How to successfully enter civil service, with very little work experience?

[Doliveira]

We have a friend who is now thirty years old, has a degree and masters from a good university, and has only worked part time in bookshops, but would like to shift to the Civil Service. How can she best optimise her chances, do you think? Is she likely to succeed? If so, how?!
any input gratefully received.

Sadly it is not a good time because the civil service needs to reduce headcount and many departments are not recruiting

What's her degree in? Where does she live?

Disagree with PP- many parts of the civil service are recruiting, including my own department. Civil service applications are quite good for people with atypical experience as you can present what you've done in a way that brings out the skills you've developed. Your friend should really think about what she did in her job (and in any volunteering etc if relevant) as there are bound to be transferrable skills- customer service skills, maybe stocktaking, managing others, problem solving etc.

Civil service applications and interviews work in a particular way and there is lots of info online to help. You have to read the forms thoroughly, identify the behaviours and skills they want and then make sure you present yourself in a way that ticks the boxes. You could be the best qualified person in the world but you won't get a job unless you follow their particular way of running the process. Have a look at youtube, loads of videos on how to do it (Jac Williams is one account but there are many more).