Do you want to become a Equal Opportunities Officer? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:
Job Description -
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Equal opportunities officers work towards eliminating discrimination in recruitment and employment. Their aim is to ensure that no one within their organisation experiences discrimination on the grounds of their gender, race, disability, age, religion or sexual orientation.
Their work involves tasks such as drawing up policies, advising on anti-discrimination legislation, and organising positive action campaigns.
Equal opportunities officers may be known by other job titles, such as equalities officer, diversity manager or equality adviser. All jobs involve working closely with people from a range of backgrounds, both within the organisation and in the wider community.
Equal opportunities officers normally work standard office hours, Monday to Friday.
The work is office-based, but is likely to involve travel in the local area. A lot of the time is spent attending meetings.
Salaries range from £15,000 to £20,000 for newly appointed officers, up to about £50,000 for some of the most senior positions.
Equal opportunities officers should:
Equal opportunities officers are employed in almost all public sector organisations, and by many organisations in the private sector. The number of jobs in this field is growing, however, there may be considerable competition for advertised vacancies.
This is generally a second career. Many equal opportunities officers have experience of working in human resources (personnel) work, although this is not essential. Some have a background in community work, while others enter with managerial or administrative experience within their organisation.
For more senior posts, a degree and/or postgraduate qualification is an advantage. A few universities offer postgraduate courses covering equality and diversity issues.
There is no set pattern of training. Equal opportunities officers are likely to attend short courses on the job covering specific topics, such as new legislation.
Promotion prospects are limited, although it may be possible to move on from this work into strategic planning (influencing the organisation's future plans and policies), or into specialist consultancies.
All jobs involve working closely with people from a range of backgrounds, both within the organisation and in the wider community. It is important to understand the employer's business, as well as the needs of disadvantaged groups.

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