Reading a civil-service advert properly

Government recruitment is rule-bound. A commission publishes a job description with mandatory requirements, then scores applicants against them. Unlike a private employer, they usually cannot overlook a missing requirement to hire someone promising.

• Separate the mandatory from the desirable: years of experience, the exact qualification, professional registration.
• Note the reference number and the precise application channel — a portal, a physical address, or both.
• Calendar the closing time, not the closing date. Many portals close at midnight and reject late uploads without discussion.
• Check whether the post is a replacement, a contract or a graduate entry scheme; the scoring weights differ.

Documents that get assembled late

• Certified copies of degrees and transcripts.
• A clearance or good-conduct certificate where required.
• A national identity document and, in several countries, a tax compliance certificate.
• Referee letters on official letterhead, with current phone numbers.