Words to remember:

maintenance	dwellings
estates	liaison
slum	assessments
outskirts	tenant
arid	substantive

Housing Associations

While local authorities are the major employers of housing managers there are also opportunities with Housing Associations, a few private property owners, and Housing Aid or Advice Centres. Housing Associations are non-profit making organisations which provide both new and improved houses to rent. They are very largely financed by the Housing Corporation, a government sponsored body, or by local authorities. Housing Associations vary greatly in size and type, and include cooperative and self-build groups as well as those providing accommodation at fair rents, sometimes for particular categories of tenant such as the elderly, the disabled or single parents. Some Housing Associations notify vacancies direct to universities or polytechnics; alternatively you should look in the local or national press or 'Voluntary Housing' the monthly magazine of the National Federation of Housing Associations, or enquire of individual Housing Associations direct.

Words to remember:

particular

disabled

Law

Many Chief Executives in local government have qualified as solicitors (most of the rest have qualified as accountants). Larger authorities regularly offer articled clerkships to trainee solicitors. Work includes all aspects of property and planning, a range of litigation and commercial contracts and enforcement of consumer protection and environmental health Legislation. More senior posts often involve a lot of general administration. (Legal Profession)

Words to remember:

solicitor

litigation

consumer

Leisure and Recreation

This is a growth area, but despite the recognition by local authorities of the need for expansion of sports and leisure centres, playing fields, parks, swimming pools etc, vacancies are few and graduates may have to start at a comparatively lowly level. Qualifications in Recreation Management are increasingly looked for. (Leisure and Recreation)

despite

Libraries

Here again you need a professional qualification which requires a first degree in Librarianship or a one year postgraduate diploma plus recognised experience. Many local authorities have cut back on expenditure on libraries in recent years affecting both book stocks and staffing levels. (Library Information and Archive Work)

Museums

There is great competition for few vacancies in the 400-500 local authority museums. You generally need a postgraduate qualification to get in and then study for the Museums Association Diploma. (Museums and Art Galleries)

Personnel

Local authorities employ large staffs: personnel staff deal with their recruitment, training, industrial relations, salary administration, manpower planning, employee services and records. Graduates with work experience and some maturity are the most likely recruits for personnel. (Personnel Work)

Planning

The majority of graduates in planning who are successful in finding relevant work obtain their first jobs with local authorities. Postgraduate qualifications are virtually essential for non-planning graduates. Recruitment at present is very restricted. (Town and County Planning)

Press and Public Relations

Most local authorities have some kind of Information Officer: some have well staffed public relations departments.

Amongst public relations (PR) practitioners and academics the most widely accepted definition is that adopted in 1978 by the Institute of Public Relations (IPR): Public relations practice is the deliberate, planned, and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics. In 1978, the "Mexican Statement" was adopted by more than thirty national and regional PR associations in Mexico at the World Assembly of Public Relations Associates: the statement reads as follows: Public relations practice is the art and social science of analysing trends, predicting their consequences, counselling organisation's leadership, and implementing planned programmes of action that will serve both the organisation's and public interest. Other professional definitions include: Public relations is the management function that identifies, establishes, and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organisation and the various publics on whom its success or failure depends. Public relations is the management function that evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organisation with public interest, and plans and executes a programme of action to earn public understanding and acceptance. To date over 500 different definitions of PR have been identified world-wide. However, despite the multitude of definitions it is possible to distil some of the common elements: I. PR involves establishing and maintaining mutual understanding between organisations and their publics and also promotes and maintains mutual trust, respect and social responsibility between organisations and their publics. II. PR is a management discipline that requires all forms of planned communications to be carried out effectively. III. PR is the management of relationships between an organisation and its key publics/ target audiences. IV. PR is a process that aims to project positive views or convert negative notions or ideas into positive ones and to create understanding through knowledge. V. PR, where appropriate, attempts to harmonise private and public interests. Public relations is more than just judicious persuasion: it is a complex planned communication process that involves managing corporate reputation and image. VI. PR is a continuous function that, where relevant, supports (and can be even be corrective to) advertising and marketing activities. VII. PR manages both the reputation and perception of organisations, brands and individuals.