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Reply 340
Interesting theories! So will all the London people be forewarning those at the later ACs or will it be DOG EAT DOG up in this thread?
Reply 341
Original post by GdotL
Interesting theories! So will all the London people be forewarning those at the later ACs or will it be DOG EAT DOG up in this thread?


I am happy to try and give as much help as possible...I wouldn't be surprised if they asked us to keep it all as secret as possible though. One guy from a few years back said he wasn't allowed to say much on it.

I don't think they'd have a problem with us saying that it isn't psychometric tests (if that is the case), but until I get there I can't be sure. :smile:

Good luck to everyone working hard towards the ACs though!
Original post by Y'crik
I'm sort of hoping that it isn't these, but no one is really sure. I found a bit from previous applicants and that talks about needing to know stuff about local government but I think they've changed the whole process this year, as they seem to have done away with telephone interviews. Nothing wrong with doing a few mock tests anyway.

Would they have told us if it were these tests? I mean, they say no preparation is needed...:confused:


Yeah I hope they don't ask us complicated questions about the local government. I did some research before and after I applied to the position, but other than that I have no prior experience or knowledge of working in the government or things related to it. Unless you can count being the head of the student council for 5 years :tongue: I'm kind of shocked I've even made it though this far tbh.

What's everyone's background btw?
Reply 343
Original post by laura130490
Yeah I hope they don't ask us complicated questions about the local government. I did some research before and after I applied to the position, but other than that I have no prior experience or knowledge of working in the government or things related to it. Unless you can count being the head of the student council for 5 years :tongue: I'm kind of shocked I've even made it though this far tbh.

What's everyone's background btw?


I don't think they expect lots of knowledge. I've done some research, and follow a Local Government blog but I figured that we would learn about it whilst we were working (if we were to so lucky as to have been offered a job!) I still think it will be a report based thing. The best thing is not to worry a lot.

My experience comes from my work as a Student Representative at University. I need to review my application before I head off to the AC really.
Original post by Y'crik
I don't think they expect lots of knowledge. I've done some research, and follow a Local Government blog but I figured that we would learn about it whilst we were working (if we were to so lucky as to have been offered a job!) I still think it will be a report based thing. The best thing is not to worry a lot.

My experience comes from my work as a Student Representative at University. I need to review my application before I head off to the AC really.


Yeah I figured we would learn on the job as well. What uni course are you doing? I'm doing biomed which is probably the least related degree possible! lol I like the thought that I'd be able to help people and make a difference to people's lives though. I come from a deprived area and I have some ideas about how it could be improved, so that's what attracted me to apply really. The chance to make a difference (sounds really cheesy I know), I think that's what I put on my application form actually!
Reply 345
Original post by laura130490
Yeah I figured we would learn on the job as well. What uni course are you doing? I'm doing biomed which is probably the least related degree possible! lol I like the thought that I'd be able to help people and make a difference to people's lives though. I come from a deprived area and I have some ideas about how it could be improved, so that's what attracted me to apply really. The chance to make a difference (sounds really cheesy I know), I think that's what I put on my application form actually!


I take history. I don't think it is so much about the degree subject, but the skills you pick up doing it. You seem to have put down similar reasons to me. I am from a fairly deprived area, and especially moving away for Uni to a realatively affluent area and speaking to other people, I never realised how bad some parts of it were. I like the idea of making changes as well. My whole application spoke of things like that, from what I recall.
Original post by laura130490
Yeah I hope they don't ask us complicated questions about the local government. I did some research before and after I applied to the position, but other than that I have no prior experience or knowledge of working in the government or things related to it. Unless you can count being the head of the student council for 5 years :tongue: I'm kind of shocked I've even made it though this far tbh.

What's everyone's background btw?


I've done some work experience with my local MP, met some local councillors during that time and I went to the Labour conference in 2010, but my degree isn't really related to politics and my university extra-curriculars aren't either (they're more to do with charity and English Lit stuff). My motivations for this are similar to you guys - I come from a pretty dead-end town which has suffered some really terrible cuts to its local funding, so being able to make a difference would be nice :o: I'd be thrown by questions about local government, too, so I'm going to read up on it before the AC.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Y'crik
I take history. I don't think it is so much about the degree subject, but the skills you pick up doing it. You seem to have put down similar reasons to me. I am from a fairly deprived area, and especially moving away for Uni to a realatively affluent area and speaking to other people, I never realised how bad some parts of it were. I like the idea of making changes as well. My whole application spoke of things like that, from what I recall.


