You will bring a unique perspective to a role as your experience will have been different from that of others. Don't be afraid to bring that to the fore, it is what makes you, you and brings a valuable contribution to a team. I wish I'd thought this more when I first joined the Civil Service!

In terms of applications, it sounds obvious, but make sure you read the job advert thoroughly, and tailor your application to evidence your experience of the key things the vacancy-holder is looking for. i've reviewed hundreds of job applications which often fail to do this. In terms of doing your job, be clear on your responsibility and then commit to delivering it with energy. Focus on the most important things that need to be delivered, structure your time well to achieve these, and be sure to consider others as you deliver - hitting a target is great, but not as great if everyone else's delivery has been negatively affected by the way you've worked and interacted - remember to keep the big picture in mind. If you are considering whether to move roles or take on additional/new responsibilities, my advice would be to go for it. It's often easier to stick with what you know, and to find reasons not to try new things - "maybe next month, or next time". In my experience, trying new challenges always builds your experience, resilience and understanding, and as long as you don't change roles really frequently, you will rewarded in your career as a result of taking the plunge.

A job can sound great from the headline, but read the description properly and think carefully if this is a good first job on a ladder of progression or could it be the next one on your way onwards and upwards? Ask yourself what are your strengths? What am I good at? What needs working on? Where do I want to go and how am I going to get there? If you aren't actually too sure where the path may lead, don't overly worry yourself, picking up skills and knowledge in any job is always a good thing. The trick is to know what you have and what you need next. You may have good experience in one area of work, but you need some experience in another to move forward, so sometime a sideways move can work too! I did a sideways temporary move in to VAT import policy as I wanted to understand how it fitted with my litigation work and how policy was developed. I did this for 7 months and it gave me insight in to how things like ministerial submissions were drafted and how communication with stakeholders was so important in this. I used this experience to further my knowledge and it helped me do a better job application for my current role as it demonstrated I was willing to stretch and develop myself. Keep trying and learn from any feedback you are given- it can be very useful ! Good luck!