The Civil Service is one of the country’s largest employers with almost half a million individuals working in nearly 200 departments and agencies across the UK. Consequently, the range of career opportunities is vast, from presenting weather forecasts at the Met Office or preparing a keynote speech for a Cabinet Minister in Whitehall, through to gathering intelligence on threats to national security at MI5 or deciphering code as part of the counter-terrorism unit at GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters).

The government departments, each headed by a Cabinet Minister, are responsible for drawing up policies and overseeing their implementation and management by the smaller, but more numerous, agencies. The final choice of which department to join does not have to made until after the selection process has been successfully completed, with the exception of entry into the Diplomatic Service, which, as part of the Foreign Office, defends and promotes Britain’s interests overseas.It is important to remember that although many of the more prestigious positions are based in the Capital and some of the world’s other major cities, 80 percent of positions in the Civil Service are to be found outside London in departments, such as GCHQ in Cheltenham, or in local government.