Yeah my area is pretty dire in almost every single way, bad schools, bad housing, poverty, crime etc. I feel like we get ignored and no one cares enough to try and change or improve anything. Have you applied to any other grad schemes?
Reply 348
Original post by laura130490
Yeah my area is pretty dire in almost every single way, bad schools, bad housing, poverty, crime etc. I feel like we get ignored and no one cares enough to try and change or improve anything. Have you applied to any other grad schemes?


My area is not the worst, but it is pretty odd to go to somewhere like London, which is very much a multicultural centre and then return home, where a large majority of people are white, even if they have immigrated to the UK. The Secondary School I used to attend was doing so poorly that it was transformed into an academy with some other poorly performing schools in the area. Crime isn't as bad as it could be but I think there is a huge youth unemployment problem there at the moment.

I applied for a few others. Some I am glad I didn't get, as I would have hated it. The other one that I did get a response from I had to email and say I could not continue with my application; it was just too much work with all the University stuff I had as well. What about you?
Original post by rainbow drops
I've done some work experience with my local MP, met some local councillors during that time and I went to the Labour conference in 2010, but my degree isn't really related to politics and my university extra-curriculars aren't either (they're more to do with charity and English Lit stuff). My motivations for this are similar to you guys - I come from a pretty dead-end town which has suffered some really terrible cuts to its local funding, so being able to make a difference would be nice :o: I'd be thrown by questions about local government, too, so I'm going to read up on it before the AC.


Yeah all my degree and work experience is to do with medicine/science tbh. I'm basically a medicine reject who had to re-evaluate their life and decide what other careers I would enjoy. I had a kind of crisis where I was like what else am I going to do other than medicine? So I looked through hundreds of grad schemes and jobs and applied for the ones which I thought I would enjoy :smile: Sorry for the life story, I just got tore apart on another thread when someone found out I'd applied to another grad scheme which wasn't related to that one. Thing is I don't really know where my life is heading, and I've just applied to things (only three grad schemes) I think I will enjoy and I'm going to see if that leads anywhere.
Original post by Y'crik
My area is not the worst, but it is pretty odd to go to somewhere like London, which is very much a multicultural centre and then return home, where a large majority of people are white, even if they have immigrated to the UK. The Secondary School I used to attend was doing so poorly that it was transformed into an academy with some other poorly performing schools in the area. Crime isn't as bad as it could be but I think there is a huge youth unemployment problem there at the moment.

I applied for a few others. Some I am glad I didn't get, as I would have hated it. The other one that I did get a response from I had to email and say I could not continue with my application; it was just too much work with all the University stuff I had as well. What about you?


That's what happened to my secondary school. It hasn't helped much though. I've only applied to two others. I've applied to the clinical science grad scheme, it's literally the only science grad scheme I can do with my degree, and the NHS graduate management one. They were the only ones (including this one) that I liked the sound of. I think I must have a thing for the public sector :tongue: I haven't heard back yet from the clinical science one, but I got through to the final stage of the NHS management one, don't think I did very well though, so not expecting a job from that.
Reply 351
Original post by laura130490
That's what happened to my secondary school. It hasn't helped much though. I've only applied to two others. I've applied to the clinical science grad scheme, it's literally the only science grad scheme I can do with my degree, and the NHS graduate management one. They were the only ones (including this one) that I liked the sound of. I think I must have a thing for the public sector :tongue: I haven't heard back yet from the clinical science one, but I got through to the final stage of the NHS management one, don't think I did very well though, so not expecting a job from that.


In regards to your comment about being ripped apart on some other thread, that sounds a bit stupid to me. I don't think a lot of people know exactly what they want to do with their life at this point. I don't know exactly, short of something in the public sector.

Good luck with the NHS one. No news is good news; I think people often think they have done much worse than they have! If this doesn't come through with a job for me, it will be back to applying to graduate schemes in September and trying to find some work in my home town.

I don't think my old school has improved much to be honest... I think when I attended, I read somewhere that GCSE Pass Rates were under 40% for five A*-Cs...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ940y2ggY0 - Whilst we are all panicking over this AD, here is some music to cheer people up. :yy:
Original post by Y'crik
In regards to your comment about being ripped apart on some other thread, that sounds a bit stupid to me. I don't think a lot of people know exactly what they want to do with their life at this point. I don't know exactly, short of something in the public sector.

Good luck with the NHS one. No news is good news; I think people often think they have done much worse than they have! If this doesn't come through with a job for me, it will be back to applying to graduate schemes in September and trying to find some work in my home town.

