job interviwew for housing officer post

06/09/2011 9:38 am

It may be quicker to find out what the current issues in housing are by going on the web and looking at a sector on line magazine - I'd recommend Inside Housing for this - let me know if you need the web address.

06/09/2011 10:44 am

Sorry Debbie, could not resist

Local Authority (not a landlord) - their housing interest is strategic - ensuring supply and fulfilling homeless duty. So measuring and forcasting need and supply, using influence to improve social landlord activities, working with private sector to facilitate access to housing.

Local Authority (still a landlord) all the above, plus managing effectively, maximise use, increasing supply.

Decent Homes - simplistically government supported funding for the modernisation of social housing in terms of insulation, kitchens, bathrooms, also for some, heating, windows and doors, and for others strucutural work to ensure the homes are fit for occupation for decades to come. Without decent homes the houses would have become unfit to live in, impacting on the already short supply of socially rented housing.

Check out the CLG website for more chapter and verse - there are some good articles on this site too (try 'need to know' and work from there), but don't put too much reliance on comments, which can tend to be a little partisan.

Good luck with the interview, and remember, it is OK to not know something. Indeed it is better than clearly failing to cobble something together. You can also be confident in what you do know, and clear about how you would find out what you did not (ask more experienced colleagues for instance)

06/09/2011 11:36 am

Debbie

You need to give some thought to broad topics around housing. An example question might be, who should get social housing? What are the most effective ways of dealing with ASB? Why do people get into rent arrears?

You will also need to think about what the issues are that will impact on your new role in the coming years. If I were interviewing you for the post of Housing Officer I would expect you to have a reasonable grasp of what is happening that might impact on your ability to do your job.

Whilst it is true you can learn a lot of the legislation on the job, competition for roles is so tough these days that you might be competing against people who already have that knowledge. Learn the basics, e.g. secure tenancy rules, ASB tools, allocation basics, etc.

Most importantly be confident but not cocky, asertive but not aggressive and if you don't know, admit it. One of the major failings of interviewees is when they try and bumble their way through an answer when it is clear they have not got a clue. It impresses no one.

Also, do not rush out an answer but make it clear you are giving consideration to the question that is being asked. If the question is not clear ask for it to be repeated. Oh, and smile. It might sound a bit twee but it helps!

Good luck.

06/09/2011 5:54 pm

thanks folks you are very kind