Success profiles: candidate guide

Experience

Experience is the knowledge or mastery of a specific activity or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it.

In the Civil Service experience is most often required for recruitment to senior roles or roles in the professions.

Experience required will relate directly to the role and examples could include ‘experience of managing a budget’ or ‘experience of leading complex projects’.

Why we assess experience

When looking at your experience, we are looking for examples of things you have previously achieved or your knowledge in a particular field which isrelevant to the job role.

We are not looking at how much time you have served in a particular field, but rather how you performed.

Sometimes experience can be transferable from a non-work context. Skills gained through voluntary work or a hobby, such as teamwork or communication, can demonstrate the experience required for the role.

How we assess experience

We will be looking at your experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the specific job role.

Some of the assessment methods which may be used to understand your experience include:

• the application form
• your CV
• an interview

Your experience may be assessed alongside other elements of the Success Profile to get a more rounded picture of your suitability for the role. The job advert will outline the elements required for the role and the selection method(s) that will be used.