Welcome

Graham Philpot, Economic Development Officer
Cheltenham Borough Council

I began my career in a different route; I studied marketing management and journalism as a degree. I didn't really know anything about local government at the time, but I knew quite a few people and they said it was a good career. Some said it was quite bureaucratic and would need a lot of patience as the responsibilities were quite extensive, but otherwise it was a positive career choice.

My job after graduation was my current one, Economic Development Officer. The good point is that via this role, I can make a difference to the businesses and the local community/economy. It is positive to see that my work gets reflected in the changes to local traders' attitudes to the economy, via things such as training or physical enhancements to local shopfronts, but at times it can be bureaucratic as there is a lot of paper work! But for anyone thinking of a career in local government, there is a lot of career progression as you can move sideways as well as up, and there are definitely more positive aspects than negative within my job.

I got myself into local government by doing a sandwich year in a marketing degree, where I became a Business Support and Marketing Assistant at a different council working on a regeneration project. This position ended two years ago, and then after my final year at university, I applied for another local government job because of the eye-opener that my placement had been. The application process was quick and easy, it was all done online and I attended an interview shortly after. Overall, the whole recruitment process was very quick and smooth and I received a call within an hour after the interview, informing me that I had got the job.

Yes, I would recommend local government to my friends, as long as they're patient and can do a lot paper work, and that they are passionate about making a difference to their community. I've already recommended it to one person who was successful in getting a local government job.

In 5 years time, I would like to be the manager of the economic development team, or even a different team altogether where I can learn new skills and progress as an individual, which can only be a good thing for both myself and my employer.

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