What kind of job is he doing? ''That depends who you ask,'' he said. ''If you're a senior citizen and just got back from a free concert, you might think things aren't too bad. If you're a bank president, you might think this is the worst thing to hit the city.''

Mayor Sanders won a big battle within weeks of his election when he persuaded voters to adopt a tax increase they had spurned only two months before. The city thus averted layoffs of police and firefighters and deep cuts in municipal services.

But voters buried a housing reform initiative Mr. Sanders had backed; landlords had threatened huge rent increases if it passed. Battles With Aldermen

In another major defeat, the Board of Aldermen rejected all of his appointees for top city jobs without even holding a hearing on their qualifications. Officials from the last administration still hold the posts.

Alderman Joyce Desautels said they were ''loyal people, and they've served this city well,'' adding, ''There's no reason to replace them. I hope the one who's replaced is Mr. Sanders.''

Mayor Sanders went to court to contest the board's action, but a judge refused to hear the case. He said he might appeal to the State Supreme Court.

Mr. Sanders has made occasional blunders, too. He once nominated for a minor post a city constable who had been a familiar figure in Burlington for years - and who had been dead about a month. He said it was ''just dumb.'' Help From Volunteers