Working in the public sector in Ireland is no longer an easy ride
The time was that getting a role in the civil service was something of a cushy number; a place to lay fallow until the inevitable presentation of a glass bowl upon retirement. Not so any more, at least within the institutions associated with Ireland's financial sector.
Both the Central Bank of Ireland and NAMA are key to restoring the battered reputation of Ireland's domestic banking sector and have been hiring extensively over the last year or so.
We've pointed to the more dynamic working environment at the Central Bank previously, but both organisations have become more stringent during the recruitment process to ensure that they're getting the right people.
Potential recruits at NAMA are subjected to a hefty four-hours of psychometric tests and two stages of interviews, the latter with chief executive Brendan McDonagh.
Should you make it through the process expect a tough job - there have been numerous reports a need to hire more at NAMA because of the heavy workload, and it concedes that the jobs are "particularly challenging in the context of time commitments". It has scope to increase its headcount from 122 to 150, but the hours are still likely to be long. McDonagh himself works an average of 70-75 hours a week.
Then there's the Central Bank, which increased headcount by 17.4% last year to 1,226, the majority within supervision.
Should you make it through the various interviews and assessments, and then through the four-week induction programme, again don't expect an easy ride. Despite the increased staff numbers, it carried out 42% more inspections year on year - 1,046 compared to 606 in 2009.
The question is whether you feel all of this is worth your while. As we've alluded to previously, NAMA is believed to be paying over the odds, but the Central Bank doesn't appear overly generous.
It increased employee numbers by 213 last year, and staff costs rose by €5.8m to around €86m. Still, this works out as an average of €70k per head, and this is including benefits, according to its annual report.
The Central Bank now employs 507 people in its regulatory division, 458 related to central banking and 261 in operational functions. It also hired 66 graduates last year.
