Working for public bodies
Public bodies come in various forms, ranging from the purely advisory to those providing executive functions.
Because of the huge range of public appointments, the Working for public bodies can vary enormously.
Some skills will be essential and others will be desirable. This will be made clear in the advertisement and/or the information pack. You will need to study the skills required for a particular post in detail before deciding whether you wish to apply.
General skills
The following skills are likely to be important for most appointments:
- Commitment and a willingness to devote the necessary time to prepare and to participate actively in the work of the body
- Common sense and the ability to assess the impact of decisions on all sections of the community
- Independence and a willingness to ask questions or to query why a certain course of action is being recommended
- Clarity of thought and the ability to assess a situation quickly and even-handedly, to see the wider picture
- The ability to listen as well as express your views; and to influence and deal with all groups, including perhaps specialists or experts
- Collaborative skills and the ability to work as a group, perhaps gained through experience of working on a committee or project team. This experience could be demonstrated in your career or in variety of other ways such as voluntary work. Perhaps you have been a school governor, a member of a housing trust, a Chamber of Commerce or been involved in a pressure group?
