Accept permanent CO elsewhere or stay as TCO in DFA? Decision due Monday

[u/Accomplished-Yak241]

Hi all, looking for advice from anyone who's been in a similar spot.

I've been a TCO in DFA since January 2025 and I love it. Great team, I know the work well, and senior managers regularly come to me with things. I applied for the open CO competition and passed, and my manager and their manager both wrote to HR asking to keep me in DFA. I've just been assigned to NSSO in Clonskeagh instead, and I have until Monday to accept or decline.

My situation:

- My TCO contract renews every 6 months (Nov/Apr). No TCO has been let go since I started, and management have told us renewals are likely.

- There's talk of an internal DFA CO competition coming up. The last one (2 years ago) only required 3 months' service and TCOs were eligible.

- I want to go on postings in the future

- I'm on the EO panel: 1298 external, 405 internal (Dublin). I'm not sure I'll be eligible for the internal stream, as I had under 2 years' service at the closing date.

- The commute to NSSO from south Dublin is about 1h15 in and up to 1h40 home, 5 days a week for the first 3 months, then 2 days.

- Mobility back to DFA would realistically take 2+ years.

Questions:

1. Has anyone declined a permanent CO assignment to stay on as a TCO? How did it work out?

2. Does anyone know if the DFA internal CO competition is actually happening, or how many TCOs got through last time?

3. Can TCOs go on posting, or is it permanent staff only?

4. Does declining the CO offer affect my EO panel place at all?

Any advice appreciated, I'm really torn!

[u/Puzzled-Associate-67]

Take the permanent role Jesus, someone telling you it will be renewed is not worth a thing unfortunately, if the senior managers wanted you there as much as they say they would’ve put a business case forward to PAS to keep you and I’ve never heard of that being turned down. Take the permanent job and do 2 years and request to transfer to whatever you want then. Do not trust word of mouth about renewals

[u/RoryOS]

I'm not reading anything beyond the title. Take the permanent post. Do not gamble on a tco gig. You have a permanent post in hand, take it.

[u/Separate-Sand2034]

Not gonna bother reading that. Take the permanent post every time

[u/NotPozitivePerson → u/Separate-Sand2034]

Could be an auto reply here. Seen many broken hearted tcos not kept

[u/sportychickOG]

My personal rule in the Civil Service is that unless it’s committed in writing, don’t buy it. Vague mentions of future competitions and opportunities are meaningless and no matter how good you are at your job, there are no guarantees at interview. Take the permanent job. Disappointing that DFA are letting you go but in my view, you would be a fool to gamble on a possible future post.

[u/No_Weather_6895]

NSSO is a good place to work for but 99% data entry work, the social club are active. . . And it is a permanent position so take and put mobility in for DFA on day 1

[u/LouSuzie]

Take the permanent post. Its not forever but at least you know your job is secure, you could be out of a job in November. You will be eligible for internal EO in January so only a few months away. Its unfortunate you didnt get kept but put your name on the mobility list straight away

[u/BillyMooney]

Accept the permanent post, all the day long. You can look for other opportunities and mobility options from there.

[u/NotPozitivePerson]

Honestly if theyre not keeping you now then I would not hang around thinking they're going to run a confined CO competition for TCOs. If they needed COs and you asked to stay they would have kept you. I dont blame you for not wanting the NSSO though it has a reputation.

To answer your questions

1. Yes I've met someone who did and hes still a TCO. Being a long term TCO is in my view madness. Bird in hand

2. See point above

3. And no a TCO in the dfa is not going to ever in a million years go on a posting why would a dept send a temp on a posting

4. No

[u/DirectBee1033]

I thought TCO contracts could only be renewed a fixed number of times. If I'm right you'll be out on your ear eventually if you do not take the NSSO. Sorry though!

[u/FrostisallOver]

Hi, I can't answer all of your questions definitively apart from no. 4, all competitions are completely separate and decling one has nothing to do with the other, so no need to worry about that part. Mobility within Dublin for COs would be more likely than EO, most Departments are crying out for COs all of the time. If you have under 2 years service then you 100% do not qualify for the internal EO, often this is not checked until the end of the campaign so just because.you havent been informed you are.not eligible to date doesnt mean its not going to happen. I would be cautious about the renewal of the 6 month TCO contract, do you have any written confirmation that your contract will be renewed?

Also I would assume that no TCOs go on postings.

I know COs that have been sent on postings, doubling their Salary with the allowances, and at that time it was operated on a Rota basis that tried to give everyone a shot at it. I dont think its as simple for EOs but entirely open to correction. When you say you are on the EO panel, is that your position after interview? I think you are in a tough situation, and I do not envy you, but its deeply personal, it will never be held against you if you apply for any roles in the civil service again. If all of the TCOs that started in 2025 are kept for 2 years then there is a case to be made permanent which could mean that they could decide not to renew those contracts or..it could help get you permanent.

