IF you are interested in a career in the civil service or in other public bodies such as local authorities and the Health Service Executive then you should look no further than www. publicjobs. ie, the recruitment web portal run by the Public Appointments Service.

The Public Appointments Service, based in Chapter House 26/30 Abbey St Upper, Dublin 1, is the centralised provider of recruitment, assessment and selection services for the civil service. The organisation also provides recruitment and consultancy services to local authorities, HSE, the Garda Siochana and other public bodies.

Publicjobs. ie is one of the main channels used for managing and delivering the business of the Public Appointments Service. It is the premier, interactive recruitment facility for public service recruitment and is the main access route for candidates interested in joining the public service. The aim of the website is to provide a comprehensive on-line recruitment facility, which is easy to use and effective for both clients and candidates.

In 2006 the Public Appointments Service, through Publicjobs. ie, attracted some 80,000 applicants to apply for jobs throughout the public service. These positions ranged from clerical officers, junior diplomats and legal professionals in the civil service to engineers and senior managers in local authorities to hospital consultants and administrators in the health sector. In the past 2 years alone in excess of 17,000 people nationally and internationally used this facility to apply for positions in An Garda Siochana.

Increasingly in Ireland people expect that they can access public services at a time and in a way that suits their own personal needs.

This is certainly true when it comes to applying for a new job. The publicjobs. ie website allows 24/7 access to anyone who might want to avail of it. No matter what time of the day or where you are located in the world the facility to apply for a new career is available. For people who are busy during the day the opportunity to apply for a job at night or over a weekend is certainly convenient. In recent years the level of interest in jobs in Ireland from people living outside of the country has significantly increased. Through its website the Public Appointments Service is well placed to provide a service outside of traditional office hours.

To use the website you are first asked to register as a member. Registration is simple and allows you to browse an exciting range of public service jobs and apply for them online. The one-time only registration form usually takes less than two minutes to complete. Details from the form are then stored and are automatically inputted into any online applications made by the candidate, saving a lot of time later on.

When they get into the website casual browsers will quickly realise that they have access to a comprehensive guide to life in the public service and how to gain entry to such careers. At a click of a mouse the visitor can read what real public servants have to say about their jobs, access tips on how best to prepare for an upcoming interview and can even try out a sample test similar to that used for entry to the civil service.

Registration also gives candidates access to instant updates on job opportunities via email by going to the Jobs Alerts page of the website and selecting the positions you are interested in from a range of categories posted on the page. The Service will then update you by email as soon as an opportunity arises. This is a particularly useful feature for busy people who may be afraid that they might miss a job advertisement in a newspaper. By registering an interest in all upcoming jobs, prospective candidates can be assured that publicjobs. ie will contact them when an appropriate position is advertised.

Applying for a job is also a simple process.

Just register as a new member in the My Jobs Manager section and then browse through the range of opportunities in the Current Jobs pages and find a position that suits your skills and qualifications. After this read the job requirements and the Information Booklet, check the application requirements; and then apply for the job if you consider yourself suitable.

The actual application process involves just two simple steps; the first is to complete the Online Application Form and the second is to submit it. All of the personal details you entered when first registering on the site will appear automatically on your application.

The Public Appointments Service is particularly conscious of the needs of people with disabilities during the recruitment and selection process. As a recent recipient of the National Disability Authority's Excellence Through Accessibility Award PAS are constantly looking for new ways of improving its service to those who may need particular assistance or facilities when applying for a position. Significant investment continues to be made to add additional features to publicjobs. ie to ensure that all aspiring public servants have ready access to a professional and easy to use application process. 'We are particularly proud of this Excellence Through Accessibility Award as it helps us to demonstrate our commitment to delivering a professional service to our full range of clients', says Martin Bourke, Head of Corporate Affairs with the Public Appointments Service.

Comprehensive, easy to access information combined with a simple application process must continue to be major features of professional recruitment practice.

Through www. publicjobs. ie the benchmark for good practice has been firmly established.