Free resources

Public sector application resources

Practical, no-fluff resources written for UK public sector job seekers. Everything panels look for — and how to give it to them.

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Civil Service10 min read

Civil Service Behaviour Examples: STAR Structure Guide with Examples

How to write behaviour examples that score full marks. Includes real STAR structure breakdowns for each Civil Service behaviour at every grade.

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General7 min read

What Shortlisting Panels Actually Look For — Insider Guide

How panels score applications criterion by criterion, what makes them stop reading, and the mistakes that get you rejected before page two.

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General6 min read

How to Address Every Essential Criterion in a Person Specification

The exact method for mapping your experience to a person spec so nothing is missed — used by career coaches and now available to everyone.

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NHS9 min read

NHS Band 5/6/7 Application Guide: AfC Tips That Work

Band-specific guidance for the most competitive NHS roles. What panels expect at each level, how to calibrate your language, and common mistakes to avoid.

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Civil Service8 min read

Civil Service Personal Statement: What to Write at Each Grade

Personal statements are the filter before behaviour examples. Here's what to include at AO, EO, HEO, SEO, Grade 7, and Grade 6 — with examples.

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Documents6 min read

ATS-Friendly CV Format for UK Public Sector Jobs

Why your CV gets rejected before a human reads it, and how to format it so Applicant Tracking Systems parse it correctly every time.

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General5 min read

How to Explain Employment Gaps in Public Sector Applications

Practical, judgement-free guidance for addressing career breaks — redundancy, caring responsibilities, health, travel, or career change.

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Civil Service12 min read

Civil Service Success Profiles: Complete Guide for 2026

Everything you need to know about the Success Profiles framework — behaviours, strengths, experience, technical skills, and ability — and how to tailor your application to each.

Coming soon
NHS7 min read

NHS 6Cs: How to Demonstrate Values in Your Application

Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage, Commitment — how to weave the 6Cs into your supporting statement so it reads like an NHS professional wrote it.

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