Local government - a great career move
Paul Masterman
More and more people are taking a serious look at local government as a good place to develop a career.
With the uncertain economic outlook, the public sector is always a good port in a storm. But there are also a number of positive reasons to be giving councils a look when considering your next career move.
First there is a range of interesting jobs on offer and not just the specialist ones such as social work and teaching.
Some of the bigger councils are like big businesses employing thousands of staff and delivering numerous products and services.
On offer are careers in all the mainstream professional areas - accountancy, law, information technology, engineering and architecture are just some of the options.
Local government is also going through an exciting period of change and is looking at some new ways of delivering its services. For example, councils are setting up call centres to make it easier for their customers to find and get services. They are also using the Internet to improve access for the public.
This is throwing up new types of jobs in unusual areas for the industry - you can now work as a customer services assistant or an e-government specialist, for example
Councils are now looking for a wider range of skills than they used to, so lack of local government experience is not a barrier to entry.
You should forget the old image of tradition and endless paperwork. Councils now have some very modern personnel practices and are keen on offering good work-life balance, benefits such as paternity leave and flexible working (job share, flexitime, part-time etc.) The training is excellent and you will get financial support to take a higher qualification - and generous study leave to make sure you pass!
Pay is also getting better. In fact pay has increased faster now in the public sector than it is in private companies. And pay is expected to get even higher, as councils work hard to attract good people to apply for hard to fill vacancies.
On top of all this it is good to feel you are doing something important. Councils touch all our lives and make a difference to our health, welfare and environment.
In the coming months, Monster will be highlighting lots of jobs and employers. So bookmark this community now and come back soon!
Search for Public Sector jobs or visit Monster's Local Governnment Forum
