Civil Service Executive Officer

Typical Salary

£21,000 To £40,000

Typical Hours

37 to 40 a week

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

How To Become a Civil Service Executive Officer

You can get into this job through:

a university course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
applying directly
a graduate training scheme

College / University

You could apply to join the Civil Service after doing a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree, although a university qualification is not essential.

1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You can apply for the Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeship. This is a 2-year higher apprenticeship. There are 6 different career routes:

policy
business
commercial
digital, data and technology
finance
project delivery

Routes into this Career

You could start as an administrative officer. After gaining experience, you could apply for a post as an executive officer when vacancies become available.

You can apply directly for jobs. You'll be expected to have relevant work or life experience to do this.

You'll be assessed on your skills, knowledge and behaviours that fit in with the values of the Civil Service, as part of the application process.

Other Routes

If you're a graduate or in your final year of university, you can apply for a place on the Fast Stream scheme. Competition for places is very strong, so a degree with a higher grade and work experience will help you.

Your degree can be in any subject, though some Civil Service departments may prefer a degree in a subject that is relevant to their work, for example science and engineering.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

customer service skills
administration skills
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
business management skills
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to work well with others
the ability to use your initiative
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

What you'll do will depend on your job role, but your daily tasks might include:

managing a team
training staff
applying government plans to public services
preparing and presenting reports
analysing data
communicating with the public
giving advice to government representatives
managing a budget
handling a caseload
updating files

Working Environment

You could work in an office.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, there’s often the opportunity to apply for jobs in different departments.

There is a clear promotion structure in the Civil Service. If you’re on the Fast Stream you can expect to reach senior level in around 5 years.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Career tips

The Summer Diversity Internship Programme helps graduates and undergraduates from ethnic minorities and under-represented backgrounds transfer to the Fast Stream scheme.

Movement to Work offers work experience opportunities in the Civil Service for unemployed young people.

Further information

You can get more details about how to become an executive officer from Civil Service Careers.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

pass enhanced background checks
meet the Civil Service nationality requirements