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Getting hired at DWP Digital: 5 tips to combat common mistakes

Pete, Recruitment Lead at DWP Digital

We are celebrating National Careers Week by sharing how you can get hired at DWP Digital. Our once-in-a generation digital transformation is happening right now, and we’re hiring hundreds of digital specialists over the next year to help us.  

It’s huge and it’s exciting; our services will touch the lives of over 20 million people.

We’re looking for talented people who are interested in making a real difference to society, who can put the user at the heart of what they do to design and develop solutions. We need to fill roles in user research, architecture, infrastructure engineering, software engineering, DevOps, product management and more!

Recruiting for digital roles in government has its challenges, so we’ve made some recent changes to simplify the process. However, it’s easy to make mistakes. These are some of the common ones, and 5 tips to overcome them…

 

1. Don’t make assumptions about assumptions

The panel can only go on what you put on the page. If something is implicit to your role, they may spot it but it’s much better to call it out and make it obvious. For example, if you’re telling us about your employment history don’t just tell us where you worked and for how long. Tell us what you did there and what impact you made.

2. Share examples to demonstrate your skills

Use every opportunity to show the panel that you have the required skills and experience. That’s all the panel have to assess you on. Make their decision as easy as possible by demonstrating that you’ve got what they’re looking for.

3. Pay attention to detail

We often get CVs that don’t go into enough detail and as a result the candidate misses the opportunity to evidence their experiences. We want to know about you, what makes you tick, what your successes are and what you have learned. 

4. There’s no I in Team

It’s important that you can demonstrate how you will fit into the team. Make sure you provide evidence of how you can collaborate with others and adapt to different situations. 

5. Tell us about your love of learning

The ability to learn and adapt is critical. The ideal applicant sees government as a challenge and is excited about the opportunity to change people’s live through user centred design. Tell us about your passion to improve your skills and professionalise further.

 

Apply now

So if you want to use your digital skills to make a difference, take a look at our current vacancies.  If there’s nothing there that matches your skills right now, keep checking back – new roles are being added regularly.

You can also keep up-to-date with current vacancies by following us on Twitter @DWPDigital or by subscribing to our newsletter.

 

Explore jobs at DWP Digital

Apprentice Software Engineer

Digital With PurposeDo you want to play a pivotal role in delivering some of the country’s most important tech projects? We’re recruiting innovative, curious, and enthusiastic digital specialists who want to be part of our huge transformation.DWP Digital improves user experiences for the Department for Work and Pensions’ customers and colleagues. The services we build are used by millions of people to access the support that they need at different times of their lives.Own your careerThe large-scale digital transformation we’re undergoing requires a wide range of skills. That’s why we have over 5,000 experts working on a variety of important projects, and why we’re recruiting even more.We need people with experience in engineering, data, product design, architecture and much more. Opportunities to work with us range from early talent and apprenticeships that will enable you to grow with DWP Digital, all the way up to senior roles that will allow you to shape the future direction of the organisation. Our dedication to development means you will have ample opportunity to learn and thrive at the cutting-edge of the industry.An award-winning teamIn 2022, our award highlights include our API Integration team being awarded Kong’s Top Public Sector Innovation Award and the Red Hat Innovation Award. We also won the Organisational Exit from the Pandemic category at the UK IT Industry Awards and were highly commended for Digital Transformation Project of the Year. At the Civil Service Awards, we won Best Use of Data and Technology and won the cross-government award One Civil Service for collaborating on issuing cost of living payments. Where you’ll workOur Manchester hub is in St Peter’s Square. Right in the heart of the city, it’s easily accessible by tram, bus or rail.On-site facilities include a café, cycle shelter, showers, and Wudu washing facilities. It's also home to our user experience lab and UX command centre.We recognise that a healthy work-life balance is important. That’s why we’ve embraced a hybrid working approach that allows DWP Digital employees to spend up to 60% of their week working from home.Find out more about jobs with us. Visit our careers site today, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

DWP Digital
Agile Delivery Manager

Digital With PurposeDo you want to play a pivotal role in delivering some of the country’s most important tech projects? We’re recruiting innovative, curious, and enthusiastic digital specialists who want to be part of our huge transformation.DWP Digital improves user experiences for the Department for Work and Pensions’ customers and colleagues. The services we build are used by millions of people to access the support that they need at different times of their lives.Own your careerThe large-scale digital transformation we’re undergoing requires a wide range of skills. That’s why we have over 5,000 experts working on a variety of important projects, and why we’re recruiting even more.We need people with experience in engineering, data, product design, architecture and much more. Opportunities to work with us range from early talent and apprenticeships that will enable you to grow with DWP Digital, all the way up to senior roles that will allow you to shape the future direction of the organisation. Our dedication to development means you will have ample opportunity to learn and thrive at the cutting-edge of the industry.An award-winning teamIn 2022, our award highlights include our API Integration team being awarded Kong’s Top Public Sector Innovation Award and the Red Hat Innovation Award. We also won the Organisational Exit from the Pandemic category at the UK IT Industry Awards and were highly commended for Digital Transformation Project of the Year. At the Civil Service Awards, we won Best Use of Data and Technology and won the cross-government award One Civil Service for collaborating on issuing cost of living payments. Where you’ll workOur Manchester hub is in St Peter’s Square. Right in the heart of the city, it’s easily accessible by tram, bus or rail.On-site facilities include a café, cycle shelter, showers, and Wudu washing facilities. It's also home to our user experience lab and UX command centre.We recognise that a healthy work-life balance is important. That’s why we’ve embraced a hybrid working approach that allows DWP Digital employees to spend up to 60% of their week working from home.Find out more about jobs with us. Visit our careers site today, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

