Local government officer: Career development

There are excellent promotion opportunities in local government. With the right mix of knowledge and experience there will be many opportunities for career development and progression into senior management positions.

There is no typical career path, however, because of the diverse nature of the profession and the range of jobs, roles and departments, and people will tend to pursue different routes, depending on their own strengths and interests.

Movement between internal departments and between different local councils/authorities is quite common and can be a good way of gaining broader experience and advancing your career. Many local councils/authorities allow you to transfer to different departments on a secondment basis.

You will find that promotion depends not only on your ability, but also the size of the authority and the frequency of vacancies. It may sometimes be necessary to move to another council/authority for promotion to a senior position.