# Applying for a job as a civil servant



## Maurice Picarda (Mar 7, 2013)

I’m a bit confused by this. I have worked for 20 years in the private sector, and getting new jobs has been fairly straightforward. One cobbles together a one or two page CV, chats to a few recruitment consultants, waits for these upstanding people to pimp one out to their clients, and then turns up at interview. There are two or three interviews, each lasting 45 minutes to an hour, and then some polite haggling conducted through the recruiter. 

But a job has turned up in the civil service which would be a change of direction that I quite fancy, even though the pay is crap, and the relevant department head has encouraged me to apply. The mechanics of doing so confuse me no end. 

There is a job description which has perhaps 70 competencies and qualities listed. Some of these are essential (kindness to children and animals), some are desirable (own hair and teeth). There is a CV cover sheet which has some very brief questions for private sector applicants and some rather more detailed ones for civil service applicants. There is a diversity questionnaire and some boilerplate information about the department in question. This last has some scant information about recruitment processes which suggests that candidates who (from their application) seem suitable would be invited for an interview lasting 30 minutes – barely enough time for small talk. 

So presumably one is expected to put all the reasons why one is ace in the written submission. The job description says that a completed CV, Statement  of Suitability [their caps] and CV cover sheet should be sent. It doesn’t mention the diversity questionnaire, which presumably it can’t hurt to enclose. 

However, there is no guidance on what a statement of suitability is and how it differs from the CV. A document aimed at disabled applicants provides some clues; it says that “you must provide us with evidence in your application which demonstrates that you generally meet the level of competence required for each competence, as well as meeting any of the qualifications, skills or experience defined as essential.” 

This suggests that a line-by-line treatment of the essential competencies is required from all applicants. Is that the statement of suitability? If so, how long should it be? Or should the CV address competencies? What is normal practice?


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## FiFi (Mar 7, 2013)

First, read the list of competencies and compose a paragraph (approx) explaining how you match each. This is vital for the required characteristics, and very useful for the desirable ones.
Your CV is useful to include- keep it brief and factual.
The covering letter is where you have another chance to state your most glowing characteristics (match to main requirements of the post) and also to say why you while be a good fit for the department and the post.
Good luck


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## Maurice Picarda (Mar 7, 2013)

Thanks Fifi - one para per competency?


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## FiFi (Mar 7, 2013)

Silas Loom said:


> Thanks Fifi - one para per competency?


If you can, remember even recruiters can get bored!  Of course, if you need to write more do, as in everything it's a guideline not a hard and fast rule.
I think the point is to explain how you can prove you fit the role. The people writing the application consider all the competencies are important for the job and will want you to consider all of them, especially the "essential" criteria.


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## Puddy_Tat (Mar 7, 2013)

Silas Loom said:


> Thanks Fifi - one para per competency?


 
Depends to an extent whether it's a "competency" or "experience" or "qualification" - the latter two ought to be obvious from your CV, so if one is "must have experience working as a cat herder" and you have been employed as a cat herder for 5 years, then that probably speaks for itself.

If cat herding was a competency gained within another job, you need to say something like "I am experienced in herding cats, which was part of my job as whatever, where I often managed a herd of 100 or more cats"

"I managed" / "I was responsible for" is better than "I was involved in" - and if you can go into detail on the outcomes rather than just what you did, even better, e.g. "I successfully herded over 100 cats through difficult terrain on this occasion" is better than just "I have worked as a cat herder"

Much of the point behind doing it this way is so that all candidates are asked pretty much the same questions, so there can be no question of some candidates being given easier questions than others.  The interview is likely to be questions like "give an example of a time you did / achieved X"

Have fun


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## frogwoman (Mar 7, 2013)

cat herders - the most difficult job ever


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## Greebo (Mar 8, 2013)

frogwoman said:


> cat herders - the most difficult job ever


Even more challenging than nailing jelly to the wall?


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## Gromit (Mar 8, 2013)

If they are going on Evidence based competencies the best way to phrase how you match is to give an example of a time you matched using STAR.

Situation
Task
Action
Result.

But its hard for me to tell if thats what they are looking for from your OP.
Its what was required for promotion applications where i worked.


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## toblerone3 (Mar 8, 2013)

Gromit said:


> If they are going on Evidence based competencies the best way to phrase how you match is to give an example of a time you matched using STAR.
> 
> Situation
> Task
> ...


 
Better than that is to do STAR jumps.


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## tbtommyb (Mar 8, 2013)

The job spec should list a few essential and a few desirable competencies from the civil service competency framework. Do about 200 words per competency, with that STAR thingy. Take a look at this document:

http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-c...il-Service-Competency-Framework-July-2012.pdf

Check under each competency for the grade you're applying to and it will list what abilities you should possess. Make sure you draw those out in each response you give.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Mar 8, 2013)

I think the thing to bear in mind is that they're essentially looking for reasons to exclude people at this stage, and the checklist approach enables that. So basically if you think you're very strong in area a but not so good in area b don't write loads on a and ignore b because the attention given to both will be equal (you can talk yourself up at the interview), make sure you come up with something for b too.


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## frogwoman (Mar 8, 2013)

Greebo said:


> Even more challenging than nailing jelly to the wall?


 
good point i think the jelly-nailers' union should go on strike due to their low pay and the very difficult nature of their job


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## Agent Sparrow (Mar 8, 2013)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:


> I think the thing to bear in mind is that they're essentially looking for reasons to exclude people at this stage, and the checklist approach enables that. So basically if you think you're very strong in area a but not so good in area b don't write loads on a and ignore b because the attention given to both will be equal (you can talk yourself up at the interview), make sure you come up with something for b too.


I dunno, I'd go for making sure you sell yourself properly (but concisely) for a), and definitely write something for b) but it doesn't have to be of equal length or expertise. I think employers know that people are likely to have uneven experience across the competences, and it would be a shame to downplay something interesting or impressive in the form. Because in the case of stiff competition, that might be the thing that gets you picked over someone who has briefly met all competencies. 

The advice I've been given is follow the competencies/structure but in a way that doesn't make it seem deathly boring, make sure you tailor to the specific job (not an issue if you don't have a whole range of previous statements) and state properly why you want the job. Remember that the employers will potentially be going through loads of these, so make it easy for them to tick off all the essential criteria without sending them to sleep.


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## gabi (Mar 8, 2013)

The public sector hiring process is not good I'm.  I once applied for a job through their official channels, only to get a lovely rejection letter 4 months later and 3 months after I'd started my new job in the private sector. By which time I'd actually forgotten even applying for the public sector job. My advice in general actually would be steer clear of office work in the public sector. It's a slow and painful death.


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## Hollis (Mar 12, 2013)

gabi said:


> By which time I'd actually forgotten even applying for the public sector job. My advice in general actually would be steer clear of office work in the public sector. It's a slow and painful death.


 


Whevever I visited a civil service dept it seemed like a version of purgatory. 

On the appliction, don't be afraid to repeat the same points under different competencies.


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