DWP employment waiting list

cap123_2

Interview last wed, phone call this wed to say i have been successful, told that checks would take 3 weeks so my start date should be end of August, no letter as yet but it looks like its early days, hopefully not waiting months like so many others on this forum as need to earn money! think i will still apply for other jobs just incase. Quite a strange interview really, went for one job (AO) and got the EO! When does that ever happen? Never worked for DWP before so i'm not sure what to expect. They didnt say i had to do any tests either, do you know what the job entails as having not applied for the position i'm a bit in the dark. Thanks

GracePsalms

BerryMan wrote: »

Has anyone who had an interview in Marlybone in April 2009 actually started yet?? (IRC58758 - AO Postion)
I received a letter dated May 1st 2009 stating that i had been successful and was on a three month waiting list.

Hi BerryMan,
From this thread 2 people have started from that IRC No. I'm also waiting for this irc and it seems to be going slower then others. Have your checks been completed?

Thando

Update.

I went to my second AO interview. I was not as stressed out as the last time and was a bit more prepared this time. I suppose I shall be a pro at this soon. LOL!

I noticed that the leaflet at the end of it says results can take up to 4 weeks. The IRC60076 one said 12 weeks. I hope this means that the start date for this exercise will be sooner (fingers crossed).

This time we had a representative of JCP plus manpower. The previous time they were both manpower.

There were very few people. Apparently only 16 for the day and these interviews ran Wednesday to today. Did anyone else attend? IRC61418 Blackcountry/Wolverhampton?

gupster85

mommarat wrote: »

Not sure how long for AO but I was told about 8 weeks for EO

So I think I will share what its like once you start. Started 3 wks back and to be honest, I can say that at the moment, you will be lucky to find a jobcentre that is organised about its recruitment.

For 3 weeks, all we have done is read, shadow and read. Got sent on an induction which was just that, no training, no in depth nothing. Everyone just getting rushed about from pillar to post.

To top it all off, we (4 of us) were given roles as personal advisers. 3 days later, we were floor managers, monday just gone we were back office staff and now back to floor managers.

Hopefully everything sorts itself out. The people are great and real helpful but managers have not got a clue. This is the case, talking to others, for the majority of jobcentres.

But on the bright side, getting paid to read..... NOT BAD!!!!!

janeway123

Congratulations to all those who have start dates, and sympathy to those who are still waiting. Any body know what the first day is like, as I start as an AO on Monday at my third choice JCP. It is the same JCP that I have been signing at for the last 6 months, so I do know a few people, which helps. I have not done this kind of work for years, so any info on that 1st day would be appreciated. My timeline was, interview 1st June, success letter 24th June, offer 20th July. Ver quick I must admit. I had had an offer exactly a month prior to this, for a neighbouring county, but withdrew because of travel costs & time. They do separate checks for different exercises, as I received a second DS copy back from Newcastle. I did notice on Thursday that a JCP not far from me was advertising for AO positions, temp contract up to 13 weeks, immediate start! Strange one that, with so many people waiting so long. Immediate start!
To inject a touch of black humour, it may interest some of you to know, that there is a chap serving several life sentences, for murdering 16 men in the early 80s. He was an EO at Muswell Hill. Before that, he was a policeman!! Do you think it was the waiting list that pushed him over the edge!!??
Good luck for all those who are starting on Monday, I believe there are a few. Any comments on how the first day usually unfolds would be helpful, as I am as nervous as hell!!!

Orb_2

mommarat wrote: »

Hope your teeth are ok Orb you will need them at times to grimace through when someone is stringing you a line as to why they didn't go for the interview you sent them on:D:D

They were done ages ago (March?) and are even better because they were free. When I turned up to the dentist I got the usual "Ah, Mr Orb, you pay for your treatment, don't you?" and then I whipped out my UB40 (or ES40 as we call them in the trade ) and said in my best Wayne's World (where he buys the guitar) style "Not today!". I've always wanted to do that!

Here is a free bit of advice: do not attempt to open up walnuts with your teeth. :rolleyes:

I'll be adding a post perhaps tomorrow about my first weeks training experiences (I'll have to make them a bit vague as I suspect that the DWP will be monitoring this thread), but suffice to say that the training (we've not been lobbed straight into Job Centres and there's a good scheme being run) seems to be well organised (in contrast to the recruitment!) and comprehensive, *all* of the staff we've met so far have been lovely. Most say that they love their jobs. :beer:

notalotofcash wrote: »

Anyone know how long the training lasts (and what it involves?) as someone on here said it lasts ten weeks. Is that true?
My training will be for an Admin Officer post. The job offer is 30 miles away but the training is local ive been told.

