After switching from an architecture job to working for a local authority, people often ask me for advice on finding a job in the public sector. I believe crossing over sectors is key to better collaborations and building effective partnerships to face todays challenges. I am therefore very happy to give my hot takes:
(1) Explore Job Titles.
The job title will unlikely be ‘Architect.’ Take time to figure out which roles in Local Authorities could be right for you. Your skills might match positions like ‘Regeneration Officer,’ ‘Place Shaping Officer,’ ‘Design Officer,’ ‘Urban Design Officer,’ ‘New Build Housing Officer,’ ‘Project Officer,’ or ‘Programme Manager.’ Read the job description and find out which team handles these projects to see if the work aligns with your skills.
(2) Don’t rely on your Portfolio.
Recruiting officers might not always look at your portfolio. It’s common for no one to request to see your work samples. Most job applications will have a set of predefined questions connected to the job description. You should read the job description carefully and shape your answers based on it.
(3) Reach out.
If you see a contact in the job ad, feel free to ask questions. The interview panel needs to read and assess every job application. Recruiting managers will be pleased that only those who are truly interested in the job apply. If there’s contact information, it’s often good to reach out to help you decide if the job is right for you. Creating a new role in a council team takes time, so many roles might have a general title with a long list of potential tasks. However, the day-to-day tasks can change a lot each year based on political priorities or work cycles.
(4) Fixed Salary.
The pay is set and will be shown in the job advertisement, unlike private sector jobs. Occasionally, a salary range is mentioned. The job description should explain if you’ll start at the lower end or potentially at a higher level based on your qualifications and experience. Feel free to ask for clarification if this is important to you.
(5) Say everything.
When you fill out application forms, include all the important details, even if they seem obvious to you. Your score is based on what you explicitly share, not on what others might infer from your CV. As architects, we often assume people can grasp our experience by mentioning projects we’ve worked on. However, you will only be scored on what you mention, so be sure to explain your contributions. Being humble won’t earn you extra points.
(6) Understand the role.
Every Local Authority is structured differently. Where one LA may have a Regeneration team of 300 people, another may only be 20 people strong. The role of both teams will be very different as well as how they operate. Don’t assume that the same job title in two different council’s has the same day-to-day role. Officers in the Council will understand this best. If you know people in a Local Authority, connect with them. Grab a coffee, offer assistance, and chat to learn about that world. Local Authorities may not always share structural diagrams and team plans publicly, but officers will know them.
(7) Transferable knowledge & skills.
Your background outside of government work is very valuable. Being a bridge between public and private/tertiary sectors can be a fulfilling role. Although a role in the public sector might be very different day-to-day, your experience to date will be highly applicable.
(8) Prepare your interview.
You should be able to guess most of the interview questions from reading the job requirements. Prepare a couple of sample answers ahead of the interview. Read the Job advert and Role Description in detail. For competency-based questions, check out the STAR technique for answering competency-based questions. Note that the interview scoring is generally done separately to the application, so just because you wrote something down, doesn’t mean you don’t need to say it too.
Whether you might work in government for a long time or just a few years, I strongly support connecting different areas and understanding how we shape and manage our built environment.
Post by Tamara Kahn. Public sector roles to date include:’ Regeneration Schemes Coordinator’, ‘Central Area Good Growth Project Officer’, ‘Place Shaping Officer’ and ‘Self-Build and Community-led Housing Officer’. Prior to joining the Public Sector through Public Practice, she had experience working as architect in the private and charity sectors. She is currently also part-time Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and a Senior Associate with Architecture sans Frontières.
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