Jill Allcoat is membership manager at the Chartered Institute of Housing
Consider an entry-level position to get your foot on the ladder: There will be many jobs that you could consider as an entry level position, including front-line customer services. Talk to some of your local housing organisations to find out more about their recruitment; where do they advertise, do they have open days. Take any opportunities for experience.
Plan, network and find a mentor to get ahead: Break your career planning into manageable tasks and steps and keep reviewing your progress. Networking is a must. Having a mentor is also a great way to support your career development. This could be someone in your organisation, although many people prefer a mentor from outside their organisation. A mentor can provide support, help to keep you focussed, use their network to help support you. It is really good to have someone who is committed to helping you succeed.
How to network effectively: Networking can be going to an event or online, perhaps through discussion forums. The CIH and NHF annual conferences are great opportunities to network. You could also keep an eye on the events organised by the regional and national committees, you will find some of these are free to attend - have a look at the CIH website in the 'your location' section. Remember attending meetings also provides an opportunity to network. Maybe there are ad-hoc project groups you could get involved in that will also support developing your knowledge and contacts.
Studying can boost your network, not just your knowledge: Studying a qualification is a great way to contribute to your professional development and there are a range of qualifications at different levels and can be studied in different ways. All student members are able to access a wide range of membership benefits that will support developing your knowledge both in your work role, your career development and academic studies. As well as what you are taught on your course you will also learn a lot from your peers, as you find out about where they work, their experiences, how particular activities may vary between organisations, similarities etc while also supporting your growing network.
Catharine Hinton is specialist advisor for housing at Asset Skills
Tips for becoming a housing development officer: Financial management and experience in contract management are important. In addition, financial modelling skills (ie high levels of numeracy backed up with strong ability to use software such as spreadsheets) and budgeting skills (ie being able to make projects 'stack-up' financially) are important. Negotiation and influencing skills are very important too. In the progress of a housing scheme you work with a lot of different people including the Homes and Communities Agency, local authority planners, building contractors and, importantly, local residents and communities. You work with people at all different levels and from all kinds of backgrounds so you need to be a good communicator who can change the way you communicate with people so that it is appropriate to the situation.
Keep developing your skills, especially in leadership and business: There are National Occupational Standards for leadership and management which will give you some in depth information on the skills, knowledge and behaviour expected. Mileage will vary according to the role, size of organisation and culture. Look for work at companies that have a succession plan in place where they proactively develop their members of staff for future roles at Director / CEO level. It doesn't hurt at all to develop skills / experience / qualifications in finance and accounting as all businesses are reliant on the bottom line.
Karen Riches is a director of Public Select, a recruitment and development agency
Volunteer and learn to apply existing skills: Talk to people who already work in housing to get a better view of what kind of housing career you are really looking for. Get some voluntary experience under your belt too - it shows commitment to a new career, as well as valuable practical experience. Think about what elements of your current career might be transferable to a career in housing. You don't necessarily need experience of housing to get a job - but you need to demonstrate where your skills and experience can add value.
Tailor your applications and have confidence in your abilities: Any job application needs to be tailored to what the organisation is looking for. No application form or CV should be exactly the same, you need to pull out what skills, experience and achievements are relevant for a specific role. If you've done enough to get an interview, then the employer thinks you're potentially good enough to do the job. The rest is then down to you. Preparation, preparation, preparation. Know what makes the organisation tick, what they need from the role, and where you can add value.
Brian Simpson is chief executive of Wirral Partnership Homes (WPH)
Tips for those aiming for the top: You will need to demonstrate that you have a sound track record in your chosen field and that the post you are applying for is a logical progression to your career. You will probably face a two day selection process looking at how you work in more detail than just an interview. Interviews at this level will involve a councillors' appointments panel for a post with a local council or a panel of board directors if at a housing association. The panels will be looking at your experience and your achievements so far and what you will bring to their post. They will also want to know what your 'vision' is if you were appointed to the job. These jobs will operate at a more strategic level and they will want to know how you will utilise all the resources you have at your direction. They will really want to know what your management style is and whether it matches what they want for the organisation.
Chris Lecatsas-Lyus is a career counsellor and owner of ClearerSkies and a consultant for Curzon-Career Energy
Do your research and find out what the reality of a job in housing might mean: In order to make a success of any major career transition you really do need to do as much research on the career/sector as possible. Speaking to people who work within housing in a role that you might consider is a good place to start. This will give you a feel for what working in the sector would involve and also has the positive by product of extending your network.
Looking at career pathways for the sector and job are also important for the long term. Above all, consider your own needs against what a career in housing might offer and be clear about what you think it will add to your life and what you can bring to it.
Social media sites are useful for linking with people: Those new to the sector can begin building their networks from sites such as LinkedIn. Most professionals are quite happy to offer advice or share personal experiences about their role and sector if approached professionally. You can also access groups in the field which can help raise your level of awareness about the sector.
Prepare a good CV and respond to feedback from applications: A good indicator of whether you need additional qualifications is the success of your job applications. I recommend preparing a robust CV, applying for some jobs you are interested in and seeing what feedback you get. Any postgraduate study is a professional (as well as a personal) investment, so it is time to get it to pay for itself. You can pursue further study once you have gained some hands on experience and had time to determine the direction of your educational/professional specialisation. The most valuable pointer is what recruiters are saying they want, so if they are asking for more specialist qualifications or more experience then you will know how to proceed.
This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. Join the housing network for more like this direct to your inbox.
