Civil Service
A career in the Civil Service offers you:
- the opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives in the UK
- learning on the job and good career development opportunities
- flexible working hours and comprehensive benefits
You can explore careers across the Civil Service on the Civil Service Careers website.
Entry routes
The different routes into the Civil Service include:
- moving directly into a Civil Service job (these can be permanent or fixed-term contracts, full-time or part-time) – you can start a job search now
- the Civil Service Fast Stream programme for graduates
- the Summer Diversity Internship programme for ethnic minority students, disabled students and those from under-represented socio-economic backgrounds
- the Early Diversity Internship programme for ethnic minority students and those from under-represented socio-economic backgrounds
- the Movement to Work scheme which offers work experience in the Civil Service for unemployed young people
- student placements
Graduate entry
The Civil Service Fast Stream is a development programme designed to prepare graduates for careers at the highest levels of the Civil Service. There are 15 different schemes on the Fast Stream. Graduates work in central Government departments, the Houses of Parliament, the Diplomatic Service, the Government Communications Service and in specialist areas including HR, Finance and Project Delivery. The programme offers experience in policy, operational, commercial and financial areas, rotating between different Government departments and with opportunities for external secondments.
Impartiality is a cornerstone of the Civil Service and civil servants are required to be politically neutral in carrying out their duties. Their job is to enact the wishes of the Government in a way that works for the public in the best way possible, regardless of their own political views or their opinion of the policies. More senior civil servants cannot be a member of a political party. If you are highly active in politics, you should consider whether the Civil Service is really the right career option for you.
Further information
Job profile of a Civil Service Fast Streamer from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Civil Service administrator from the TARGET Jobs website
Civil Service Fast Stream website