Civil service Vs non civil service interviews

[ameliaandme]

I've just bombed a civil service interview. First interview I've had in over 20 years and its made me so anxious about having an interview again.

So silly as the job I went for was a much lower grade than what I had done previously, I self sabotaged.

As I'm so out of practice are civil service interviews alot worse/ harder than non civil service ones ?

Honestly I feel like i could cry which is ridiculous as there's alot worse things in the world.

i left my old role after 26 years a few years ago after never having done an interview in all that time and I got the first role I interviewed for. Cut to the end of last year/beginning of this and three Civil Service interviews which were utterly dire. The last one I scraped onto the Reserve List until next year. The first role I interviewed for was exactly the same role that I’ve been doing my entire career. The second was quite a departure and the third was the same as the second but a grade lower and, therefore, entry level in comparison to what I’m used to doing. I’ve also had a few non Civil Service interviews during that timeframe. One was utterly terrible and I wouldn’t have accepted, one I had a second interview but was pipped at the post and the last two I received offers from both so had a choice to make. I say all this to say that Civil Service interviews are truly horrific. Indeed, the whole recruitment prices is. I consider myself extremely fortunate to actually get through to interview stage on all of my applications for them and to make the Reserve List. I think, as has been said here many times, it is a numbers game and very much like learning a new skill or language. Dust yourself off and keep going because the more you do, the better at them you’ll become. Good luck, OP.

Thanks so much for your comment, so good to know it wasn't just me (not that I want you to have ahard time too though!) .

Civil service must loose out on loads of candidates as apart from the vile interviews everything takes SO long.

It's the flexi time and work from home that is enticing me, think I will have to look elsewhere too as not sure I want to keep playing the numbers game. It's alot about mindset isn't it and not taking ot personally.

Mad as I can wrote an awesome CV but interviews are terrible !

@ameliaandme you’re very welcome; the application and interview process can definitely leave you questioning your sanity and worthiness! I’m glad to have provided a bit of solidarity! 😊

I totally agree with you, I’m sure so many good candidates have probably fallen by the wayside due to the dire interview process and the length of time everything takes.

Same, flexibility and hybrid that were particularly enticing plus the pension...that really cannot be beaten. If it helps, my new private sector role is very flexible and the hybrid is really good too - 2 or 3 days per week only in the office. The only thing that “lets it down” so to speak is the pension. The salary, whilst not the highest, the other role that was on the table had a 3k higher salary but the role I chose just spoke to me more, is much better than the Civil Service role I’m on the Reserve List for so there are definitely other roles out there that can stack up against CS in many ways except, probably, the pension.

Definitely about mindset and not taking it personally, which is hard to do when you’ve jumped through hoops of fire and spent literally days applying and swotting up on Behaviours. Don’t blame you if you at least want to take a break from the grind for now.

This recent thread is absolutely phenomenal and contains a lot of good advice. We’re definitely not alone!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/work/4749498-any-civil-service-appliers-or-recruiters?page=7&reply=125503084

civil service recruitment is HELL - the thread mentioned above gives excellent advice.
i also started a thread recently as well as I’ve been going it, and I’m genuinely not sure I can face anymore to be honest

Civil service are meant to be making loads of redundancies in the next year. I don't think I'd be applying as an external candidate right now. Your redundancy pay would be pretty much nothing.

Threat of redundancy would put me off applying, tbh. Doesn't strike me as a very secure long term job.

Very hard recruitment process, it's taken ages to get my head around it. It's not you, it's not an easy thing to get right. It is different from other interviews. The behaviour questions are very specific, not general answers - you need to provide a specific example for evidence, frame it in the STAR format and make sure you talk about what actions you took. Try Jac Williams on YouTube for tips.