Professional posts in Local Government - Lawyers, personnel officers and accountants

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If you're a lawyer, architect, chartered secretary, personnel officer or any one of dozens of other professions you may be surprised to discover the breadth of jobs there are open to you in local government.

Once seen as the resting place of the unambitious or time-serving professional, local government is now open to such scrutiny, competitive pressure and organisational change that the type of career open to professional staff can be as exciting as its private sector equivalent.

And for the most able, the route to the very top is well-trodden. Many local authority chief executives are drawn from the ranks of lawyers and accountants, whilst the number from personnel, property and chartered secretary background is steadily increasing.

This article looks at the range, scope and type of careers open to professionals in law, personnel and finance in local government . It should be read in conjunction with the introductory article on the structure and history of local authorities.