I don't think my old school has improved much to be honest... I think when I attended, I read somewhere that GCSE Pass Rates were under 40% for five A*-Cs...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ940y2ggY0 - Whilst we are all panicking over this AD, here is some music to cheer people up. :yy:


Yeah it was by someone who said he'd dedicated years of his life to trying to get on the scheme and had PhDs and stuff and seemed pretty outraged that I was considering other careers. Like you say though, how many recent uni grads know exactly what job they want to go into? I think in this climate as well you can't afford to be too picky.

In regards to the NHS scheme, I'm hoping that's what's happened. I think it's put me off ACs for life though! It was like being on the apprentice, some people were very ruthless. I suppose that's the nature of them though and to be expected really.
Original post by laura130490
Yeah it was by someone who said he'd dedicated years of his life to trying to get on the scheme and had PhDs and stuff and seemed pretty outraged that I was considering other careers. Like you say though, how many recent uni grads know exactly what job they want to go into? I think in this climate as well you can't afford to be too picky.

In regards to the NHS scheme, I'm hoping that's what's happened. I think it's put me off ACs for life though! It was like being on the apprentice, some people were very ruthless. I suppose that's the nature of them though and to be expected really.


How rude of someone to say that to you :\ it's perfectly normal to be interested in a number of careers at this point. I know I am, and I'm seriously considering applying for a PGCE in the autumn, but this graduate scheme sounds brilliant as well, and it would be daft not to keep my options open in the meantime.

The only ACs I've been to have been tests and haven't involved group discussions or anything, but I've heard some horror stories from friends about the fast stream FSACs. I'm pretty glad that the NGDP hasn't indicated that we'll be doing that kind of AC yet, as competitive, arrogant people annoy me beyond belief.
Reply 354
Original post by laura130490
Yeah it was by someone who said he'd dedicated years of his life to trying to get on the scheme and had PhDs and stuff and seemed pretty outraged that I was considering other careers. Like you say though, how many recent uni grads know exactly what job they want to go into? I think in this climate as well you can't afford to be too picky.

In regards to the NHS scheme, I'm hoping that's what's happened. I think it's put me off ACs for life though! It was like being on the apprentice, some people were very ruthless. I suppose that's the nature of them though and to be expected really.


I agree. Fair enough if he knows what he wants to do, but a lot of people don't.

Well, good luck! :smile: I have yet to go to an AC, so I am pretty clueless in regards to how other people act...

Original post by rainbow drops
How rude of someone to say that to you :\ it's perfectly normal to be interested in a number of careers at this point. I know I am, and I'm seriously considering applying for a PGCE in the autumn, but this graduate scheme sounds brilliant as well, and it would be daft not to keep my options open in the meantime.

The only ACs I've been to have been tests and haven't involved group discussions or anything, but I've heard some horror stories from friends about the fast stream FSACs. I'm pretty glad that the NGDP hasn't indicated that we'll be doing that kind of AC yet, as competitive, arrogant people annoy me beyond belief.


We did a careers thing at my Uni, and there were some group things that we tried. I think every one will be different in some way. I agree with you on competitive, arrogant people... I don't understand why they feel the need to be that way.
Original post by rainbow drops
How rude of someone to say that to you :\ it's perfectly normal to be interested in a number of careers at this point. I know I am, and I'm seriously considering applying for a PGCE in the autumn, but this graduate scheme sounds brilliant as well, and it would be daft not to keep my options open in the meantime.

The only ACs I've been to have been tests and haven't involved group discussions or anything, but I've heard some horror stories from friends about the fast stream FSACs. I'm pretty glad that the NGDP hasn't indicated that we'll be doing that kind of AC yet, as competitive, arrogant people annoy me beyond belief.


That's what I tried to get across to him, but he was having none of it. I think the mods deleted one of his posts in the end because what he was saying was really nasty, just no need for it.

Yeah there were some people like that at the AC I went to, the kind who will try and make you look bad so they can look good, think they're the bees knees and it's a walk in the park etc. I'd really hate for one of the ACs on this scheme to be like that, it wasn't a very nice experience for the most part.

Original post by Y'crik
I agree. Fair enough if he knows what he wants to do, but a lot of people don't.

Well, good luck! :smile: I have yet to go to an AC, so I am pretty clueless in regards to how other people act...



We did a careers thing at my Uni, and there were some group things that we tried. I think every one will be different in some way. I agree with you on competitive, arrogant people... I don't understand why they feel the need to be that way.


Thank you :smile: Don't get me wrong, a lot of people there were nice, but some of them were just horrible and reminded me of some of the people on the apprentice. There was also this kind of atmosphere where you could tell everyone was trying to suss each other out and show off about how they are better. I was shocked at the amount of people there from Oxbridge as well, but heard it was far far worse at the fast stream ACs.
Original post by rainbow drops
How rude of someone to say that to you :\ it's perfectly normal to be interested in a number of careers at this point. I know I am, and I'm seriously considering applying for a PGCE in the autumn, but this graduate scheme sounds brilliant as well, and it would be daft not to keep my options open in the meantime.

