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Developers

The Civil Service site is the first platform in the wider programme to bring all public sector jobs online and is a further step in the Government’s web rationalisation programme.

The site provides improved job functionality for civil servants, job seekers and recruiters.

  • One place to find all Civil Service jobs
  • One place for recruiters to upload all Civil Service jobs
  • One standard format for all Civil Service jobs that can be used on other websites

To enable this we have developed a Civil Service Job Service API for government departments to use and incorporate onto their own website.

Civil Service Job Service API

Requirements:

  • All http requests require a key - this will be issued by CO/CivilService.gov.uk via email to cswebsite@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
  • All data are cached for 15mins. If you have updated a job and don't see the update please wait for the next cycle
  • If you are using the API we ask that you cache the data. This will reduce load to the service and allow you to serve up your pages or content faster
  • Please let us know if you intend using the service heavily e.g. over 5,000 calls per day so we can resource this site appropriately 

Licensing:

The information available through this API is Crown Copyright. This means you are free to use or re-use this information, including for commercial purposes, once you obtain a click-use licence from OPSI (link: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/system/online/pLogin.asp)  The conditions attached to this licence can be found here (link: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index).

Methods:

Method: getdept
What it does: This will display all departments in alphabetical order with an id (deptId)
Usage:http://api.civilservice.gov.uk/service/JobService.ashx?key=XYZ001&method=getdept

Sample Output:
<Departments> 
      <Department> 
             <DepartmentName>Defence Support Group</DepartmentName> 
             <Id>1</Id> 
      </Department> 
      <Department> 
             <DepartmentName>Adult Learning Inspectorate</DepartmentName> 
             <Id>2</Id> 
      </Department>  
      ... 
</Departments>

 
Method:  getdeptjobs
What it does: Gets a list of jobs for a department by date, latest first. Only jobs open to external applicants will be returned.  All jobs are marked with RDFa properties.

Usage:
Also requires:
    deptId=XX (mandatory), XX is the id of the department
    full=true (optional) - will display detailed job description 

http://api.civilservice.gov.uk/service/JobService.ashx?key=XYZ001&method=getdeptjobs&deptid=15
 
or
 
http://api.civilservice.gov.uk/service/JobService.ashx?key= XYZ001&method=getdeptjobs&deptid=15&full=true;

Sample Output:
<Vacancies>
      <Vacancy>
           <JobId>1487</JobId>
           <DepartmentId>15</DepartmentId>
           <VacancyTitle property="dc:title">Senior Policy Adviser - Public Service Workforce Reform</VacancyTitle>
           <VacancyReference property="dc:identifier">REC/08/257</VacancyReference>
           <Department property="dc:publisher">Cabinet Office</Department>
           <Seniority property="argot:seniority">Junior</Seniority>
           <ClosingDate property="dc:valid" propertyFormat="YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss">2009/03/30 00:00:00</ClosingDate>
           <ShortDescription>
           <![CDATA[
We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed Senior Policy Adviser to join our Public Service Workforce Reform Team. You will support the Prime Minister and other ministers by leading projects and developing policy proposals that will help improve public services. Working in partnership with the Treasury, the rest of the Cabinet Office, other government departments and the TUC, you will help shape the Government&amp;rsquo;s approach to critical workforce reform issues and help take forward the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s agenda for a new professionalism for the public services. Policy and project areas include recruitment and reward strategies, workforce planning and remodelling, leadership and skills development and approaches to engage front line staff and trade unions in policy delivery. You will also work flexibly on wider policy issues with other teams in the Public Service Reform Group. ]]>
           </ShortDescription>
           <XmlDataUrl>http://api.civilservice.gov.uk/service/jobservice.ashx?key= XYZ001&method=getjob&deptId=15&jobId=1487</XmlDataUrl>
           <RdfaDataUrl>http://api.civilservice.gov.uk/service/jobservice.ashx?key= XYZ001&method=getjob&deptId=15&jobId=1487&rdfa=true</RdfaDataUrl>
           <JobDetailUrl property="dc:source">http://beta.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs/careers-detail.aspx?JobId=1487</JobDetailUrl>
       </Vacancy>
...
</Vacancies>


Method:  getjob
What it does: Returns a job description in XML (with argot properties) or RDFa (argots assigned)

Usage:
Also requires:
    deptId=XX (mandatory), XX is the id of the department
    jobId=YY (mandatory), YY is the id of the job
    rdfa=true (optional) - will display jobs in RDFa/Argots marked Html

http://api.civilservice.gov.uk/service/JobService.ashx?key=XYZ001&method=getjob&deptId=57&jobId=480
 
or
 
http://api.civilservice.gov.uk/service/JobService.ashx?key=XYZ001&method=getjob&deptId=57&jobId=480&rdfa=true

