So what kind of education to do you need? Before you begin your hunt for community association jobs, you have to make sure that you have the appropriate background; community boards and property owners are not going to hire somebody off the street, they need to make sure that the person they hire is responsible and intelligent. The most common degrees held by those seeking community association manager jobs are Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees in real estate, business administration, accounting, finance, or public administration. In addition to being properly educated, those seeking community association manager jobs need to be very organized in order to handle all the administrative duties that the job entails and be somewhat people-oriented in order to handle the staff, contractors, tenants, and property owners that they will deal with on a day-to-day basis. In the case of community association manager jobs, it’s not enough to just be educated and smart, you have to have some ability to interact with people and keep the sense of community alive in the property you are overseeing.
Licensure may also be an issue. In some states, you must be licensed in order to be a property association manager and any public housing subsidized by the Federal Government requires managers to be certified. Because of this, many community association managers voluntarily get a professional designation, as it gives them more opportunities in the field, shows formal recognition of their status. If you are going to be a community association manager, it is best that you go ahead and take the extra step to get licensed; it may be a bit of a pain (especially if it isn’t immediately necessary), but it will be worth it for your career in the long run.
So where would be the best place to start your community association manager career? Well, if you are just out of college and lack experience, you probably won’t get hired right off the bat to manage a really high-end property that is going to pay you extravagantly to manage their daily needs; so you need to start somewhere. The best thing you can do when searching for community association manager jobs as a new graduate is apply everywhere and hope for a bite. With any luck, you’ll get an interview, and that is where you can really show off your people skills. Property boards and owners aren’t just looking for someone with a good head on their shoulders, they are also looking for someone that they feel confident that they can deal with on a regular basis on a personal level. By demonstrating that you are a people-oriented person, you are showing them that you have the right kind of personality needed to deal with not only your employers, but also your staff, contractors, tenants and property owners. You can also start your career as an assistant to a community association manager. These positions are great because of the on-the-job training and experience you receive.
Once you have some experience under your belt, your worth as a community association manager begins to grow exponentially. If the association you have been working for cannot afford to pay you what you think you deserve, it’s time to start looking for community association manager jobs once again. There are many associations out there desperately seeking managers with experience, and they are willing to pay handsomely for their services. Some of the best-paying community association manager jobs out there are at retirement communities. These communities are comprised of folks that are (obviously) retired and generally well-off. As a result, their community association has very high expectations and can afford to pay for the very best manager.
Hopefully now you understand what it means to be a community association manager. These professionals are given a lot of responsibility when it comes to properties. When you are given this position, you take on the role of overseer and guardian for a large investment made by the property owners. In order for the property to retain its value, it needs to be maintained and its reputation needs to be upheld. If a community association manager falters in his or her duties, the property and its owners can suffer irreparable damage. As a result, boards and owners who are in charge of hiring managers for their communities want only the best. They are looking for responsible folks who know how to get things done and know how to manage people and property.
