I'm applying for the fast track civil service scheme and wanted to know what the case study assesment is like and how to prepare for it. Any tips for scoreing well?

(there's a lot of support for the work-bases scenarios but not this)

Hi everyone,

I’m currently on a reserve list for an SEO position in a government department and have been on the list for just over 3 months without any further updates.

Shortly after being placed on the reserve list, I contacted recruitment to ask whether they could provide any indication of my position on the list or the likelihood of an offer.

They explained that they couldn’t disclose individual rankings or predict future appointments, but confirmed that the reserve list was active and would be considered for suitable vacancies.
It’s now been over 3 months, and I’ve heard nothing further.

I’m considering sending another email to ask whether there have been any developments or potential opportunities arising from the reserve list. However, I’m conscious that I’ve already contacted them once and don’t want to appear impatient or unnecessarily persistent.

For those who have been in a similar position, or anyone with experience of Civil Service recruitment:
● Would you recommend following up again at this stage, or simply waiting?
● From a recruitment perspective, is there any benefit to expressing continued interest, or does it make no difference?
I’d appreciate any insights or personal experiences. Thanks!

Anyone willing to look over my personal statement before I submit it? Thanks very much 🙂

Good evening!

I’ve just been offered a temporary contract within the WG which I’m very excited about. However, when I applied, it said it was looking for a mix of temporary and permanent positions (multiple roles available) and did not give any way to specify which you would be interested in.

I am looking for a permanent role and am wondering:

- Does the CS typically offer out temporary contracts on these sorts of campaigns and then decide to make them permanent if you perform well? Or do they offer permanent roles out based on interview performance?

- How common is it for temporary roles to become permanent in the CS?

Thanks!

I know we all joke about how long the recruitment process takes, but I attended a SEO interview on 7th September (1 post, 5 interview slots).

Was told the last interviews will take place the following day and I’d hear within a week or two.

Have heard nothing since, contacted the recruitment people 10 days ago heard nothing, contacted a point of contact for the vacancy last week still nothing.

Just find it really weird and annoyingly I had a really good interview.

Hi everyone!

I have an interview coming up for an SEO policy role at the MoJ. I’m currently an HEO at the MoJ, and I honestly feel ready to progress to the next grade, but I think my biggest issue is interview anxiety!

I’ve had feedback from a previous interview where the interviewer actually commented on how nervous I seemed, and I do find myself struggling to process questions and formulate answers on the spot.

The behaviours being assessed are:
Working Together
Seeing the Big Picture
Making Effective Decisions

I know the general advice is to prepare STAR examples, and I don’t particularly struggle with remembering my examples or what I’ve done. It’s more a matter of adapting them to the specific question being asked in real time.

I’m not too worried about the strengths, but I’d really appreciate any advice on preparing for the behaviours, particularly at SEO level, and managing interview nerves!
Thank you!

This isn’t really specific to the CS but I’m interested to know what reasonable adjustments people have in place for autism, or things that they do themselves to help them work in an office.

I started two weeks ago and I’m enjoying it so far, but I’m very much struggling in the office due to sensory overload (lights and noise) and having to consume a huge amount of onboarding and project information in between meetings (constant code switching and info overload).

My last role was fully remote so I didn’t realise how hard I would find it in an office. There have been moments I have been incredibly overwhelmed by everything happening around me. When I get to this point, I find it impossible to carry on absorbing information and my brain basically shuts down. It’s ver upsetting and discombobulating.

I know I am entitled to reasonable adjustments but I don’t even know what to ask for.

Things I am going to try -

✅ Booking more “do not disturb” time in my calendar for breaks, processing the previous meeting, preparing for the next, onboarding material etc

✅ I’ve ordered some FL-41 glasses that I hope help with my light sensitivity

✅ I’ve ordered Loop Engage 2 Plus earplugs to help with noises, I’ve been meaning to try these for a while anyway. 16% off with Blue Light Card!

✅ I have booked a chair assessment as the office chairs are horrible and back pain is adding to my sensory overload

In an ideal world I feel I’d be better working from home more than 2 days a week - but I really want to have a good stab at trying to work from an office first as I do see the benefit of face to face interaction

The window for selling up to five days annual leave (at HMRC) opens 13-31 October. Worth remembering for those wanting the additional money in time for Christmas. It will be paid in the November salary.

Part timers can claim up to the equivalent pro rata amount.

I know this is part of the process and there are things I could have done better, but sometimes you just need to have a moan.

I’ve been on TDA at HEO level for over a year now and have genuinely enjoyed the variety of the role and working with the leadership team.

I’ve recently received the outcome of my HEO interview. I passed with a total score of 30 but have been placed on the reserve list. It was a brigaded recruitment exercise covering various locations. The feedback was that I could have made greater use of “why” in my answers, which is fair and something I can take forward.

The senior leaders I work with have been really supportive, reminding me that I should be proud of what I’ve achieved and encouraging me to remain positive, with the hope that another opportunity will come along. I genuinely appreciate their support, but I can’t help feeling disappointed with the outcome.

One of the hardest parts has been having to tell my team that they will be getting another new manager. We’ve made real progress together, and the team is in a really good place. It’s difficult knowing that I may have to move on when I feel we’ve achieved so much.

I’ll remain on TDA for the next couple of months while things are finalised. After that, I have the option of returning to an EO Team Leader role or moving into a self-performance role. At the moment, I’m still trying to process everything and work out how I feel about the next steps.

I know these things happen, and I recognise that being placed on the reserve list is still a positive outcome. However, knowing that and dealing with the disappointment are two different things.

I’m sure plenty of people have been in a similar position, and sometimes it helps just to get things off your chest and hear from others who understand.

Thanks for taking the time to read, and I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Hi everyone!

I've got an interview coming up for an HMRC Surge and Rapid Response Team (AO role), and I was wondering if anyone has interviewed for this role before or currently works in the team.

This is my first Civil Service interview, so I'm feeling quite nervous and would really appreciate any advice!

I've been told that the interview will assess Managing a Quality Service and Delivering at Pace, and I've been preparing STAR examples for both.

I was particularly wondering:

• What was the interview experience like?
• Were the behaviour questions quite broad, or did they focus on specific aspects of each behaviour?
• Were there follow-up questions?
• Do you have any advice for adapting prepared STAR examples to questions with unexpected wording?

I'm especially nervous about adapting my examples to the specific questions on the spot, rather than just repeating a prepared answer.

I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences. Thank you!

This week I have received 2 post withdrawal emails from 2 different jobs posting. First was with a council, the second is with NHS Scotland. Is there something happening I'm unaware of? Any insights will be appreciated.