Sample Output:
<Vacancies>
      <Vacancy type="foaf:Document">
            <JobId>1487</JobId>
            <DepartmentId>15</DepartmentId>
            <VacancyTitle property="dc:title">Senior Policy Adviser - Public Service Workforce Reform</VacancyTitle>
            <VacancyReference property="dc:identifier">REC/08/257</VacancyReference>
            <NumberOfVacancies property="dc:extent">1</NumberOfVacancies>
                  <Job type="argot:Job">
                        <JobTitle property="dc:title">Senior Policy Adviser - Public Service Workforce Reform</JobTitle>
                        <Department type="v:VCard" rel="v:org" property="v:organisation-name">Cabinet Office</Department>
                        <Locations property="rel:coverage">
                              <Location property="[dc:coverage]"> Whitehall, Greater London, London</Location>
                        </Locations>
                        <MinimumSalary property="argot:salaryFrom">43474</MinimumSalary>
                        <MaximumSalary property="argot:salaryTo">55476</MaximumSalary>
                        <SalaryCirca property="argot:salary"></SalaryCirca>
                        <PayPeriod property="argot:salaryPeriod">Per Annum</PayPeriod>
                        <AppointmentTerm property="argot:jobType">Permanent</AppointmentTerm>
                        <Requirements propery="rel:requires">
                        <TravelRequired resource="[argot:TravelUK]">No</TravelRequired>
                        <CRBCheckRequired resource="[argot:CheckCRB]">true</CRBCheckRequired>
                        <UKNationalityRequired resource="[argot:NationalUK]">false</UKNationalityRequired>
                        <UKWorkPermitRequired resource="[argot:WorkPermitUK]">false</UKWorkPermitRequired>
                        </Requirements>
                        <WorkingArrangements property="rel:workingArrangements">
                              <Arrangement property="[argot:workingArrangements]">Full time</Arrangement>
                              <Arrangement property="[argot:workingArrangements]">Part time</Arrangement>
                        </WorkingArrangements>
                  </Job>
            <Requirements propery="rel:requires">
                  <CivilServantRequired property="[argot:CivilServantUK]">false</CivilServantRequired>
            </Requirements>
            <Seniority property="argot:seniority">Junior</Seniority>
            <ShortDescription>
            <![CDATA[
We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed Senior Policy Adviser to join our Public Service Workforce Reform Team. You will support the Prime Minister and other ministers by leading projects and developing policy proposals that will help improve public services. Working in partnership with the Treasury, the rest of the Cabinet Office, other government departments and the TUC, you will help shape the Government&amp;rsquo;s approach to critical workforce reform issues and help take forward the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s agenda for a new professionalism for the public services. Policy and project areas include recruitment and reward strategies, workforce planning and remodelling, leadership and skills development and approaches to engage front line staff and trade unions in policy delivery. You will also work flexibly on wider policy issues with other teams in the Public Service Reform Group.
            ]]>
            </ShortDescription>
            <Description>
                  <![CDATA[
                        We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed Senior Policy Adviser to join our Public Service Workforce Reform Team. You will support the Prime Minister and other ministers by leading projects and developing policy proposals that will help improve public services. Working in partnership with the Treasury, the rest of the Cabinet Office, other government departments and the TUC, you will help shape the Government&amp;rsquo;s approach to critical workforce reform issues and help take forward the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s agenda for a new professionalism for the public services. Policy and project areas include recruitment and reward strategies, workforce planning and remodelling, leadership and skills development and approaches to engage front line staff and trade unions in policy delivery. You will also work flexibly on wider policy issues with other teams in the Public Service Reform Group. …. … … …                   ]]>
            </Description>
            <Skills>
                  <![CDATA[
                    ]]>
            </Skills>
            <Qualifications>
                  <![CDATA[
                  ]]>
            </Qualifications>
            <Experiences>
                  <![CDATA[
                  ]]>
            </Experiences>
            <Disciplines property="rel:discipline">
                  <Discipline property="[argot:discipline]">Policy Delivery</Discipline>
            </Disciplines>
            <ClosingDate property="dc:valid" propertyFormat="YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss"> 2009/03/30 00:00:00</ClosingDate>
            <InterviewBegin property="argot:interviewsBegin" propertyFormat="YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss"> 2009/04/13 00:00:00</InterviewBegin>
            <InterviewEnd property="argot:interviewsEnd" propertyFormat="YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss"> 2009/04/17 00:00:00InterviewEnd>
            <HowToApply>
                  <![CDATA[For an information pack and application form please email recruitment@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk or write to the Recruitment Team, Cabinet Office, 4th Floor, 22 Whitehall, London SW1A 2WH. Please quote reference REC/08/257 in all communications
                  ]]>
            </HowToApply>
            <JobDetailUrl property="dc:source"> http://beta.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs/careers-detail.aspx?JobId=1487</JobDetailUrl>
      </Vacancy>
</Vacancies>

Exception and invalid requests

Any invalid request will provide you an Http Status Code as XML output. If you are not sure what the error is, XML output with error information will be provided.

Example of error output
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
- <!--
Invalid User
  -->
   <result>
     <info>Invalid user XYZ001</info>
     <statusCode>401</statusCode>
</result