Civil service application!

[AndroidsConundrum]

Hiya, I'm applying for a civil service job and I'm so desperate not to fuck it up. I'm having no luck with applications and I really want this to be The One.

I've got the experience in the field (which is quite specialist) and postgrad qualifications, but I don't think I've been selling myself properly? You have to fill in the essential criteria section and show that you hit competencies. There's a 300 word limit. How much do you focus on the essential criteria, and how much on the competency? They're worded differently and the competency list has about seven or eight things on, only of which come under the umbrella of the criteria. So for example the criteria is something like "strong communication" and the competency list has stuff on it about delegating tasks? It's a graduate level job and there will be hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of applicants

Do you use one STAR story for each box/criteria or do two or three, just to make sure you score highly?

Hi.
I don't know if this is too late or not, but anyway:
My understanding of CS applications is that it is best to just do ONE STAR story for each box, but make it really count! The majority of the word count should be on the action.

Make sure you get across what YOU did, so lots of "I did this.. I did that... I delegated the tasks" etc rather than "we did" or "the tasks were delegated..." if that makes sense.

I'm not sure about whether to focus more on the criteria or the competency - I would try to do both.
The competencies actually cover quite a broad range of behaviour, for eg "leadership" does not, depending on the role, necessarily mean being literally in a position of leadership.
Have you seen this document?
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/436073/cscf_fulla4potrait_2013-2017_v2d.pdf

Look up what the competencies listed actually mean for the level you are applying for - you wont be able to meet every bullet point within the allowed word limit, but it should give you an idea of what they mean.
I would try to tailor the language I use to the language they use when appropriate, just to make it as easy as possible for the person going through my application to see how my example ties in with what they are looking for.

There are a few threads already on here about CS applications you may find useful.

Good luck!