As the community associations industry continues to grow, it has created tremendous career opportunities in a wide variety of fields. Most notable is the profession of community management. Every week I get calls from owners of community management companies asking if I know of anyone looking for work who would like to relocate to their city or town. At our CEO-MC retreat last month, hiring and retaining skilled staff was the principle topic of conversation among the attendees.
The demand for professional community managers has never been stronger, and shows no signs of weakening. Even as housing starts soften somewhat, all of the existing communities and those in development still need effective management and opportunities for growth and advancement are plentiful.
So what makes a good manager? I think first and foremost, you must be an effective communicator. You must be able to interact with a wide variety of individuals including board members, homeowners, and vendors. In addition, some basic skills and knowledge in finance, project and contract management, human resources, and technology can help as well. While a college degree is valuable, it is certainly not required.
To learn more about a career in professional community management you can check out our Career Center at: http://www.caionline.org/career/index.cfm . CAI offers a comprehensive education and professional designation program to help prepare you for a career in this growing field.
