KEY POINTS:
Judi Clements
Chief Executive, Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
What was your first job?
My first job was as an estate manager, responsible for inner-city council housing estates in Camden, London. I had to manage 750 tenancies. I started in 1974 when I was 21. I think the salary was about 3000.
How did you get that job?
I'd just finished a law degree and had been offered jobs with banks and law firms, but wasn't interested.
A friend suggested I approach a local authority and apply for one of their trainee programmes. I wrote a cheeky letter to the housing department of the Camden Borough Council telling them they needed me.
The trainee jobs had all gone but they did need estate managers. The following Monday I was employed.
Did you enjoy it?
I loved it. It was refreshing to have a job that was people-focused and not desk-bound. Every day, I went into people's homes and helped them sort out their problems.
What did you learn?
I learnt more in that first job in a shorter time than in any job since. I learnt about working in an office and practical skills about building, construction and maintenance. I learnt that to be successful you have to work hard; what it was like for migrants and refugees to settle in a new country; what improves mental health and wellbeing and what erodes it.
How long did you stay?
I stayed with the Camden Housing Department for 13 years. I had seven different roles, with my last being assistant director, managing 35,500 properties.
The council also paid for me to do a Master of Arts degree in Social Policy and Administration.
What was your boss like?
Knowledgeable but inconsistent.
Advice for someone starting out?
Learn as much as you can and work hard, because you need to put energy into a job to get something out of it. But if your heart is not in it, then move on.
