Help and recruitment tips

Great, you would like to apply for a job with us and want to get it right. We hope you are excited to make your application.

All of our jobs are listed on our website www.gov.im/jobs and this page is updated every day. The home page will show you all of our jobs, or you can search for certain types of jobs if you know what you are looking for. If you don't see any jobs that are right for you at the minute then you can set up a job alert which will let you know when a job which meets your criteria is turned live.

When you see a job you might be interested in, click in to it to find more information; also make sure to check any attached documents like the job description. These are at the bottom of the page.

If you have any questions, the manager for the vacancy will be happy to talk to you; their contact details will be on the advert.

If you find a job you want to apply for, click the ‘Apply for Job’ button and fill in the details on the form. We have a quick application process. You will be asked a few questions and to upload a CV and cover letter; these should be saved in PDF format in one document as you can only attach one document with your application. 

If you are shortlisted you will then receive a request from us asking you to complete a second stage application with your referee details and some further questions about your employment history. It is important that you return the second part of the application to us as soon as possible so the manager can review it prior to your interview. 

If you apply online you will be able to track your application and see what stage it has reached as the recruitment goes forward.  

Apply

You can browse and apply for all of our jobs online. For help with your application see our CV and interview tips.

Shortlist

We will review all the applications and decide who we want to talk to. If you don't get through this stage, we will email you to let you know and feedback is available to help with your future applications. We try to do all of this within one week of the job advert closing.

Interview

If you are shortlisted, you will be sent an email with details about when your interview will be. There may be other exercises or activities as well as an interview, so read this email carefully. Also in the email, there will be a link to update your application with some more information about you. It is important that you return the second part of the application to us as soon as possible so the manager can review it prior to your interview. If you are not successful at interview, we will email you to let you know. If you are successful, we will call you with the good news. Once interviews have finished, we will let everyone know the outcome by email or phone.

Offer

Fantastic news, you have been successful! We will send you an offer of employment and a contract as soon as we can. We aim to get these to you within a few days.

Background Checks

Now we need to do some checks to make sure that everything is as it should be. This might include references, a police check and a medical check; which checks you need to do will depend on the job you have been offered, and full instructions will be in your offer letter.

Confirmation

Welcome to the team! Once all of the checks are complete and we are satisfied that everything is in order, your manager will contact you to arrange a start date and we will send you written confirmation of your employment and start date.

We like to see people progress through these stages as quickly as possible, so if it feels like you've been stuck at any stage for too long, please contact us for an update.

When applying for roles with us, make sure that your application is fully completed, and ask a trusted friend to proofread it. The deadline for applications is midnight on the closing date on the advert. Be sure that your application is submitted in plenty of time to avoid last minute panics or technology problems. It’s best to start your application early and take your time with it – think about what the manager is looking for, and reflect that in your CV and cover letter. 

Have a think about our CV tips:

Good luck!

Check out our cover letter tips too:

In this video George, one of our HR Team, gives you his top interview tips.

We know interviews can be stressful so our recruitment team have come up with a few interview tips for you. 

Do your research

We want candidates who are enthusiastic and committed, doing your research shows us that you have prepared for the interview and are taking it seriously. Have a look online, around this page and www.gov.im as a whole; look in the local news, what's going on in the area that you're interested in working in? How does the role you're looking at fit in to that? You can also look on social media to see whether the area you are joining has a Facebook page which might include news and updates about the team.

Think about what questions might come up

Have a look at what skills, qualities and experience the job description and person specification are asking for; questions will be based around testing these qualities. Think of examples of when you have demonstrated each of them. If the job says you will have to be a great team worker, think about examples of when you have done so and tell us about it.

Present yourself well

Dress smartly for your interview, maintain eye contact and be sure to sit up and pay attention to what is being said by the interview panel.

Try to be relaxed, confident and concise

Of course, this is not always easy. One thing that might help is to try and think of the interview as a two way conversation, instead of an interrogation. The best advice we can give you is to be yourself! You have the skills we are looking for which is why we have invited you to interview so now it is over to you to show us who you are.

Sell yourself

We are looking for the examples which will make you stand out from other candidates we are interviewing, tell us about the challenges you have overcome, how you have helped deliver for your organisation or what development you have completed. Make a list of your achievements before the interview and take them in with you if you will feel better having something to refer to. Talk about what you have done and be proud of your accomplishments.

Ask for feedback

If you aren’t successful at interview, give the manager a call and ask for feedback. This information can be really valuable for future applications.

An assessment centre allows you to spend more time showing us what skills you have; they also allow us to test specific skills and behaviours needed for the role. 

They consist of different exercises which vary depending on the vacancy. The exercises can include psychometric tests, role plays, in-tray exercises, presentations, group discussions, personality questionnaires and case studies.

Role Play

Using a scenario you'll take on one role and the assessor another, to see how you'd deal with a job-related situation.

Group Exercise

These show how well you perform in a team environment. They test your ability to be assertive and proactive without being domineering, to listen as well as contribute and to focus on the task in hand.

Presentations

Presentation briefs may be given to you before the interview to prepare in advance, or given to you on the day depending on the task and the skills being evaluated. A presentation is made to one or more assessors who will be judging it against our success factors, values and technical ability.

In-Tray Exercise

These test your ability to make decisions and prioritise workload under time pressure. They typically consist of prioritising letters, memos, meeting arrangements, travel requirements and so on and then discussing your decisions with the interviewer.

Case Study/Briefing Exercise or Written Report

Case studies present you with a scenario, which you'll need to analyse and produce recommendations for a given situation. Your findings, decisions and recommendations may be given in the form of a presentation, and you'll be judged on your data analysis, decision making and influencing.

Psychometric Assessments

There are no right or wrong answers here; they simply establish your preferred way of working or behaving.