The only ACs I've been to have been tests and haven't involved group discussions or anything, but I've heard some horror stories from friends about the fast stream FSACs. I'm pretty glad that the NGDP hasn't indicated that we'll be doing that kind of AC yet, as competitive, arrogant people annoy me beyond belief.


The people at my FSAC were really nice. The way the group exercise was set up - so that everybody's interests were as opposed as possible - wasn't, though. Was absurdly difficult. That said, my Teach First group exercise was quite an enjoyable experience. I wonder how NGDP will pitch it, as I assume AC2 will involve such a task (for those lucky enough to get through).

And I assume NGDP AC1 will be 'here's a scenario and a load of documents - write a report including some basic accounting/statistical analysis giving a recommendation'. One of the FSAC Policy Recommendation exercises was very much like that, so it wouldn't be a surprise. The only thing is, marking 100s (maybe 1000s) of those would be very labour intensive.

Anyway, would be nicer if there was more transparency as to what is going on. Other grad schemes I've applied for have been much more open about what the application process involves. I understand that they've changed it this year - but surely that's all the more reason to be up front about it.
Oh gawd! Everyone on here is talking about their relevant experience and reasons for wanting to work in local government....seems like I filled in the application form so, so long ago that I can't even remember what I put! I'm pretty nervous about this now. Found out last week I juuuuust missed out in the Civil Service GFS (so frustrating) and so although I know I MUST be a credible candidate I'm now really conscious of all the things I did wrong!

Out of interest, does anyone on here know much about the scheme itself? I mean, this is 100% the kind of thing I want to be doing, but that said, it is my second choice grad scheme. As I was so close for the Civil Service, I'm going to be applying again next year. If by any chance I do get this job, am I contracted to finish out the scheme? I mean there's every chance I'll love it....but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot and feel like I'm stuck in a job that wasn't quite the dream, you know?

I realise this sounds a lot like I think the NGDP is beneath me... :/ This isn't at all the case but getting such a close score for the civ. serv. has put me in a kind of 'well I'll show THEM' mentality about next year!
Reply 358
Original post by comeluckyapril
Oh gawd! Everyone on here is talking about their relevant experience and reasons for wanting to work in local government....seems like I filled in the application form so, so long ago that I can't even remember what I put! I'm pretty nervous about this now. Found out last week I juuuuust missed out in the Civil Service GFS (so frustrating) and so although I know I MUST be a credible candidate I'm now really conscious of all the things I did wrong!

Out of interest, does anyone on here know much about the scheme itself? I mean, this is 100% the kind of thing I want to be doing, but that said, it is my second choice grad scheme. As I was so close for the Civil Service, I'm going to be applying again next year. If by any chance I do get this job, am I contracted to finish out the scheme? I mean there's every chance I'll love it....but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot and feel like I'm stuck in a job that wasn't quite the dream, you know?

I realise this sounds a lot like I think the NGDP is beneath me... :/ This isn't at all the case but getting such a close score for the civ. serv. has put me in a kind of 'well I'll show THEM' mentality about next year!


I would say don't worry about your application. You obviously did enough right to make it this far! Each graduate scheme is different, even ones that seem to be similar. :smile:

From what I understand, just because you do this scheme and train in Local Government, you don't have to work there forever. After the scheme, nothing is stopping you from searching out jobs in the Civil Service in general. One of the possibilities I am still considering is working in the Foreign Office (if I could get in, that is). Like people were talking about above, you don't need to decide your whole life right now. Just because you take this job, doesn't mean you have to do it forever. I hope this helps. :smile:
Original post by Y'crik
I would say don't worry about your application. You obviously did enough right to make it this far! Each graduate scheme is different, even ones that seem to be similar. :smile:

From what I understand, just because you do this scheme and train in Local Government, you don't have to work there forever. After the scheme, nothing is stopping you from searching out jobs in the Civil Service in general. One of the possibilities I am still considering is working in the Foreign Office (if I could get in, that is). Like people were talking about above, you don't need to decide your whole life right now. Just because you take this job, doesn't mean you have to do it forever. I hope this helps. :smile:


Thank you!! :smile: I suppose I should have been more clear - I was wondering (if successful) whether I'd be contractually obliged to complete the scheme? So if, for example, I wanted to leave after just a year, would that be allowed?

If you're wanting to work for the FCO are you planning on applying for the Fast Stream any time soon?

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