The Role of a Clerical Officer
The role of a Clerical Officer includes providing comprehensive general administrative and clerical support to a section or department.
Who recruits Clerical Officers in Ireland?
Clerical Officers are recruited by a variety of organisations but one of the largest Clerical Officer recruitment competitions is carried out by the Civil Service. These national Civil Service competitions recruit administrative staff into various government departments in the Public Service. The PAS (Public Appointments Service) is the centralised recruiter for the Civil Service. They run competitions to establish panels of suitably qualified individuals from which various vacancies may be filled. They have advertised in various places including the main recruitment pages of the national newspapers as well as on social media and their own website www.publicjobs.ie
What do Clerical Officers do?
The role of a Clerical Officer includes providing comprehensive general administrative and clerical support to a section or department. Clerical Officers works as part of a team to meet work goals and objectives and to deliver quality services to internal and external customers. Irish Civil Service Clerical Officers assist Senior Officers / Managers with clerical work in a government department. Clerical Officers work in all departments in Ireland and provide vital input to their team through a range of general office duties.
The duties may be varied depending on the nature of work carried out by the employing government department. The following reflects some typical duties you may be required to undertake (Source: Public Appointments Service)
> General clerical work e.g. filing, photocopying, answering/making telephone calls, dealing with emails, reception desk duties, etc.
> Supporting line-managers and colleagues;
> Working as part of a team in delivering services;
> Communicating and dealing with the public/customers e.g. responding to queries and providing information face-to-face, by telephone or via email
How do I apply and what happens then?
Clerical Officers are recruited by a variety of organisations including the HSE, City and County Councils among others, but one of the largest Clerical Officer recruiters is the Civil Service. The Civil Service run national competitions to recruit administrative staff such as Clerical Officers into various government departments in the Public Service. The PAS (Public Appointments Service) is the centralised recruiter for the Civil Service. They run competitions to establish panels of suitably qualified individuals from which various vacancies may be filled. They advertise in various places including the main recruitment pages of the national newspapers as well as on social media and their own website www.publicjobs.ie
Getting a Clerical Officer Job
It’s competitive! Clerical Officers national competitions attract a very high number of applicants, with thousands applying in every campaign. Preparation is therefore vital in order to give yourself the best chance of succeeding in these competitions. It is not enough to meet the minimum standard, you must maximise your scores in order to move through this highly competitive recruitment competition.
The Selection Process
Clerical Officer Assessments and Interviews
If you apply for Clerical Officer positions in the Civil Service as part of national competitions or for various other Clerical Officer recruitment competitions generally you will be required to undertake assessments and an interview as part of the selection process. These assessments can come in the form of an Assessment Questionnaire or Verbal and Numerical Reasoning Tests. You will also be required to do an interview and the most common form of interview (Capability-Based or Competency-Based)
Career Services Preparation Course
Here at Career Services we specialise in preparing candidates for the selections tests and interviews used in Clerical Officer recruitment. We have helped tens of thousands of candidates succeed at their psychometric tests and interviews over the years. Our course has everything you need to succeed at the selection stages of various Clerical Officer recruitment competitions. Find out more about how our course can help you achieve your goal of securing a clerical officer position below.
We have 35+ years of experience. Become fully prepared to secure your Clerical Officer role.
Course includes:
- Clerical Officer Recruitment Process
- Assessment Questionnaires & Job Simulations
- Aptitude Test Preparation
- Capability-Based & Competency Based Interview Preparation
- Suitable for a variety of Clerical Officer opportunities
- 12 months Instant & Unlimited Access
“I used your website to prepare for a grade IV Clerical Officer position a few months ago and got the highest mark, while I had the minimum score at my previous test!! I found your website extremely useful especially to practice for the tests. I used the timed tests for a few days prior to the official test and was able to answer questions very quickly and accurately on the day. I would also like to add that the customer service is outstanding!”~ Cathy Mc Cullagh, Clerical Officer Candidate
Clerical Officer National Recruitment Competitions
The Clerical Officer Competition is a national competition that recruits administrative staff into various government departments in the Public Service. The PAS (Public Appointments Service) is the centralised recruiter for the Civil Service. They run competitions to establish panels of suitably qualified individuals from which various vacancies may be filled.
About the Career
This will be one of the best investments you will make in your future.
Remember, Stage 1 of the competition is one of the most competitive stages and has the highest failure rate.
This course offers access to our vast Online Resources.
Most importantly, you give yourself the best opportunity to succeed.
Who is the Clerical Officer Recruitment Campaign open to?
Intending candidates must possess the requisite knowledge, skills and competencies to carry out the role and be capable and competent of fulfilling the role to a high standard while also fulfilling citizenship, health and character requirements. A full list of eligibility criteria is available from the Public Appointments Service website when a recruitment campaign is launched.
How to apply?
Applications are made through the Public Appointments Service website when a competition is launched. After applying you will be given information about the selection tests telling you where and when the tests will take place.
How does the Civil Service advertise for Clerical Officer positions?
The Clerical Officer Competition is a national competition that recruits administrative staff into various government departments in the Public Service. The PAS (Public Appointments Service) is the centralised recruiter for the Civil Service. They run competitions to establish panels of suitably qualified individuals from which various vacancies may be filled. They have advertised in various places including the main recruitment pages of the national newspapers as well as on social media and their own website www.publicjobs.ie
Is the course suitable for other clerical recruitment competitions
Absolutely! Whilst generally focused on the national recruitment campaigns carried out by the Civil Service our course is and has been useful for various other clerical competitions including ones with the HSE and smaller regional county council competitions, as well as others. There are a number of formats of Clerical Tests that are used frequently in Ireland and our course covers the most commonly used ones of these. Different formats of Verbal Tests, Numerical Tests and Error Checking are covered in our course including guidance on assessment questionnaires.
This will be one of the best investments you will make in your future.
Candidates are entered into the selection process and will need to complete a number of stages. The first of these stages can comprise of an online questionnaire and assessment tests. These assessment tests can include; numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and clerical checking. Later stages will usually require attendance at a test/interview venue.
Candidates who apply are required to undertake selection tests in different stages of the recruitment competition. You must be successful at each stage in order to progress to the next. Successful candidates are then placed onto a panel. The placing of candidates on a panel is usually dictated by their aptitude test scores. So, the speed at which candidates navigate through the recruitment process depends on their performance in their aptitude tests, the number of applicants and availability of new positions in their chosen geographical area. Preparing for the recruitment competition is thus very important.
Please note: We are not affiliated with the Public Appointments Service (the official recruiter) and our courses are optional.
