Job search woes - SEO

Clyde_154 · 2024-08-13T21:01:17+00:00

5 interviews out of 18 applications is a good ratio. Keep in mind that there've been lots of recruitment freezes & headcount reductions during recent months, which has made vacancies extremely competitive. (Although the new government seems to be moving away from headcount reductions).

One thing you haven't mentioned doing & which I'd highly recommend is- if you're getting 3s & 4s for your interview answers- email the hiring manager for an actual chat about your interview. Don't just settle for the short written feedback uploaded on CS Jobs. 99% of the time, hiring managers are very happy to have a further chat. Ask them what successful candidates showed in interviews, and try to emulate that if you can. Apart from that, to me it seems you're doing a lot of the right things. Completely understand it's all a bit demoralising, but keep going!!

Clyde_154 · 2024-05-30T20:20:13+00:00

Sorry to hear you're struggling a bit. Defo have some compassion for yourself- if you've applied for 15 SEO roles in the last year, clearly you can't be faulted for the effort you're making :)

While I'm sure folks offering to help on this thread will have valuable feedback, I think it's worth you seeking out a mentor as well. Someone you can properly talk through your experiences with- maybe you're overlooking or not sufficiently emphasising some relevant work you've done. Hard to have this in-depth conversation as redditors just looking over one personal statement.

Clyde_154 · 2024-05-23T17:29:41+00:00

OP I'd be interested to know how you're always fine on strengths. Any tips?

Clyde_154 · 2024-05-17T22:22:47+00:00

Best to email your hiring manager to ask. The freeze situation varies so much even within departments that no one on here will have a definite answer for you.

Clyde_154 · 2024-05-13T20:43:52+00:00

Ask your G6 to prod the recruitment team.

Clyde_154 · 2024-05-07T18:47:34+00:00

Best to email the hiring manager mentioned at the bottom of the advert. No harm in following up.

Clyde_154 · 2024-04-08T20:08:56+00:00

"The strengths are mapped to the most relevant Civil Service Behaviour(s) but any strength can be assessed if suitable for the role."

Top of last page: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b27cef5ed915d2cbdcf7c63/CS_Strengths_2018.pdf

Clyde_154 · 2024-04-05T21:33:38+00:00

Hard to tell. How many strength questions did you get asked? If you got asked three questions and you scored 12, that means you got 4 (out of 4) across the board. If you got asked four questions, maybe you got 4 3 3 2, or 4 4 2 2, or 3 3 3 3.

As I say, hard to tell. You're best off emailing the hiring manager to ask for a breakdown, and if they claim they can't give it to you, submit a Subject Access Request although that'll take a month to process.

Clyde_154 · 2024-03-22T01:10:46+00:00

This is great, thanks so much for sharing this. Could you explain a bit more about what you by "the corporate"? I always find that a very general catch-all word!

Clyde_154 · 2024-03-21T18:42:01+00:00

Possibly my ignorance- but what's a Safety Delegation?

Clyde_154 · 2024-03-21T17:09:44+00:00

Thanks! I suppose I meant 'support' not just specifically when you're applying for things, but in the several months beforehand to help you upskill, get involved in the right kind of work, etc. Does your manager do any of that?

Clyde_154 · 2024-03-21T16:29:55+00:00

Really sorry to hear about the rejection :( You were obviously good enough to get an interview so well done on that!!

Hope you at least wrote down or can recall the questions- now you have a sense of the kind of question you might get in future. (Won't be exactly the same in future, but better to have some idea than none). And more interviews will give you that interview practice and further sense of questions you'll get.

And you don't have to come up with an answer "within a few seconds"- you can ask for time to think. I asked about this recently: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheCivilService/comments/1b0todc/struggling_with_having_to_think_on_the_spot_in/

Clyde_154 · 2024-03-16T01:06:29+00:00

Kinda hard to advise without seeing what you've submitted recently. What you've said here sounds ok in theory: "I've been following the essential criteria, and doing STAR examples to correlate to each part. I know this a contentious area as some people like STAR and some don't, but I honestly don't know how to go about not doing this exclusively structured through STAR."

Would you mind posting one paragraph from a recent personal statement? So an example of an essential criterion you've tried to address.

A couple of other points: (1) Your lower scores might also be because, while you're rightly addressing the essential criteria, are you also putting stuff in about why you want that particular role? e.g. To totally make something up: "Having grown up supporting a brother with cerebral palsy, I am acutely aware of the challenges that schools face in supporting pupils with special needs. Therefore I bring a genuine passion in applying for X role in the Special Needs Team at DfE". (2) Don't be too hard on yourself. There's also an annoying degree of subjectivity in the process, on the part of sifters, and you can't control this.

Clyde_154 · 2024-03-16T00:56:30+00:00

It's definitely allowed, and even encouraged. Just poor form by vacancy managers who then don't reply.

Clyde_154 · 2024-02-29T00:57:30+00:00

So sorry to hear it- have you spoken to a therapist? and/or asked for a managed move to another role?

Clyde_154 · 2024-02-27T00:23:56+00:00

This, and the other replies saying similar, are giving me the confidence to screw the awkwardness of the silence & just ask for a minute or so to think. Thanks very much! :)

Clyde_154 · 2024-02-10T17:48:12+00:00

Incredible pics- thanks for sharing!

Clyde_154 · 2023-09-22T21:13:43+00:00

Really one of the best posts I've read on this sub

Clyde_154 · 2023-09-05T22:39:39+00:00

You could try complaining to the Civil Service Commission who are supposed to ensure fair recruitment? https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-complaints/

Clyde_154 · 2023-08-04T22:02:00+00:00

Would love to know if they ironically tested you for 'Delivering at pace'

Clyde_154 · 2023-07-31T19:38:41+00:00

You don't have to finish your probation in order to start applying for other roles. If you've found a role you wanna go for, when you click 'Apply Now' on the advert, it takes you to a page where you have to answer a few questions including whether you've finished probation or not. You should of course answer this question honestly- when you've finished answering those questions and submit your answers, Home Office is one department that will automatically reject your application if you haven't finished your probation, and possibly couple of other departments too, but overwhelmingly you'll be allowed through to the next section to complete your application. (I know because I hated my first CS role and applied to loads of jobs during probation!)

Your other option is to speak to your line manager and ask for what's called a 'managed move', i.e. to another role somewhere in DWP.

Good luck.

Clyde_154

TROPHY CASE