What is it?

Her Majesty's Civil Service carries out the practical and administrative work of government. Three quarters of its 490,000 staff work for one of the four main departments - the Department for Work & Pensions, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Defence and HM Revenue & Customs. Civil servants serve elected government ministers and must be politically impartial

What jobs are on offer?

The Civil Service's accelerated development programme is known as the fast stream and is the main graduate entry route into senior Civil Service careers. There will be about 500 vacancies in 2009 across the main government departments, the Diplomatic Service, the Houses of Parliament, the Government Economic Service and the Government Statistical Service. Fast-streamers can expect a series of intensive postings designed to prepare them for senior managerial positions

Where are the jobs?

There are 173 government departments and agencies nationwide

What is the pay?

Fast-streamers joining the Civil Service next year can expect starting salaries of up £27,000

What is the competition?

About 15,000 candidates register each year for the Civil Service Fast Stream programme. The selection process includes an initial application form, online testing, supervised exercises and a one-day assessment centre. For certain posts, there is a further final selection board

How is the Civil Service rated?

Having been ranked the No 1 graduate recruiter in 2003, the Civil Service remains a very popular option for university-leavers and is currently sixth in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers

How do I apply?

The minimum entry requirement is a 2.2 degree and applications for 2009 programmes close on either October 31 or November 30, depending on job function. Full details at www.faststream.gov.uk

The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers book is based on research with more than 15,000 final-year university students. Price £16.99 from timesonline.co.uk/booksfirst

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