Finding the right role is the first step in deciding whether Carmarthenshire County Council is the right place for you.
Start by searching our current vacancies. Each job advert is designed to give you a clear picture of the role, what it involves and what we’re looking for, in the job advert, with more information in the job profile.
So you can decide whether it’s a good fit for you, each job advert includes:
- A job summary – an overview of the role.
- The role profile (what the job involves).
- The behaviours required.
We recruit based on our values and behaviours, as well as skills and experience, because how people work and treat others matters just as much as what they do. The behaviour level shown in the advert helps you understand what’s expected in the role and how you’ll be assessed if you apply.
Take time to read the advert and job profile carefully. Think about how your experience — from work, education, volunteering or wider life experience — matches the role and the behaviour level required. You don’t need to use formal or technical language; we’re interested in you, how you work, and what matters to you.
Need help finding the right role?
If you’re not sure where to start, or you’d benefit from extra support to get into work, help is available. Our employment support team can help you overcome barriers and build confidence while you look for the right role. This support may include:
- Identifying training opportunities.
- Providing you with a personal mentor who will help you identify your skills, and work with you to develop a job action plan.
- Help build your confidence.
- Help with writing a CV and completing job applications.
If you’d like to find out more about the support available, you can contact the employment support team by calling 01554 744303 or emailing employmentsupport@carmarthenshire.gov.uk.
Our values describe what matters to us in Carmarthenshire County Council.
Our behaviours describe how those values are shown in everyday actions.
In simple terms:
- Values are what we believe in.
- Behaviours are how we act.
We use behaviours in recruitment because how you work is just as important as what you do. They help us recruit fairly, consistently, and inclusively.
Behaviours:
- Focus on how you treat people and approach your work.
- Are clear and easy to understand.
- Can be shown through real examples from work or life experience.
You can read more here: One Council – Our core values and behaviours
Behaviour levels – What do they mean?
We use the same behaviours for everyone. The level depends on the role you are applying for.
At a glance
- Delivers – how you do your own job well.
- Shapes – how you improve services and/or support others.
- Leads – how you set direction for the service and others.
Click on the levels below to find out more.
Applies to all roles.
Focuses on:
- Delivering a good service
- Being reliable and respectful
- Taking responsibility for your work
Examples include:
- Following procedures
- Supporting colleagues
- Treating customers with care and respect
Applies to roles that involve providing advice, managing work or people.
Focuses on:
- Improving how things are done
- Helping others to perform well
- Using good judgement within your role
Examples include:
- Improving a process
- Supporting and developing a colleague
- Making informed decisions
Applies to senior and leadership roles.
Focuses on:
- Setting direction and priorities
- Influencing others positively
- Role modelling our values
Examples include:
- Leading change and collaboration
- Creating a positive, inclusive culture
- Making strategic plans and decisions
Once you’ve decided that Carmarthenshire County Council is the right place for you, it’s time to apply.
Your application will include a supporting statement. This is your opportunity to tell us more about how you meet the requirements of the role, including the behaviours, using clear examples rather than listing duties.
When writing your supporting statement:
- Read the job advert and role profile carefully so that you understand what is essential for the role.
- Use the person specification to guide your answers – this helps you focus on what we are looking for (your response is what we use to decide on the shortlist, so let us know about how you meet the requirements).
- Show how your skills, experience and behaviours match the role (we only know what you have done or can do if you tell us!).
When giving examples for the behaviours we are looking for, this is your chance to show:
- An example of when you demonstrated the behaviours for the role.
- What you personally did (your own contribution) or what your role was within the team.
- The difference you made, what happened as a result, or what you learned.
Your examples do not need to come only from paid work. You can use experience from:
- Education or training
- Volunteering
- Caring responsibilities or wider life experience
- Clubs, groups, sports or hobbies
Choose examples that best show how you work, make decisions and treat others. Try to focus more on telling us how you do things, because this helps us understand how you work and how you would fit into the job you are applying for.
Giving strong behaviour examples (STAR model)
We recommend using the STAR model to structure your answers:
Situation – What was happening? (give us a quick, one sentence about the context)
Task – What was your responsibility? (what was it that you or the team were trying to achieve?)
Action – What did you do? (try to focus on how you did the task, not just what you did. If you’re using a team example, what was your role?)
Result – What happened? What did you learn? (this is the most important part, especially what you learned from the task)
You don’t need to write a lot, being clear is more important than being detailed.
Find out more on how to write a supporting statement.
Using the STAR model
Situation
Describe what was happening and set the context.
I was working in a customer facing role and received a call from a customer who was upset about a delay in receiving a service they were expecting.”
Task
Explain what you needed to do or what responsibility you had.
It was my responsibility to listen to the customer, understand the issue, provide clear information and help resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”
Action
Explain what you did, why you did it and how you approached it. This should focus on your actions. If you are using a team example, explain what your role was in the team, what you did, and how you did it.
I listened carefully to the customer without interrupting so they felt heard. I explained the situation clearly using plain language and checked that the customer understood. I then contacted the relevant team to find out why the delay had occurred. Once I had the information, I called the customer back to explain what would happen next and gave them a clear timescale. I made sure to remain calm, polite and professional throughout the conversation.”
Result
Explain what happened because of your actions and what you learned.
As a result, the issue was resolved within the agreed timescale. The customer thanked me for keeping them informed and said they felt reassured. I learned the importance of clear communication and keeping customers updated, especially when things don’t go as planned.”
Helpful tips before you apply
- Read the advert and role profile carefully (this helps you focus on what we’re looking for)
- Check the behaviour definition (this tells you what we’re looking for)
- Use clear, everyday language
- Focus on why you did it that way (that helps us to understand your approach)
- Don’t worry if your experience is not from paid work, it still counts
Need support or adjustments?
We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone.
If you need reasonable adjustments or extra support at any stage, contact the recruiting manager (details are in the job advert).
If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to an interview. This is your opportunity to tell us more about your experience, skills and how you would approach the role. Our interviews include values based questions, which help us understand how you demonstrate our behaviours in real situations, alongside technical or role specific questions where these are relevant to the post.
We want everyone to be able to perform at their best. If you need any reasonable adjustments for your interview, please let us know as early as possible by contacting the recruiting manager named on the job advert. We aim to make the process fair, accessible and supportive.
How to prepare
- Re read the job advert and role profile
- Prepare examples that demonstrate our behaviours
- Be ready to discuss any technical or professional knowledge relevant to the role
- Let us know in advance if you need any adjustments
Find out what documents to bring to interview.
After interviews have taken place, we will be in contact to let you know the outcome. If you are successful, we will explain the next steps. If not, we appreciate the time you have taken and, where possible, will provide feedback to support future applications.
