How to apply

Step 1 -  Application

To apply for a post in Scottish Government, you will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement listed for the role. This will involve uploading your CV and a personal statement. You should tailor your CV and personal statement to demonstrate your ability to meet the essential criteria on the job advert.

Please submit all of the documents listed so that the panel will have all the required information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

CV

Your CV should set out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. This should include any relevant self-taught/non-work-related experiences that are relevant to the role.

Personal statement

Your personal statement (also called a statement of suitability) should explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role with reference to the Success Profiles criteria mentioned in the job advert. The word limit for your personal statement will be confirmed on the job advert, it is usually between 750 and 1,250 words.

Step 2 - Telephone interviews

The selection process may include a telephone interview if there is a high volume of applications for a vacancy. The recruiting manager will confirm if telephone interviews are being used.

There will normally be two interviewers, one will ask the questions whilst the other records your responses and the interview will usually last about 20 minutes. It gives you the opportunity to discuss your application by answering some further questions about the skills and experience you’ve detailed, the questions will be directly related to the role you are applying for. 

At the end of the interview there will be the chance for you to ask any questions you have about the role or the process.

Some tips to prepare for a telephone interview:

1. Know when to expect the call and answer it in time, it may come from a withheld number or a number you don’t recognise.

2. Find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed or distracted for the duration of the interview.

3. If you’re using a mobile phone, ensure you have good signal cover.

4. Review the job advert and essential criteria for the role so you know what the questions are likely to cover.

5. Have your CV and personal statement to hand so you can refer to them if necessary.

Tips during the interview:

1. Interviewers want you to do well so try and relax.

2. Listen to the questions asked.

3. Ask for clarification if you’re not sure what is being asked or ask for a question to be repeated if you didn’t catch it.

4. Take your time. It’s perfectly acceptable to take a moment or two to collect your thoughts.

Step 4 - Interviews

Following the technical assessment you will complete a interview which is usually on the same day or part of the same interview session. The Success Profiles elements you will be asked about are noted below.

The Scottish Government use the Success Profiles framework. It supports the SG People Strategy to have the right skills in the right roles at the right time. It sets out what is fundamental to success in the Scottish Government from Band A to the Senior Civil Service. The framework identifies a set of core skills that are necessary to be effective in your role and they will be noted on the job advert. These skills will be assessed throughout the entire application process.

Interview questions aim to find out how you have used specific skills in your previous experience and how you approach problems, tasks and challenges. 

You may like to evidence your examples using the STARR approach (situation, task, action, result, reflection) but can also use any other style that demonstrated your suitability for the role. 

Interviewers will take notes throughout the interview to evidence the information you’ve provided and they will usually take it in turns to ask questions about each competency.

At the end of the interview there will be the chance for you to ask any questions you have about the role or the process.

Common interview questions may include:

• tell us about a challenge you've encountered when working as part of a team and how you overcame it

• tell us about a time when you've had to work to tight deadlines

• tell us about a resources problem you've had to solve in your work and what was the result

• describe a situation you've experienced in which your ability to communicate well was vital

Preparation for the interview:

• research the requirements of the advertised post (business area website a good starting point) and be clear how to match your skills, experience and knowledge to it

• Ideally, aim to have more than one example for each competency.

• Think also about a time when things didn't go as well and what you learnt from the experience.

• Be ready for follow-up questions to each of your answers.

During the interview

• Interviewers want you to do well so try and relax.

• Listen to the questions asked.

• Ask for clarification if you’re not sure what is being asked or ask for a question to be repeated if you didn’t catch it.

• Take your time. It’s perfectly acceptable to take a moment or two to collect your thoughts.