How to use Civil Service Jobs

Civil Service Jobs (civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk) is the single site where UK government departments and most of their agencies advertise vacancies. You search by grade, department, location and job type, save searches as email alerts, and apply through an account that tracks every stage. The advert tells you exactly what will be assessed, so reading it properly is most of the work.

What is and is not on it

The site covers UK Civil Service departments and agencies, such as DWP, HMRC, the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the MOD, plus some other public bodies. The Northern Ireland Civil Service is separate and recruits through its own site. The Scottish Government and Welsh Government advertise some posts on Civil Service Jobs and some on their own pages. Police, NHS and council jobs are not civil service posts and are advertised elsewhere.

Grades and what they mean

Adverts list the grade. The delegated grades, from lowest to highest, are:

Grade	Typical work
Administrative Assistant (AA)	basic admin and support
Administrative Officer (AO)	casework, customer service, admin
Executive Officer (EO)	first-line management or specialist casework
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)	middle management, policy or project work
Senior Executive Officer (SEO)	leading teams, senior policy or analysis
Grade 7	senior management, lead policy adviser
Grade 6	head of a team or programme

Above Grade 6 is the Senior Civil Service. Some departments and agencies use their own grade names or band numbers, and the advert usually gives the equivalent. Each department sets its own pay, so the same grade can pay differently between departments and between London and national rates. The advert always shows the salary. See Civil Service grades and pay and the profiles for AO and EO roles.

Searching and alerts

Search with a keyword, or leave it blank and filter by:

• location (with a distance) or “national” for jobs that can be based in several places
• grade and salary
• department
• type of role and profession
• working pattern

Many jobs list several possible office locations. Hybrid working is common, but most departments expect staff in an office for a share of the week, so check the location and attendance line.

An account lets you save searches and receive email alerts, and you can set several alerts with different grades or locations.

Reading the advert

Each advert gives the job description and, more usefully, what will be assessed at application and at interview. Under Success Profiles that can include:

• behaviours, such as Delivering at Pace or Communicating and Influencing
• a personal statement
• experience, usually through a CV or work history
• technical skills or qualifications
• strengths, usually at interview only
• online tests

Write only what is asked for. If the advert says the sift is on the personal statement and one behaviour, those are the only things scored. The guide to Success Profiles explains each element, and the personal statement guide covers word limits and structure.

Adverts also state nationality requirements. UK nationals can apply for any post. Around three quarters of posts are open to Commonwealth citizens and EEA nationals with the right conditions, and reserved posts are open to UK nationals only. Security clearance may add residency requirements, and the advert names the level needed.

Applying and tracking

You complete applications online in stages: eligibility questions, the assessed sections, then diversity monitoring (which the panel does not see). You can save a draft and return to it. Submit before the closing time on the closing date, because late applications are not accepted.

Many departments run a sift-based process. A high enough score takes you to the next stage, which may be online tests, an interview or an assessment centre. Your account shows the status of each application, and emails tell you when to act.

Disabled applicants can opt into the Disability Confident scheme in the form, and if you meet the minimum criteria in the advert you are offered an interview. You can also ask for reasonable adjustments at any stage.

After the interview

Candidates who score above the bar but miss out on a post are often placed on a reserve list for a set period, and may be offered a matching job later without reapplying. Then come pre-employment checks, including the Baseline Personnel Security Standard, and any higher security clearance the job needs. The guide on how to get into the Civil Service covers the wider process.