Thoughts on governance, resilience, digital transformation, and professional development.
Free checklists and tools for civil service and public sector candidates are on the Resources page.
The STAR method: how to answer competency interview questions
How to use the STAR method in Irish civil service and local authority interviews. The task tells the board your own role; the action is where the marks are.
Read article Civil serviceThe psychology of shortlisting: how your application form is actually read
Most Irish civil service and local authority competitions shortlist on the application form alone. What the research on assessor behaviour says about how boards actually read and score forms, and what it means for how you write yours.
Read article Civil serviceHow to get a job in the Irish civil service: a plain guide
How to get a job in the Irish civil service: where jobs are advertised, which grade to apply for, what each pays, the five stages on publicjobs.ie, how long it takes, and who is eligible.
Read article Local authorityHow to get a job in an Irish county council: grades, applications and interviews
How to get a job in an Irish county or city council: where council jobs are advertised, what Grades III to VII mean, who is eligible, how the application form and competency interview work, and what a panel is.
Read article Local authorityClerical Officer in a local authority: the front door grade, and a live campaign in Tipperary
Clerical Officer is the entry grade in every Irish local authority, and you do not need a public sector background to apply. What the grade involves, who is eligible, and how the competition works, using the live Tipperary County Council campaign (closing 4pm, 3 September 2026) as a worked example.
Read article Civil serviceAssistant Principal 2026 online test results: what your Order of Merit means and what happens next
Assistant Principal 2026 online test results are out. What your civil service Order of Merit means, why you may have two, and what happens next: shortlisting, then interviews.
Read article Civil serviceHR Manager in the Irish Civil Service 2026: a competition built for HR professionals
The Irish Civil Service is recruiting HR Managers at Assistant Principal level through publicjobs.ie. Closing 3pm, 10 September 2026, interviews from mid/late October. Eligibility routes, salary €83,113 to €103,576, and how to prepare.
Read article Civil serviceHigher Executive Officer 2026: how the competition works and how to prepare
The Higher Executive Officer in the Civil Service 2026 competition closes 3pm, 10 September 2026. Eligibility, capability framework, timeline and how to prepare your application and interview.
Read article Local authorityAdministrative Officer in Sligo County Council: how the 2026 Grade VII competition works
Sligo County Council Administrative Officer Grade VII competition: who can apply, salary, the four competencies and how to prepare. Closes 20 August 2026.
Read article Local authorityFinding your examples for local authority job application forms
How to find your competency examples for a county council or city council job application form in Ireland. Unaided recall fails; structured career analysis finds them.
Read article Civil serviceThe civil service capability framework explained: a guide for Irish candidates
What the Irish civil service capability framework is, how the four dimensions work, and how to prepare examples against it. Guide from a former civil servant.
Read article Local authoritySenior Executive Officer competitions in Irish local authorities
What it takes to win a Senior Executive Officer (Grade 8) competition in an Irish county or city council: form, shortlisting, interview, and prep across all 31.
Read article AI & digitalWhat I learned at London Tech Week (and Dublin Tech Summit)
Sarah attended London Tech Week and Dublin Tech Summit to understand how AI is reshaping work. Here is what stood out.
Read article Civil serviceDigital Business Engagement Senior ICT Specialist: business analyst, project manager, or both?
Civil service HEO ICT role: what the Digital Business Engagement Specialist job involves, who can apply, and how the 2026 competition works. Closes 25 June.
Read article Civil serviceApplying to the civil service in Ireland: advice from experience
Practical advice on applying for a civil service competition in Ireland: take it seriously, write for the shortlister, and read the capability framework.
Read article AI & digitalClaude Cowork: an honest account of using AI as your SME admin assistant
A first-hand SME account of Claude Cowork, from VAT receipts to folder reorganisation. What works, what to watch, and what it means for your workday.
Read article Civil serviceAssistant Principal Officer 2026: competitions explained
The 2026 Assistant Principal Officer competitions close 18 June. A clear guide to the open and interdepartmental routes, salary, stages and how to prepare.
Read article Civil serviceThird Secretary application 2026: expert guide
How to apply for Third Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 2026: form, tests, interview, by a former Third Secretary in Dublin.
Read article Public speakingWhy do I speak so softly? Causes of a quiet voice
A quiet voice is shaped by biology, attachment, personality, anxiety, social power and culture. An evidence-based look at where soft-spoken patterns come from.
Read article Civil serviceI-centred language in interviews: show agency
Why I-centred language in interviews helps candidates show ownership, judgment and results. Includes practical examples and active phrases to memorise.
Read article Civil serviceBuild an example bank for competency interviews
Stop starting from scratch for every interview. Learn how to build an example bank that maps your career to common competency areas, using STAR.
Read article Public speakingYour voice, not your accent, decides how you're seen
Research shows that vocal delivery, pitch, pace and pauses, shapes how listeners judge non-native English speakers far more than accent does.
Read article Public speakingVocal variety in English: sound confident
Vocal variety in English (pitch, pace, volume, pauses) is the most powerful tool for non-native speakers. Learn the four dimensions and a practical exercise.
Read article Public speakingJob interview coaching for non-native English speakers
Prepare for a job interview in English with PREP, voice control, and composure. Practical coaching for non-native speakers in Dublin.
Read article AI & digitalNon-promotable tasks: how they hold women back
Non-promotable tasks (NPTs) fall disproportionately on women and quietly slow their careers. Research, evidence and seven steps to stop the automatic yes.
Read article Public speakingPREP method: structure any English answer clearly
Point, Reason, Example, Point. The PREP method is the simplest way for non-native English speakers to structure clear, confident answers in any setting.
Read article Public speakingHow to stop saying um and uh when you speak English
Filler words in English (um, uh, so, like) quietly damage credibility. Here is why non-native speakers use them more, and a practical drill to stop.
Read article Civil serviceWhat to expect at a DEDICO interview prep session
DEDICO interview prep: 90-minute sessions, mock practice, real-time feedback, hardest questions first. Civil Service and private sector.
Read article BoardsTabletop exercises that surface real gaps
Tabletop exercises test your business continuity plan before an incident does. How to run one that surfaces real gaps, not what you already know.
Read article BoardsStructuring a business continuity management process
Threat-based vs activity-based vs hybrid approaches to Business Continuity Management. Practical structure for organisations across sectors in Ireland.
Read article AI & digitalGenerative AI vs Agentic AI: the creative and the assistant
Generative AI creates content; agentic AI takes action. Understand the difference and what it means for organisations adopting AI in Ireland and beyond.
Read article AI & digitalNavigating the AI avatar job interview
AI avatar job interviews are spreading fast. Six practical strategies on technology, structure, vocal delivery, keywords and post-interview feedback.
Read article AI & digitalWhat is an algorithm? How they shape the world
A plain-English explainer of what an algorithm is, where they show up in everyday life, and how they power tools like ChatGPT.
Read article AI & digitalWhat you need to know about AI literacy
AI literacy is now a professional essential. A short guide for modern professionals on the basics, the risks of misunderstanding AI, and where to focus.
Read article AI & digitalGenerative AI: unravelling the basics
A clear, non-technical introduction to generative AI for knowledge workers: how it works, where it is used, and the ethical questions it raises.
Read article AI & digitalLLMs: a starter guide
A plain-English starter guide to Large Language Models (LLMs): what they are, how they work, where their data comes from, and where they can get things wrong.
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