DWP Digital
Apprentice DevOps Engineer

Digital With PurposeDo you want to play a pivotal role in delivering some of the country’s most important tech projects? We’re recruiting innovative, curious, and enthusiastic digital specialists who want to be part of our huge transformation.DWP Digital improves user experiences for the Department for Work and Pensions’ customers and colleagues. The services we build are used by millions of people to access the support that they need at different times of their lives.Own your careerThe large-scale digital transformation we’re undergoing requires a wide range of skills. That’s why we have over 5,000 experts working on a variety of important projects, and why we’re recruiting even more.We need people with experience in engineering, data, product design, architecture and much more. Opportunities to work with us range from early talent and apprenticeships that will enable you to grow with DWP Digital, all the way up to senior roles that will allow you to shape the future direction of the organisation. Our dedication to development means you will have ample opportunity to learn and thrive at the cutting-edge of the industry.An award-winning teamIn 2022, our award highlights include our API Integration team being awarded Kong’s Top Public Sector Innovation Award and the Red Hat Innovation Award. We also won the Organisational Exit from the Pandemic category at the UK IT Industry Awards and were highly commended for Digital Transformation Project of the Year. At the Civil Service Awards, we won Best Use of Data and Technology and won the cross-government award One Civil Service for collaborating on issuing cost of living payments. Where you’ll workOur Manchester hub is in St Peter’s Square. Right in the heart of the city, it’s easily accessible by tram, bus or rail.On-site facilities include a café, cycle shelter, showers, and Wudu washing facilities. It's also home to our user experience lab and UX command centre.We recognise that a healthy work-life balance is important. That’s why we’ve embraced a hybrid working approach that allows DWP Digital employees to spend up to 60% of their week working from home.Find out more about jobs with us. Visit our careers site today, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

DWP Digital
Digital Performance Analyst

Digital With PurposeDo you want to play a pivotal role in delivering some of the country’s most important tech projects? We’re recruiting innovative, curious, and enthusiastic digital specialists who want to be part of our huge transformation.DWP Digital improves user experiences for the Department for Work and Pensions’ customers and colleagues. The services we build are used by millions of people to access the support that they need at different times of their lives.Own your careerThe large-scale digital transformation we’re undergoing requires a wide range of skills. That’s why we have over 5,000 experts working on a variety of important projects, and why we’re recruiting even more.We need people with experience in engineering, data, product design, architecture and much more. Opportunities to work with us range from early talent and apprenticeships that will enable you to grow with DWP Digital, all the way up to senior roles that will allow you to shape the future direction of the organisation. Our dedication to development means you will have ample opportunity to learn and thrive at the cutting-edge of the industry.An award-winning teamIn 2022, our award highlights include our API Integration team being awarded Kong’s Top Public Sector Innovation Award and the Red Hat Innovation Award. We also won the Organisational Exit from the Pandemic category at the UK IT Industry Awards and were highly commended for Digital Transformation Project of the Year. At the Civil Service Awards, we won Best Use of Data and Technology and won the cross-government award One Civil Service for collaborating on issuing cost of living payments. Where you’ll workOur Manchester hub is in St Peter’s Square. Right in the heart of the city, it’s easily accessible by tram, bus or rail.On-site facilities include a café, cycle shelter, showers, and Wudu washing facilities. It's also home to our user experience lab and UX command centre.We recognise that a healthy work-life balance is important. That’s why we’ve embraced a hybrid working approach that allows DWP Digital employees to spend up to 60% of their week working from home.Find out more about jobs with us. Visit our careers site today, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

