AIBU to feel a bit deflated?

[HopefulCivilServant]

I currently work as a civil servant at EO level (I’ve been in the role for around eight months now). This is my first job in the Civil Service.

I recently applied for an HEO role (roles at HEO grade are the next level up in the Civil Service), for which I had to do a competency-based application.

I heard earlier that my application wasn’t successful, and that I only demonstrated moderate evidence of the competency in the question used by the panel to sift the applications (I received a ‘3’).

First of all, I definitely recognise that applying for the HEO role was a long shot as it’s a grade above my current grade and also because I haven’t been in the Civil Service for very long.

I just feel frustrated at myself as I feel that I tried my best in the application and am not sure what else I could have done to improve my demonstration of the competencies.

I am glad that application requirements for jobs in the CS are changing, as success profiles will be replacing competencies for applications. From what I’ve heard about success profiles, they look quite tough and it sounds like it’ll take a while for everyone to get used to them.

AIBU to ask for your advice on how I could have more success in future when applying for other vacancies across the Civil Service?

Thanks.

Bump :)

Anyone?

You’ve only been working in the civil service for eight months. Do you have lots of experience prior that you can draw on

We’re not civil service but government body. We use competency based questions and they are anything but an objective assessment of someone’s ability to do the job. They allow a very subjective appointment but meet the requirements to demonstrate a fair and objective process for H.R. I say that as someone who interviews and who has just gained promotion using the process.

You can say anything you want as the details are never checked. I was told in one feedback about a year ago that the example was irrelevant. Tell the panel about your skills and competence first. Then use a couple of examples to demonstrate how you applied it in practice.

So a question about a difficult decision I’d talk about there being two types of difficulties the complex decision (such as restructuring ) and the more emotionally difficult (such as sacking someone).
I talked about decision making always being value based and in line with our policies and ethos. I talked about consulting where necessary but not abdication of responsibilities. I talked about remembering the potential impact and doing the right thing. I talked about whether I had authority to make the specific decision. Then and only then did I give my examples using a STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Results) format.
Then I said what I’d reflected on post decision and what I’d learned.

I imagine civil service would want something similar.

I went from AO to HEO (double promotion) within 11 months of joining the Civil Service but I must have applied unsuccessfully for at least 10 other posts in that time. I had one unsuccessful EO interview and the rest didn't make it past sift.

I think just getting to know the competency process helps i.e. the more I applied unsuccessfully, the more I refined my competencies until I finally had examples that got 5s and above. I think it was just that - take your 3s, see what you can improve and keep trying.

As someone who has both sifted and interviewed best advice is to meet each point from the competency framework in your example and put a conflict/issue in there and demonstrate how you overcame it. Good luck.

I think when you've been there a bit longer you'll understand why you scored that - and will come to score more as you gain experience. It's great that you're keen to progress but everything takes time. You did well but obv others just had higher scores.

Unless you've got a lot of experience elsewhere your example was probably just to run of the mill, you want something to make you stand out that other people won't have. Also use the STAR structure when giving an example Situation, Task, Action (you took), Result.

Speak to someone on the panel/another HEO and ask them to mentor/guide you towards how you can improve your next application?