Civil servants carry out the work of central and local government.

Central government matters affect the whole country. For example, collecting taxes, deciding what powers the police should have and changing the exam system. Local government covers the area where you live, including its parks, schools and libraries. Some civil servants are ‘generalist’ administrators and some are specialists: lawyers, scientists, economists, doctors, etc. Civil servants don’t all sit behind desks. Your job might involve visiting businesses, inspecting farms or footpaths, monitoring rivers or patrolling our coastal waters.