DWP Digital
Application Engineer

Digital With PurposeDo you want to play a pivotal role in delivering some of the country’s most important tech projects? We’re recruiting innovative, curious, and enthusiastic digital specialists who want to be part of our huge transformation.DWP Digital improves user experiences for the Department for Work and Pensions’ customers and colleagues. The services we build are used by millions of people to access the support that they need at different times of their lives.Own your careerThe large-scale digital transformation we’re undergoing requires a wide range of skills. That’s why we have over 5,000 experts working on a variety of important projects, and why we’re recruiting even more.We need people with experience in engineering, data, product design, architecture and much more. Opportunities to work with us range from early talent and apprenticeships that will enable you to grow with DWP Digital, all the way up to senior roles that will allow you to shape the future direction of the organisation. Our dedication to development means you will have ample opportunity to learn and thrive at the cutting-edge of the industry.An award-winning teamIn 2022, our award highlights include our API Integration team being awarded Kong’s Top Public Sector Innovation Award and the Red Hat Innovation Award. We also won the Organisational Exit from the Pandemic category at the UK IT Industry Awards and were highly commended for Digital Transformation Project of the Year. At the Civil Service Awards, we won Best Use of Data and Technology and won the cross-government award One Civil Service for collaborating on issuing cost of living payments. Where you’ll workOur Manchester hub is in St Peter’s Square. Right in the heart of the city, it’s easily accessible by tram, bus or rail.On-site facilities include a café, cycle shelter, showers, and Wudu washing facilities. It's also home to our user experience lab and UX command centre.We recognise that a healthy work-life balance is important. That’s why we’ve embraced a hybrid working approach that allows DWP Digital employees to spend up to 60% of their week working from home.Find out more about jobs with us. Visit our careers site today, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

DWP Digital
User Researcher

Digital With PurposeDo you want to play a pivotal role in delivering some of the country’s most important tech projects? We’re recruiting innovative, curious, and enthusiastic digital specialists who want to be part of our huge transformation.DWP Digital improves user experiences for the Department for Work and Pensions’ customers and colleagues. The services we build are used by millions of people to access the support that they need at different times of their lives.Own your careerThe large-scale digital transformation we’re undergoing requires a wide range of skills. That’s why we have over 5,000 experts working on a variety of important projects, and why we’re recruiting even more.We need people with experience in engineering, data, product design, architecture and much more. Opportunities to work with us range from early talent and apprenticeships that will enable you to grow with DWP Digital, all the way up to senior roles that will allow you to shape the future direction of the organisation. Our dedication to development means you will have ample opportunity to learn and thrive at the cutting-edge of the industry.An award-winning teamIn 2022, our award highlights include our API Integration team being awarded Kong’s Top Public Sector Innovation Award and the Red Hat Innovation Award. We also won the Organisational Exit from the Pandemic category at the UK IT Industry Awards and were highly commended for Digital Transformation Project of the Year. At the Civil Service Awards, we won Best Use of Data and Technology and won the cross-government award One Civil Service for collaborating on issuing cost of living payments. Where you’ll workOur Manchester hub is in St Peter’s Square. Right in the heart of the city, it’s easily accessible by tram, bus or rail.On-site facilities include a café, cycle shelter, showers, and Wudu washing facilities. It's also home to our user experience lab and UX command centre.We recognise that a healthy work-life balance is important. That’s why we’ve embraced a hybrid working approach that allows DWP Digital employees to spend up to 60% of their week working from home.Find out more about jobs with us. Visit our careers site today, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

DWP Digital
Agile Delivery Manager

Digital With PurposeDo you want to play a pivotal role in delivering some of the country’s most important tech projects? We’re recruiting innovative, curious, and enthusiastic digital specialists who want to be part of our huge transformation.DWP Digital improves user experiences for the Department for Work and Pensions’ customers and colleagues. The services we build are used by millions of people to access the support that they need at different times of their lives.Own your careerThe large-scale digital transformation we’re undergoing requires a wide range of skills. That’s why we have over 5,000 experts working on a variety of important projects, and why we’re recruiting even more.We need people with experience in engineering, data, product design, architecture and much more. Opportunities to work with us range from early talent and apprenticeships that will enable you to grow with DWP Digital, all the way up to senior roles that will allow you to shape the future direction of the organisation. Our dedication to development means you will have ample opportunity to learn and thrive at the cutting-edge of the industry.An award-winning teamIn 2022, our award highlights include our API Integration team being awarded Kong’s Top Public Sector Innovation Award and the Red Hat Innovation Award. We also won the Organisational Exit from the Pandemic category at the UK IT Industry Awards and were highly commended for Digital Transformation Project of the Year. At the Civil Service Awards, we won Best Use of Data and Technology and won the cross-government award One Civil Service for collaborating on issuing cost of living payments. Where you’ll workOur Manchester hub is in St Peter’s Square. Right in the heart of the city, it’s easily accessible by tram, bus or rail.On-site facilities include a café, cycle shelter, showers, and Wudu washing facilities. It's also home to our user experience lab and UX command centre.We recognise that a healthy work-life balance is important. That’s why we’ve embraced a hybrid working approach that allows DWP Digital employees to spend up to 60% of their week working from home.Find out more about jobs with us. Visit our careers site today, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

DWP Digital

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