Applying for a part-time job in the public sector

[digitalgirl]

I'm still on maternity leave, was planning on going back to my old job in 2 months but they've relocated and I'd rather not spend 6 hours a day travelling.

I've started applying for a part-time job in communications in government, probably out of my league (reads like my dream job, if a little challenging).

Problem is I've always worked in the private sector, so have no experience with ministers and issues. Would my dealings with senior clients and marketing briefs be relevant enough?

Also, they want a statement detailing my suitability for the job. I'm currently going through the job spec and list of skills required and writing down my experience (will need to cut my 6 pages down to max of 3). Should I keep it in this bullet point format, in order of their list of requirements, so it's easier to box-tick? Or should I write more chronologically so the statement flows a bit more?

They've also asked for a CV so wasn't sure how much information to double up. Haven't even started on updating my CV.

Am I being mad considering such a massive career move when DS is only 6 months old? Will I be able to engage my brain to cope with all the new things I'll have to learn?

I have quite a lot of experience in this sector so let me try and help

Experience with Ministers:
No-one coming to Govt from outside the world of politics has this experience (journalists who decide to make the move into Govt comms are the best example of this) - recruiters will instead be looking for your potential to be good at this, so yes, your experience dealing with senior clients absolutely relevant. The other thing to say is that it's very unlikely they'd shove you, unaccompanied, in front of the Minister on your first day in the office (well, it would have to be a very senior job for that to happen). So again it's potential that's being judged.

On your application (or as you prepare for interview) you could usefully highlight how you've had experience of:
*keeping your cool under pressure (it's like the Kipling line 'if you can keep your head when all about are losing theirs')
*offering credible and authoritative advice (that client has followed)
*dealing with changes of mind (!) - you need to have the built-in skill of flexibility of thought (so show how you made something work even when client changed the original plan)
*building personal relationships (give examples of where senior clients asked for you again)

Experience with 'issues':
*not everyone who works in Govt comms has an issues-type background - the key thing is to demonstrate you understand the high stakes nature of the game. If you've dealt with a big product launch where a lot of money is at stake, that would be relevant. If you can show you have an interest of some broad type in politics or 'citizen engagement' that will help (ever done any public service volunteering for example?). Remember though that civil servants are supposed to be politically neutral.
*actually, incomers to Govt comms jobs tend to find the 'Yes Minister'-type bureaucratic processes and internal communications styles of the civil service more difficult to cope with than the actual issues themselves - so you could think about what experience you've had in following procedures and writing reports in certain styles and formats (combined with your ability to pick up new styles and formats quickly)

Writing the application:
*the process of 'sifting' applications for Govt comms jobs is very formal - generally a couple of members of staff will take the forms off into a room and sit together looking at them, ticking boxes re each one. The easier you can make it for the sifters to tick boxes the better. So yes, not too long an application, but I'd tend to prioritise matching the job spec under various headings and then see how you can make sound poetic etc within that frame.

CV:
*reason for asking for CV is often because the application forms are skills-based (-ish) and so there's no room to list all your previous employment. CV and application form need to tally, yes, but the form is a place to write little 2-3 sentence 'stories' to illustrate your talents, the CV is the bullet points of your life

On moving jobs:
Will you be able to cope? Almost certainly. IMO the civil service is lot kinder to newcomers (and parents) than the private sector - lots of training and personal development opportunities, plus good opps for flexible working and so on.

Good luck with your application!

Thank you MrsBaldwin! Lots of really useful advice there.

Have nearly finished the 'long' version. Will just need to cut it down with all your helpful tips in mind.

Thank you for the confidence boost!!