Kirsty Anderson
Dispersed Accommodation Officer, Dundee City Council
Kirsty swapped a job in the beauty industry for a more rewarding role with Dundee City Council. Find out why joining the Housing Options team was the best decision she’s ever made.
After leaving school at 16, I worked in the beauty industry until my early 30s. During the Covid pandemic I was on maternity leave. That’s when I decided a career change was needed and looked for a more rewarding role, where I could help make a difference and a positive impact on people’s lives.
I applied for and was successful in getting a post with Dundee City Council as a Housing Options Assistant, before being promoted to my current role, helping find accommodation for people who are homeless or under threat of becoming homeless.
It’s been a massive adjustment and a lot to learn coming into the service from a totally different background, but I’ve enjoyed the challenge. Every day is different. Being given the opportunity to get a qualification in Housing Law really boosted my confidence and helped me learn more about the service, so I could ensure I was giving the best advice to people in difficult situations.
Joining the Housing Options team was a big jump for me, but the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s a great team to work with and getting to see the real impact you can help make in people’s lives when they really need it is very rewarding.
What transferable skills do you have?
Kirsty made the leap from beauty therapy into housing, securing her first job straight away. It’s maybe not the most obvious career transition, but Kirsty discovered that a lot of the skills she had learned in beauty therapy also came in very useful in a housing career,
including:
Customer focus
Building rapport and trust
Empathy
Good listening skills
Time management
Being well organised
Adaptability
Setting boundaries
Resilience
Wanting to help people.