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Original poster

Civil service job advice - help me decode this!

34 replies

User748937744 · 05/02/2026 11:12

I read the full thread about "how can I earn £50k pa part time after 15 years out of the workplace."

Someone wrote a really brilliant response saying how frustrating they found it when people say "I earn £X in a creative/consultancy role" but with no details.

Here comes my question... People often advise civil service jobs. I have tried and failed to find entry level civil service jobs locally (or remotely). I'm so confused. I have two degrees but have been a SAHP and now want to go back to work. I thought I'd look at entry level civil service jobs thinking maybe I could progress fast once I'm back into the workforce.

PLEASE can someone tell me what these jobs are and how you actually find them? I have looked and looked and I just don't know what job title I should be looking for. Help? Please and thank you!

OP posts:
Squirrelchops1 · 05/02/2026 11:48

All jobs are not equal either! In my specific area I'm HEO grade but actually have a lot of responsibility and you couldn't do the job at graduate level as the nature of it, is that you need significant work experience before.
HEO starts at about £37k i think....nice if you're 'entry level' eh!

Original poster
User748937744 · 05/02/2026 11:48

Bjorkdidit · 05/02/2026 11:44

Don't assume you're not qualified for entry level.

Our (genuinely very niche and outing Wink) specialism will take pretty much anyone with a science degree onto our graduate trainee programme and we currently have a range of people from new graduates to older career changers with no direct experience but the right transferable skills. On entry none of them were qualified for the job title but their application and interview demonstrated they could probably get there in a reasonable timescale.

Sadly my degrees are not in science! But thank you for your encouragement anyway.

It's really hard getting back to work. I have to find reasonably flexible work (SEN child) but I'm keen and able. Most of the jobs at the right levels local to me are police/prison work. I don't think I'm prison officer material sadly! I'll keep hunting...

OP posts:
Bjorkdidit · 05/02/2026 11:44

Don't assume you're not qualified for entry level.

Our (genuinely very niche and outing Wink) specialism will take pretty much anyone with a science degree onto our graduate trainee programme and we currently have a range of people from new graduates to older career changers with no direct experience but the right transferable skills. On entry none of them were qualified for the job title but their application and interview demonstrated they could probably get there in a reasonable timescale.

Original poster
User748937744 · 05/02/2026 11:41

Bjorkdidit · 05/02/2026 11:35

As a graduate, entry level could be AA, AO, EO or HEO grades. If you're not looking for any particular jobs, do not enter any key words but filter for these grades and also enter your home town so it can sort by distance.

In working pattern leave it blank so it shows you all of them but you can do a separate search for home working although I've just looked and there's only 3 jobs at this grade.

I've just done this for all jobs up to 30 miles from Leeds and it brings it down to 95 jobs so not enormous amount to look through to see if anything looks suitable especially as you will be able to hone know on some of the jobs and discount others depending on what your degrees are in.

As an illustration, our graduate trainee programme recruits at HEO grade and with previous experience of management we've had a couple of new recruits jump to G7 in a couple of years even with limited experience in our specialism.

Thank you. There are 16 jobs in my area that come up with that search criteria. Looking now!

OP posts:
Original poster
User748937744 · 05/02/2026 11:39

For example, my latest search on the civil service jobs site has given me meteorological jobs and food inspector jobs. I am not qualified for either.

OP posts:
Bjorkdidit · 05/02/2026 11:35

As a graduate, entry level could be AA, AO, EO or HEO grades. If you're not looking for any particular jobs, do not enter any key words but filter for these grades and also enter your home town so it can sort by distance.

In working pattern leave it blank so it shows you all of them but you can do a separate search for home working although I've just looked and there's only 3 jobs at this grade.

I've just done this for all jobs up to 30 miles from Leeds and it brings it down to 95 jobs so not enormous amount to look through to see if anything looks suitable especially as you will be able to hone know on some of the jobs and discount others depending on what your degrees are in.

As an illustration, our graduate trainee programme recruits at HEO grade and with previous experience of management we've had a couple of new recruits jump to G7 in a couple of years even with limited experience in our specialism.

Original poster
User748937744 · 05/02/2026 11:35

Acropolis49 · 05/02/2026 11:16

Civil service jobs on Gov.uk

Well yes. Obviously. But 99% of the jobs are very much not jobs that I can apply for - they are not entry level jobs (my previous career isn't something I know how I can translate into a civil service job!)

What ARE entry level local civil service jobs? I assumed it would be working in a job centre or checking DBS applications or something.

OP posts:
AuntyBulgaria · 05/02/2026 11:26

Entry level is AO or EO grades. As said above they are advertised on civil service jobs website. But every post gets 100s of applications especially at these lower grades as you get people applying who are starting out in their career and those wishing to change career or coming back after a gap - so the are very competitive.

Acropolis49 · 05/02/2026 11:16

Civil service jobs on Gov.uk