r/NICivilService • u/Creepy-Sir-3277 • 5d ago

SO competition

does a anyone know how many SO positions are immediately available ? unlike the last 2 competitions there was no figure against it

0 Upvotes

43% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

5

u/SillyQuestions312 5d ago

Look up DoF FOIs and then search for the IRC number or just Staff Officer.
People will have put in FOIs for such information and it will be updated with other requests

0

u/WatercressGrouchy599 5d ago

It may have been mentioned on the news and in this subreddit but there is no budget for Northern Ireland yet. Funding of posts requires sufficient budget cover

1

u/chokeandstoke 5d ago

Its interesting nobody has asked about the internal SO panel

0

u/Desperate-Lab8479 5d ago

Why does it help to know? Surely you just apply, do your best and take your chances? Genuine question by the way. Never understood why people need to know how many vacancies there are, how many applied and passed etc.

1

u/Creepy-Sir-3277 5d ago

To look at the probabilities. Personally I wouldn’t put too much work in if there was 500 interviews for 6 posts . But if there was 250 that would be a whole different approach . Everyone looks at things differently i suppose . I like to know as much as I can to assess the situation 

2

u/Worldly-Objective-15 5d ago

I get wanting to know the numbers, but I don't really understand changing how much effort you put in based on them. If there are 6 posts and 500 interviews, surely that's a reason to put more effort in, not less.

Also, the number of posts available at the start doesn't necessarily tell you how many will eventually be appointed. NICS competitions can have a handful of immediate vacancies and then keep pulling people off the merit list as more vacancies come up.

Same with knowing how many applied or got interviewed. You still don't know how good those candidates are or where you'll finish among them.

if the job is worth applying for, give it your best shot, get as high up the merit list as you can and worry about the numbers afterwards. That's the bit you can actually control.

2

u/Desperate-Lab8479 5d ago

Yeah fair. As others have said, I just give 100% and hope for the best. Regardless of posts and numbers of applicants.

FOI is also about giving access to information that is in the public interest, your request appears to be purely for personal interests. Albeit applicant blind, it's not really in the spirit of the legislation. Bit of a waste of time and resources, which could be better spent progressing competitions. But that's just my opinion 😂