papers.

    The "if any" was reassuring, they don't expect you to have this experience. I know many HEOs who don't have it either!


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    #42
    carnie
    Registered Users Posts: 674 ✭✭✭carnie


    I submitted mine yesterday evening.

    My AP told me to use my experience of updating a series of booklets as my policy example.


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    #43
    MaisieMoo
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭MaisieMoo


    Point 2 of the circular states that "candidates must have experience in managing and leading teams, managing projects, managing budgets and developing or implementing policy."


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    #44
    Mac0783
    Registered Users Posts: 479 ✭✭Mac0783


    Application submitted, as I haven't put down Dublin as a location I'm not sure if there's any point.

    Is there anywhere to find out what Counties have what Departments? Or what numbers of Civil Servants there are per county? Aside from my current county I found it difficult to choose a second, I'm will to drive a distance but found it difficult to pick a direction!


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    #45
    Lodi26900
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭Lodi26900


    Hi all,

    I'm very confused by the fact that the circular this competition, outlines 6 competencies, whereas the application form only has 5.

    The circular does not include the competencies ‘Policy’ and ‘Managing Projects/Operations.

    The application form does not include the competencies ‘Management and Delivery of Results’, ‘Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development’ and ‘Drive and Commitment to Public Service Values’.

    These appear to be discrepancies.

    If I have missed the explanation in the circular or application regarding the competencies, could someone please point me in the right direction.

    I have also emailed PAS twice over this and have yet to receive a response to the second email where I included screen grabs (images) showing the discrepancies.

    It sounds like people are fudging one competency into another as if that makes sense. It doesn't!


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    #46
    Red Wolf
    Registered Users Posts: 397 ✭✭Red Wolf


    Lodi26900 wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I'm very confused by the fact that the circular this competition, outlines 6 competencies, whereas the application form only has 5.

    The circular does not include the competencies ‘Policy’ and ‘Managing Projects/Operations.

    The application form does not include the competencies ‘Management and Delivery of Results’, ‘Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development’ and ‘Drive and Commitment to Public Service Values’.

    These appear to be discrepancies.

    If I have missed the explanation in the circular or application regarding the competencies, could someone please point me in the right direction.

    I have also emailed PAS twice over this and have yet to receive a response to the second email where I included screen grabs (images) showing the discrepancies.

    It sounds like people are fudging one competency into another as if that makes sense. It doesn't!
    The form doesn't deal with all the competencies, it is a guide for the interview panel, who Will question you on all six competencies. They can, and often do, ask for all new examples. Also they can ask questions covering multiple competencies.


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    #47
    gilli82
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭gilli82


    Hi, I'm completing this form and I'm having some issues, I want to delete an employment record but that option doesn't seem to be available, anyone know how to do this?


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    #48
    bronzesheep
    Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭bronzesheep


    gilli82 wrote: »
    Hi, I'm completing this form and I'm having some issues, I want to delete an employment record but that option doesn't seem to be available, anyone know how to do this?

    I tried to do that before and couldn't. I started a new form. I'd be interested to know if someone knows a way to do it.


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    #49
    cicimc
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭cicimc


    I remember this happening with my form last year and I started a new form as well. Its not the easiest of forms to navigate if you want to delete something!!


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    #50
    cicimc
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭cicimc


    cicimc wrote: »
    I remember this happening with my form last year and I started a new form as well. Its not the easiest of forms to navigate if you want to delete something!!

    Also does anyone know if you can delete the blank education boxes on the first page if you don't have enough to fill all of them. Thanks


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    #51
    Red Wolf
    Registered Users Posts: 397 ✭✭Red Wolf


    The PDF has restricted editing enabled. You cannot delete fields. You will need to start a new form if you want to keep it looking clean.


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    #52
    cicimc
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭cicimc


    Red Wolf wrote: »
    The PDF has restricted editing enabled. You cannot delete fields. You will need to start a new form if you want to keep it looking clean.

    This isn't the same with the Education part of it though or am I wrong. The form starts off with 4 boxes. Unfortunately I don't have enough to fill in all the 4 boxes of that page!! Knew I should have studied more!!


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    #53
    Red Wolf
    Registered Users Posts: 397 ✭✭Red Wolf


    cicimc wrote: »
    This isn't the same with the Education part of it though or am I wrong. The form starts off with 4 boxes. Unfortunately I don't have enough to fill in all the 4 boxes of that page!! Knew I should have studied more!!
    You can't delete the education boxes either as they are also part of the restricted editing/formating.


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    #54
    Idjit
    Registered Users Posts: 853 ✭✭✭Idjit


    Submitted mine. I'm a serving CO with some management experience. Never applied for HEO before so worse case scenerio I'll get experience of the application process!


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    #55
    gerrybbadd
    Registered Users Posts: 10,301 ✭✭✭✭gerrybbadd


    Jade182 wrote: »
    Submitted mine. I'm a serving CO with some management experience. Never applied for HEO before so worse case scenerio I'll get experience of the application process!

    Good luck. I've heard and know of COs being promoted to HEO, so it's not impossible. If you have management experience, you will have a big plus going for you straight away


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    #56
    Idjit
    Registered Users Posts: 853 ✭✭✭Idjit


    gerrybbadd wrote: »
    Good luck. I've heard and know of COs being promoted to HEO, so it's not impossible. If you have management experience, you will have a big plus going for you straight away
    Thank you, a colleague of mine went from CO to EO to HEO in the course of a few months because she got on both panels.
    I'm hoping the same thing happens to me because I'm currently on the EO panel too!


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    #57
    podge018
    Registered Users Posts: 1,815 ✭✭✭podge018


    Somebody mentioned it above, but nobody replied. The form asks you to "please try not to exceed the space provided in the boxes". I'm guessing you might fit about 150 words into those boxes. Surely that's not enough?

    Has everybody else gone a lot bigger?


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    #58
    yabadabado
    Registered Users Posts: 16,520 ✭✭✭✭yabadabado


    You don't need to put a lot in those boxs they only use the application as a guide in my experience.Done interviews before when they didn't mention anything from the form bar the work experience/education.
    It still all boils down to the 6 competencies and how you answer the questions on them.


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    #59
    PopTarts
    Registered Users Posts: 2,197 ✭✭✭PopTarts


    The Board will just use the form as a guide. At the end of the day it's how you answer the questions on competencies on the day. You get no marks for what's on the form.


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    #60
    Addle
    Registered Users Posts: 4,812 ✭✭✭Addle


    So much fuss gone into these forms when so many applicants won't get past the 1st stage phase.

    Why do PAS look for them at this early stage?


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    #61
    BandMember
    Registered Users Posts: 1,703 ✭✭✭BandMember


    Addle wrote: »
    So much fuss gone into these forms when so many applicants won't get past the 1st stage phase.

    Why do PAS look for them at this early stage?

    To weed out the timewasters who have no interest in accepting a post if they get it and the people who do not qualify and are only doing the exams to practice for future posts, along with other "speculators" (shall we say).

    By making people jump through hoops at the start by putting time and effort into the application form, you are weeding out the genuine candidates from the rest - which works out better for everyone as it means that there are less people applying, less people waiting on interviews, panels etc.


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