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Illustration of two people standing beside a large piece of paper that has a list of CVs on it

About the application
process

Applying to the Civil Service is more open and fair than it has ever been.

We’ll assess your experience, as well as your strengths, and will give you the best opportunity to showcase these.

Applying for a job

1. Finding the right job

You can search for jobs on Civil Service jobs. Once you’ve found a role that interests you and suits your skills and talents, you’re ready to make your application.

2. Making your application

There are a number of elements that we use to assess your suitability for a role, so be sure to consider the requirements. Take time to tailor your skills and experience to those requirements. For some roles, we might ask you for a CV and/or personal statement. Give yourself time to make it right. We want to hear what makes you great for this role.

3. Sifting and shortlisting

We will assess your application against the criteria listed in the job advert, for example behaviour statements or based on your experience. At this point, we may ask you to take an online test. This helps us see your ability and aptitude in certain situations. The applications that best meet the criteria will be invited to continue to the next steps in the process.

4. Assessment and outcome

We will let you know what to expect at the next stage. This will include an interview, which may be supported by a presentation, an online test or an assessment centre. We will then be in touch to let you know the outcome. At this final stage, we encourage you to ask for feedback, regardless of the outcome as this can help you in the future.

A Portrait Of Charlotte Dring, she has long brown hair and is wearing a royal blue blouse

“As a civil servant from a working-class background, I felt proud to set up the Cross-Government Social Mobility Network and am fortunate to work for an organisation that supports and encourages people from all backgrounds to succeed, recognising that this is critical to our organisation’s success.”

Charlotte Dring

Project Lead

A great place to work

At the core of our values are three key things:

  • being fair and inclusive
  • respectful and confident
  • and open and engaged

This means that we celebrate differences and create an environment where everyone can realise their potential.

We are looking for people who believe in our role and purpose, can think creatively and who can build trusted relationships.

Could that be you?

An Operational Delivery team member, working on a laptop. She is wearing a light blue blouse and is in an office environment

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments in order to support disabled job applicants and ensure that you are not disadvantaged in the recruitment process.

Reasonable adjustments could include allowing extra time during selection tests or ensuring that information is provided in an accessible format.

A man writing on a pad of paper, whilst looking at his laptop

Can I apply?

You can read about the security vetting and nationality rules to see if you are eligible to apply,

The Civil Service recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection on merit based on a fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service commissioner recruitment principles.

two people sitting at a coffee table, chatting and laughing. They are dressed professionally.

Success profiles

The Civil Service recruits using a skills, abilities and experience framework called Success Profiles.

Explore the pages listed below to find lots of helpful information.