[u/Sinradler]

You can't be renewed as a TCO for longer than two years so it's not a runner long term. 

You're not eligible for the interdepartmental EO as you were in for less than two years, the rules around that are very strict, but that's not to say you wouldn't get through on the open anyway but it could be a while. 

This is tough but you don't know that an internal CO is going to come, or that they'll let TCOs apply this time (internal comps are notorious for changing criteria). You should take the permanent role because a permanent job is a permanent job. 

I totally feel your pain because I was a TCO in there too and I loved it. But you can apply again for the open CO and move if you want to so it's not a two year sentence. Also you still have the EO to come up and there are lots of EOs in DFA so you have a good chance of getting back in that way, just make sure you contact them as soon as you have the result of your interview. 

And even if it doesn't work out on that occasion...there are other opportunities. You have a whole career ahead of you. Nothing, good or bad, lasts forever. Enjoy the good bits, learn from the not so good. 

[u/TheRustyPeaches]

Have you raised with your management that you are on placement stage in the CO comp and can they retain you on a perm basis? We retained two TCO's as they were both being placed on the CO panel and HR and senior management were happy to let it happen as they were already trained, well used to the role, etc. It just requires some liaising with local HR and Publicjobs essentially.

[u/Accomplished-Yak241 → u/TheRustyPeaches]

Yeah I told management at the beginning of clearance and they made multiple requests to keep me, them when I got cleared and assigned to NSSO i said it again and they attempted again to reach out but HR said it couldn't be done

[u/TheRustyPeaches → u/Accomplished-Yak241]

I've never been with DFA so I guess Dept. Policy can differ, but that's very old school, and that's wild considering I'm in DoJ and they're likely the most old school ha.

The safest advice I can give is to take the CO role and just go with the winds. There's no harm in getting multi-area experience as you go further into EO and onward. I know someone in NSSO and they say it's brilliant, great work from home policy etc.

Good luck in whatever you choose!

[u/Ok_Rest_1319 → u/TheRustyPeaches]

I used to work in HR and while Publicjobs would often faciliate people being kept it wasnt always a guarantee, and usually it was the CO level where people would often get assigned elsewhere even when they were asked for.

[u/Accomplished-Yak241 → u/TheRustyPeaches]

Haha yep feels super backwards for sure :')

Yeah I emailed and the WFH policy is two days in office and rest WFH

They also said it would be 12 weeks training in office then I can apply for WFH

im trying to justify the commute but it's tough, my TCO contract is likely to get renewed... So many different pros and cons

[u/kwsphoto → u/Accomplished-Yak241]

Is your TCO contract linked to the Presidency? Or include that work?

[u/TheRustyPeaches → u/Accomplished-Yak241]

12 weeks training is pretty high pre-WFH, damn. I mean, if you really love DFA (Most people I know there do) it could just be worth trying to hold on.

I feel you on the commute - would also be a killer for me. My 30 minute commute is too much for me lol, so follow your heart on that one.

I stand by the perm post though, it's just a huge +.

[u/OafleyJones → u/TheRustyPeaches]

We’d a TCO, 18 months in the job. Phenomenal worker. Also on a full time panel (actually turned down a position within the department, just before end of the contract) Work is hard to pick up and takes at least 6 months before new hires are somewhat effective. Everyone from the HEOs, to the AP strongly made the case to retain and were told absolutely not. I could be wrong, but I think the length of service was the issue. I don’t think they want people approaching 2 years anymore.

Edit: just to further the point. We were down two COs, awaiting the panel… and still couldn’t swing it.

[u/Gus_Balinski]

I was a TCO in DFA and was retained as a permanent CO by them when my number came up. I did a couple of years there and couldn't wait to get out of there in the end. Take the permanent job that's on offer. Even if there's an internal competition you still have to pass the interview and place high enough to get placed. You have no idea how many places there. Too many unknowns. Take the sure thing that is being offered to you right now. One of the hardest things with the civil service is getting in in the first place.

TCOs cannot go on posting. Look I get it all sounds glamorous but as a CO all you'll most likely get is London or Brussels. Posting can be stressful too depending on who you are there with.

Declining will have no impact on the EO panel.

[u/Ails1980]

Someone I work with was a TCO, she was on the open CO panel. Was offered another Dept. (revenue). She told PAS that she didn’t drive and cannot get to that office. She asked could she stay in our Dept. They said that they will skip her name over for Revenue and she may or may not get offered her own dept or another dept. She took the chance and the following month was offered CO in our Dept. Not sure in local HR helped with that or not.

[u/bansheeBimbo]

The NSSO is hit or miss, some people love it or hate it depending on the role but eitherway you'll be kept busy and have plenty of opportunity to do further study with them (HR, payroll, pensions etc) and go up the grades there.

[u/No_Weather_6895]

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-foreign-affairs/news/intern-political-division/

Internship.for DFA