AO training is 4 weeks.
EO training is 8 weeks.
(This may be role dependent, of course)

jimdfish wrote: »

does anyone know when you get paid? I start in Stockport on the 24th of August. can you get an interim payment halfway through the first month of employment?

Yes.

Toffee_Bunny wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone has recently taken up an EO position, what were your first few days like?
I'm not really sure what to expect, i think that I will be in a customer facing role

Don't worry - you should, if it's like here, get plenty of training and you will also get a much less "packed" diary for the first months. It's all explained in training - don't fret. I'd be very surprised if you didn't like it.

Where I am they even got everyones leave dates over the training period and have spent time juggling all the courses around so that we could still go which was very nice of them as I was going to miss out on an event that cost me several hundred pounds - it's back on! It's not like the private sector - these people seem to care about their staff.

gupster85 wrote: »

For 3 weeks, all we have done is read, shadow and read. Got sent on an induction which was just that, no training, no in depth nothing. Everyone just getting rushed about from pillar to post.

I have to say that the north Manchester effort is definitely not like this; they have got a proper induction and training process in place and are starting people in groups, proper classroom and presentations by various staff with different specialities. At the moment all the AO and EO recruits (there are about 18 or so in this tranche) are together, but we will be getting split apart for various things over the coming weeks and then the EOs will do a further 4 weeks of stuff, some of which will be shadowing in your allocated local office as well as days training in the centre of Manchester. It's all pretty low pressure.

Givien that the staff probably aren't used to running recruitment exercises on this scale I think that they're doing very well.

Rugeyes

I am really quite tired of certain accountability-dodging half-wits with abbreviated names down in recruitment. Not all! Several wks ago I asked them to update my contact details so that after all the waiting, most of us are enduring, I would actually be contacted..(Sigh) and guess what..??

I mean, whats wrong with these people Eh? I'm so angry. All this faffing is simply adding to the delay!

NottinghamGirl_2

Hi all,
I've been reading some of the threads and while some make me happy to hear, some make me worried so I'm in mixed emotions at the moment .

I went for the test for an AO on 7/7/09 and passed, and came back for the interview 2 days later. I recieved a leter 2 weeks to the day of the interview on Thursday 30th July. I was very happy to hear that I had been successful, but also a little underwhelmed at hearing that there was a waiting list. I feel as though I am unsuccessful in the job at the moment as I was given no indication to an estimated time. As I said I only recieved the letter 2 days ago and I will be ringing Newcastle on Monday, but does anybody know the waiting times for Nottingham at the moment? And also is the waiting list mandatory for everybody and so is it possible I could still be offered a position straight away? All my CRB forms etc were completed on the day. I anyone could give me some advice I would be very grateful.

Thank You
:j

Chris-x1

I've been with the department for a few weeks now at the AO Grade. I had applied to so many other, better paid, jobs during the period of recruitment for this Grade. From application deadline to job starting it was about 7 months. I also applied for an EO grade job got from the DWP vacancies list on the other side of the country from where I am currently living about 13 weeks ago.

Naturally I accepted the first position that came my way which was the AO offer. About two weeks into the job the EO letter , which is a permanent role and nothing to do with the current JCP recruitment to tackle recession overload!, asking me to attend an interview. I went up and thought I gave a good account of myself and 16 days later I got a letter through telling me I was successful and would start subject to pre-recruitment checks. Does anyone know if it's possible to ring Newcastle and get them to use my existing checks and clearance as I'm already working for the department?

I haven't had any contract as yet so I'm covered in terms of moving offices as I've just signed a probationary acceptance letter and nothing else. Sounds a bit confusing but the EO post is infinitely more attractive in terms of what the role is so I'd like to take it and get out of the AO asap so they can cover my position and get someone off a waiting list and into work.

trevormax

I did the lit and num test a few weeks ago for one of 60 AO posts going in Newport (and did much better than I thought possible) and then had the interview on 30th July, thought I did quite well in it too. Just waiting for them to get back to me to say if I have been successful.

However, not long after applying for the AO post, I also aplied for an AA post as a document halndler. This to me sounds like just one of those admin posts where people get files, put files away, make cups of tea, that kind of thing. I had an email inviting me to do the online assessment a few days ago so I logged on expecting questions aimed at that particular post. Instead ALL of the questions were based around management and senior management situations. Thankfully I have several years experience as a manager in HMRC so didn't find them difficult but I dont think they were the type of questions that should be used for an AA post.

Unless of course I am wrong and the AA job is a senior post or something