Neighbourhood Housing Officer
My background
I studied A-levels in Business, Media and Psychology. At the University of Birmingham, I studied Media Culture and Society and I am currently doing Postgraduate diploma in Housing. My First job out of university was in customer services and then I got my first housing role as a Housing Assistant at Mercian.
I kept checking different housing association websites for vacancies and came across the position at Mercian. I applied for my current position and a few months into my job role, I was offered the position of Neighbourhood Housing Officer, which was a promotion.
Why Mercian?
Mercian is big enough to make a difference, but small enough to care. It is close to home, and so I am familiar with the areas Mercian has properties in. Many other housing associations do not invest in training; here at Mercian there is willingness to train staff and to offer professional qualifications. Mercian is funding my postgraduate.
My job
I enjoy interacting with a wide variety of people, with different backgrounds. My job is a mixture between working outdoors, meeting with agencies and partners, being in the office, and I have the freedom to manage my own work.
Being able to make differences to people’s lives, I know it sounds cheesy, but it is great to know you are helping someone.
On a typical day
I have partner meetings, for example with the council and police to resolve anti social behaviour. Sign ups to new tenancies, showing people around homes. Visiting tenants, investigating any complaints made against them, speak to residents about repairs and any issues they may have. Then I would come back to the office to complete my paperwork
My advice to you…
To do my job you need to have good interpersonal skills, be able to communicate with a wide variety of people, be thick skinned and persistent! Ultimately, you have to be caring. Everyone is eager to get things done here at Mercian, we are hard workers and ambitious with our projects therefore you have to be enthusiastic about what you do.