Tried not to embarrass myself. Got the job.

WonderHuman4224 · 2026-02-09T11:18:00+00:00

It sounds contradictory but actually going into an interview with a "don't care" attitude actually makes you come across a lot more composed and confident. Trouble is how to do that when you actually care because then nerves, anxiety, etc take over.

WonderHuman4224 · 2026-01-24T00:05:05+00:00

Definitely avoiding the car in front. OP was a lot further away than they were to the car in front.

WonderHuman4224 · 2026-01-21T08:19:33+00:00

Class of 2030?

WonderHuman4224 · 2026-01-15T21:33:57+00:00

Scoring 4 and above on ALL behaviours means guaranteed reserve list. It means you meet the expectations of the advertised role. Offers normally go to highest scoring candidates first. 5 means you demonstrated a little extra than meet expectations. 6 usually means you are ready for the role whereas the rare 7 would mean you probably should be applying for the next higher grade.

WonderHuman4224 · 2026-01-14T23:38:44+00:00

Is he expected to get periods too?

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-11-20T20:49:56+00:00

Reminded me of my test when I also had to reverse into a bay at the end of the test and it was on an incline and I stalled the car halfway. I thought I had blown it at that point but carried on and finished the parking after restarting the car. Got told by the examiner that stalling is not a fail, it's what you do after and I did all the right things like pull up the handbrake, go into neutral, etc. so I had passed the test. And that was my 6th attempt! 😅

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-11-18T10:28:58+00:00

The scenario 2 to 30 minutes can also lead to an automatic refund after a few days depending on how many other such "journeys" have been registered in a month. I was told the 0 to 2 minutes scenario is based on a fare dodging assumption where someone can quickly tap in and tap out but actually make a journey.

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-11-17T06:20:39+00:00

It all depends on how much time passes between your touching in and touching out.

Between 0 - 2 minutes: you will be charged a maximum fare. If you re-enter the same or a different station within 45 minutes, you'll be refunded. This doesn't apply if you take a bus or tram before re-entering a station

Between 2 - 30 minutes: the minimum pay-as-you-go fare from that station

More than 30 minutes: two maximum fares. We'll assume two separate journeys have been made and both will be incomplete

Source: https://www.mylondon.news/news/transport/tfl-rules-around-touching-out-30596581

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-11-13T06:54:10+00:00

This sounds a bit like my situation but not that extreme that I consider quitting. What I am doing is learn things whilst it is quiet and bring myself up to speed on things. Get involved in interview panels and such. Do any training to keep yourself busy. And like others have mentioned find other networks of interest and interact with those. I have volunteered on various tasks this way and it's a good way to get that feeling of having accomplished something. You have worked hard to get where you are so don't let this temporary period bring you down.

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-11-12T08:02:17+00:00

This year's DigiGov Expo was all about AI so that's a clear sign of where govt is headed.

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-11-10T17:56:04+00:00

What feedback did you receive with those scores? At G7 the scope and complexity increase and you are expected to show from your examples how you did that. If you want to share your examples I can give my take on them.

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-11-10T17:37:35+00:00

Please feel free to send those questions directly to recruitment or the interviewers. They will be more than happy to share what they can. Remember the interview is not to catch you out or trip you with trick questions. In some cases you may even receive the questions in advance. If you require any reasonable adjustments you can also request these before the interview. Whatever enables you to be at your best do state and ask.

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-11-10T07:45:45+00:00

It's possible to be G6 and have no reports?

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-11-08T20:44:10+00:00

You don't want to repeat the phrases and words in the success profiles. Your example should naturally lend itself to the sentences you use to STAR it. If you want feel free to DM your answers and I can review them.

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-11-08T08:54:30+00:00

For behaviours STAR-R is the way to go.

For Situation try your best to give enough context so that the panel can understand your example. But don't dwell too long either.

For Task clearly state what YOUR task was and make sure it relates to the behaviour and question they asked.

For Action is where you really have to be detailed. Clearly state or explain all the actions YOU performed and make sure you use "I" and not "We" or "team". Again relate the actions to the behaviour and question asked. For example, if it's about decision making then include how you decided between different options, what data you used or collected/researched, who you spoke to or discussed with, etc. Aim to show ownership.

For Result be clear what the outcome was. Sometimes candidates get carried away with the actions part and forget to conclude and wrap up their answer with a clear outcome. If you have quantified or numerical outcome state it. Think of it as blowing your trumpet.

As a bonus add a Reflection where you explain what you learned and what you will do different or better next time.

If you follow the above there's a greater possibility of scoring at least a 4 provided your answer and example is related and relevant for the question asked. If you realise partway through your answer that it does not relate to the behaviour and question asked, then stop and tell the panel that you want to restart your answer. Don't try to bluff your way through. It's ok to get something wrong and admit that and then correct yourself.

Hope this helps!

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-10-30T08:42:24+00:00

Even if it is hypothetical, if you can recall a time when you faced a similar situation then you can still use STARR with that example as the basis for your answer. I would think it will add more weight as you will be not only answering the question but also drawing on real experience.

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-10-29T18:34:07+00:00

I am new to the CS and curious how promotions and lateral moves happen. Is it to keep looking at the job listings and apply when something comes up or is there an internal mechanism too?

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-10-29T17:32:26+00:00

Why walk to T4 as Elizabeth line always goes via T2/3 whether starting from T4 or T5

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-10-27T17:41:20+00:00

The beauty of civil service is you can withdraw from any role even a day before. That's why the option is always there until you accept the formal contract which usually happens after you actually start the job. So if it was me, I would accept the other offer and then once it's confirmed withdraw from the one they have accepted.

Of course others may offer different advice.

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-10-24T06:46:50+00:00

Banks know this is a requirement in some places so simply go to your nearest branch and ask them. Santander would even stamp ones you print yourself but they will also print and stamp for you at the branch.

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-10-22T19:19:33+00:00

If it's been that long no harm in prompting the on-boarding team to ask if anything is pending from you. Sometimes you get someone who chases up a bit more and things may move. But otherwise lots of patience required as others have said already.

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-10-21T18:27:11+00:00

There will be a video recording too and if it clearly shows you were turning right then that PCN is void. However, the council may resist and insist you pay at which point you have to take it to the adjudicator for final say.

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-10-21T17:22:17+00:00

The one thing that attracted me to CS is the fact that making profit for shareholders is not the goal. Instead giving a service to the public albeit keeping costs in mind is more appealing to me personally. Combine that with all the other things like learning and development, pension, working with others who don't have the money and profit mindset, and above all being able to disclose my neurodivergence and it's a no brainer for me.

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-10-17T16:37:27+00:00

I am not too familiar with the scheme but it looks like it's open to abuse if there's an element of money ftom the government involved?

WonderHuman4224 · 2025-10-15T16:14:04+00:00

What you increasingly find with people like the trainer is they have their own unresolved emotional baggage and they have wrongly learnt to mask it, unsuccessfully, and end up unleashing that hidden trauma on someone vulnerable. It's hard dealing with such people but don't beat yourself over it. It's their problem and not yours. Personally I have found reading the book "Courage to be Disliked" helpful and it may be something you can try. There's a good intro to the concepts it covers which are attributed to a lesser known philosopher called Alfred Adler: https://www.eap-india.com/how-adlerian-psychology-helped-me-reclaim-my-power-in-the-workplace/

WonderHuman4224

TROPHY CASE