[West Ender]

When I left school, back when the world was all in black and white - even ITV, I went into the Civil Service. My application was a letter to Civil Service recruitment, which was in Basingstoke, asking how I should go about it. Back came a great sheaf of documents asking about my qualifications etc. (O levels) and an application form to take the Civil Service Open Clerical Exam. I sent the form back and sat the exam, which I passed, then this was followed by a rigorous interview (5 middle aged men sitting on a podium) and a full medical examination. I was then assigned to the Inland Revenue, a department I had expressed no interest in what so ever (though I came to enjoy it and the pay was higher than the rest of the CS - it's not now!), in a town 15 miles from my home.

In recent years I have sat in on interviews for people being recruited into HMRC - it's all done locally now. I have seen applications where it was a surprise that the candidates managed to spell their own name correctly and one where a lad said his hobby was "Going round town with my mates". I don't know if school leavers are still taught how to write a job application but, if they are, some of the teachers concerned should be sacked.