How did you first hear about jobs in housing?
A family friend worked in one of the Housing Executive District Offices as a Housing Officer. She found the job varied and interesting and told me that there were a range of different career opportunities within housing.
How did you find further information about a career in housing?
I made enquiries with the local Housing Associations and the NIHE district office. I also spoke to people who already worked in housing and got a recruitment pack with information on careers and the background of the Housing Executive.
What was it that appealed to you when you were thinking about a job in housing?
At the time I was working in the private sector and had been doing the same job for ten years with little opportunity to try new things. Having spoken to a local housing officer I was aware of the numerous opportunities across housing divisions and I was interested in work that involved dealing directly with people and had an impact within my local community. I also thought the working conditions were good as I had family responsibilities.
How did you get your first job in housing?
I saw an advertisement for a clerk typist/clerical officer in my local newspaper. Although this may have been considered a step backwards I saw it as a good opportunity to establish and further myself in a career within housing.
I applied for the position and, having completed a test and interview, was successful. I was placed in Castlereagh District Office as a Clerical Officer in the Maintenance department.
What personal skills and qualifications did you have that helped you secure your first job in housing?
I had already worked within an office environment for ten years and had experience dealing directly with customers. My work also involved problem solving and dealing with difficult situations which provided me with good communication skills and this was a very good foundation for work within a Housing Executive district office, especially the maintenance department.
I had also completed the necessary typing qualifications that were required for the job.
What skills & training have you gained since you have had your job in housing?
Almost as soon as I started within the Executive I had to complete a variety of word processing and IT related qualifications. I have also developed my presentation and communication skills and am now responsible for delivery of Information Security Awareness presentations. I am the Personnel & Management Services Divisional Fraud trainer and deliver Fraud Awareness training across the province raising staff awareness of their responsibilities in relation to fraud.
Having worked directly with tenants within the district office for ten years and helped vulnerable customers find temporary and permanent accommodation, I have developed my decision making skills and have also honed my ability to deal with crisis situations. The job as a homeless officer was extremely rewarding as I was aware that I was making a difference to people's lives by being able to provide them with a steady and secure environment. This has furthered developed my skills of empathy and understanding.
The NIHE are actively supportive of learning and development for all staff.
I have completed formal training in the following areas:
Describe a typical day?
My current job working within Information Security is quite varied and interesting and there is never a typical day. The role of Information Security is about preserving the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information that the organisation uses. It gives me an opportunity to meet with a range of business customers both internal and external and provide assurance to them that the organisation is processing, using, storing and disposing of information appropriately and in line with legislative and governance requirements.
I am responsible for the Compliance Programme which involves me working with system security officers to ensure that ISO27001 information assurance standards are in place. This means that business continuity plans, access controls, and data sharing agreements must be adhered to in line with policy and procedures.
I maintain the Information Security teamsite. This is an organisational tool where I publish advice and guidance on Information Security related topics and issues. I research current IT security threats and publish information in relation to the prevention & detection of viruses and other malicious software. This information is useful to staff in both a professional and personal capacity.
I also carry out security investigations when a threat to information whether manual or electronic has been reported. This involves interviewing staff and reporting on the incident and making recommendations on how to prevent further loss or harm. This could then entail a review of policy and procedures to ensure that security standards and business objectives are being met.
What would you tell people who are interested in a housing career?
A career in housing is not just about providing a roof over someone's head. The organisation is the strategic housing authority for Northern Ireland and therefore has a wide range of responsibilities to both our tenants and customers across other tenures. It plays a key part in community regeneration, health, education, and supporting people. This therefore opens up a wide range of areas and opportunities in which to work and make a worthwhile contribution to local communities.
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