Qualifications and selection process

To apply for the graduate development programme, you must be a:

  • UK National
  • British National citizen
  • British Overseas citizen
  • British Protected Person
  • Citizen of a member state of the EEA
  • Citizen of Switzerland
  • Commonwealth citizen

Civil Service Nationality Rules

You must also have a 2:1 honours at application stage or the expectation of a 2:1 honours degree at September 2008.

We’re aiming to create a workforce which reflects the full diversity of Britain, so we only take into consideration your attitude, capabilities, talent and willingness to learn when selecting people to join our Programme.

We are looking for people who are:

  • independent thinkers, who can come to decisions and are able to articulate and express their views confidently and democratically.
  • team players, who though able to exercise initiative, are also able to contribute positively to a team
  • change focused, which means you will be adaptable and respond positively to shifts in business focus and customer needs.
  • analytical thinkers and problem-solvers, so you can work out what needs to be done, and take pride in seeing it through

Our selection process is a three stage process. and at each stage we will measure you against the competencies we need.

Stage 1. Online application form with situational questionnaire, followed by online tests assessing your verbal, numerical and logical reasoning. If successful, you will be asked to complete a personality questionnaire.

Stage 2. Telephone interview, to find out more about you and learn how you communicate and deal with questions.

Stage 3. A two-day assessment centre which are scheduled to run between the end of January 2008 and the beginning of April 2008.

Please note: Rehabilitation of Offenders.

HMRC has an exemption under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions order 1975). Applicants who are successful in reaching the interview stage of the recruitment process will be asked to declare details of any criminal convictions, including spent convictions and cautions, to allow basic security checks to be completed.

Declaring a criminal conviction will not necessarily prevent you from being successful in your application for this particular programme, but it may exclude you from applying for other posts within the department.