Civil servants are employees of the Crown (though not employed in the Royal Household) or those employed by Parliament. They work impartially for the Government or the devolved assemblies.  

The UK Civil Service employs staff from all disciplines; including specialists in science, law, economics, business, and many other fields. Graduates interested in a leadership career in the Civil Service can apply to the Civil Service Fast Stream, or to graduate programmes run by individual Government departments.

The EU Civil Service employs staff to carry out the day-to-day decisions made by the European Union. This includes the Commission, the EU Council of Ministers, the European Council and the European Parliament.

This guide covers recruitment for the UK Civil Service and EU Civil Service. See our Public Services guide for information on working in local government.

Most people who work in the Civil Service find work outside of the large and well-publicised graduate schemes

Here are some sites you can use to look for work in this sector:

Other Government departments and agencies run their own graduate schemes

The Civil Service runs a Direct Appointment Scheme for candidates who have progressed through several stages of the Fast Stream application process, but who have not been successful. Candidates may be contacted by the Direct Appointment Team and offered an Executive Officer and Higher Executive Officer role. See the FAQs for more info

Various schemes exist to help increase diversity and give you an insight into working in the Civil Service