IPO – Recruitment Support | Civil Service Careers

Recruitment at the IPO isn’t just about getting the right people in the right job, we make sure to deliver for all our customers by taking a One IPO approach and working collaboratively with recruiting line managers, internal and external stakeholders, and listening to the needs of our applicant base.

Apply for jobs at the IPO

Inclusive recruitment schemes and initiatives

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. We run a Disability Confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

To be considered for an interview you must:

have a disability defined by the Equality Act 2010
provide evidence in your application that you meet the minimum criteria in the job description
meet all of the qualifications, skills or experience defined as essential.

The application form will ask if you want to apply under the Disability Confident scheme.

We offer veterans who meet the minimum standard on each of the job’s essential criteria the opportunity to go directly to the next stage of selection.

If you have completed at least one year in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces (as a Regular or Reserve) and are in transition from the Armed Forces, or no longer a member, you can apply for roles in the Civil Service under the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The application form will ask if you want to apply under the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Under this scheme, Civil Service employers can offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of civil servants who are at risk of redundancy and who meet the minimum job requirements.

For example, you may be at risk if your work area has launched a voluntary or compulsory redundancy scheme that you’re eligible for, or you are aware that your employer has begun consultation on how to reduce staff in your immediate team or work area.

To be considered for an interview, you must:

have good reason to believe that you are likely to be made redundant in the near future
have demonstrated in your application and testing stages that you meet the minimum job criteria detailed in the person specification
be applying for a job at the same grade as, or lower than, your current job

The application form will ask if you want to apply under the Redeployment Interview Scheme.

This initiative is different to the Great Place to Work for Veterans scheme or the Redeployment Interview Scheme as prison leavers will not be asked to self-identify in their application form, instead, departments chose which vacancies are opted into the scheme.

Individuals looking for employment that fall under this scheme will need to look out for the ‘Prison Leaver friendly’ statement:

‘The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. For further information please go to the Civil Service Prison Leaver recruitment page on GOV.UK.’

A STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Returner is someone with significant STEM qualifications or experience who has a gap in their career. This can be due to several reasons including a career break or caring responsibilities.

Advertised through Civil Service Jobs, we recurrently welcome scientists and engineers from all backgrounds and work experiences who struggle to return to the industry following a career break. Life offers lots of challenges that can impact work, so with inclusivity in mind, we don’t believe it should prevent individuals from reaching their full potential.

If you have any questions on these inclusive schemes and initiatives, please contact the recruitment team on recrutiment@ipo.gov.uk.

How to Structure and Submit Your CV

When applying for a position, you may be required to submit a CV in addition to, or instead of, an application form. If you’re uncertain whether a CV is needed, please check the job advertisement for specific instructions.

Your CV is your opportunity to highlight your skills, experience, and achievements. It plays a vital role in the shortlisting process for further recruitment stages.

Anonymised Submission

To ensure a fair recruitment process, we ask that you submit your CV in an anonymised format. This means removing any personal information that could identify you. Our goal is to evaluate candidates based solely on their knowledge and skills, without bias related to background, gender, or ethnicity.

Please ensure your CV excludes:

Name and title
Educational institutions
Age
Gender
Email address
Postal address
Phone number
Nationality or immigration status

Focus on Relevant Qualifications

You may be asked to include only educational qualifications relevant to the role you’re applying for, such as professional certifications. This helps ensure that our selection process remains fair and focused on pertinent information.

Employment History Guidelines

Begin with your most recent employment details and cover at least the last 3 years. If using a system CV format, you can include up to 8 previous positions. Additionally, please provide explanations for any gaps in your employment history.

Uploading a CV or Supporting Documents

You should only upload documents if the application form specifically requests it. You may be asked to upload:

A CV or personal statement in the “Upload Documents” section.
An additional attachment in the “Upload Documents” section, with details provided on what this should include.

You can upload only one file for each question. If necessary, you can replace it by following the instructions in the relevant section of your application. If you encounter issues uploading your document, ensure it is not password protected. Please note that there is a size limit of 5MB per document.

Important: All uploads must be anonymized. Feel free to let me know if you need any further modifications or additional sections!

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Writing a Personal Statement

A personal statement is your chance to highlight your relevant skills and experience in relation to the job requirements, often referred to as the person specification or essential criteria.

Purpose of Your Personal Statement

This statement allows you to provide concrete examples that demonstrate how you meet the requirements and why you are the ideal candidate for the position.

Tips for Crafting Your Personal Statement

To effectively tailor your skills and experience to the role, consider the following steps:

Adhere to the Word Limit: A concise statement is essential. While brevity is important, ensure you provide enough detail to fully support your application. Aim to meet the specified word limit to convey depth and evidence.
Reflect on Your Experiences: Think about what was required, what actions you took, how you executed them, and what outcomes resulted from your efforts.
Draft Offline: Start by drafting your statement offline. This will allow you to thoroughly check for spelling and grammar errors before submission.
Understand the Requirements: Carefully read the job requirements multiple times to ensure you fully grasp what is being sought.
Seek Feedback: Consider asking someone else to review your statement. They can help ensure that your writing is clear and effectively addresses the specified requirements.
Final Review: Before uploading and submitting your statement, read it again to confirm that it clearly showcases your relevant skills and experiences.

By following these steps, you’ll create a compelling personal statement that enhances your application. Let me know if you need any further adjustments or additional information!

Nationality requirements

IPOs vacancies are broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

Success Profiles

Success Profiles are the recruitment framework used within the Civil Service and adopted at the IPO. Success Profiles are made up of five elements:

To find out more on the Success Profiles recruitment framework visit:
Success Profiles on GOV.UK

Additional Security Clearance

Some IPO vacancies will require additional clearances. For meaningful checks to be carried out individuals will need to have consistently lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, depending on the level of clearance, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance.

Each advertised vacancy will stipulate whether additional clearances are required, and if so the level.

If you are unsure whether you would qualify for a listed clearance, get in touch to query your situation by emailing recruitment@ipo.gov.uk.

Further information on the vetting process can be found at United Kingdom Security Vetting – GOV.UK

Sponsorship

IPO are proud to sponsor exceptional talent under the Skilled Worker Route!

If you meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules, this is your chance to join an adaptable, accountable, and connected organisation, driving innovation in the UK and shaping the future together.

If you are unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria, please contact recruitment@ipo.gov.uk.

How to Apply

For more information on how to apply for a job in the Civil Service head to:
How to Apply | Civil Service Careers

Search Civil Service Jobs for IPO roles

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