Industry Sectors

Role Description

You'll need:

• excellent analytical skills
• the ability to work with people at all levels
• the ability to lead and motivate a team
• the ability to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines
• the ability to anticipate issues and respond to unforeseen changes

You’ll work with senior managers and other professionals to support changes to the way an organisation works, like:

• improving decision-making processes
• supporting the introduction of a new IT system
• developing a marketing and sales strategy
• Your day-to-day duties might include:
• speaking to managers to find out what they want to achieve
• carrying out fact finding tasks into business processes to see what they do and how they do it
• analysing findings and using data modelling methods to help recommend changes and improvements
• explaining the benefits of your recommendations and looking at the potential impact and risks
• agreeing the best way to put recommended changes into place with management
• overseeing testing and quality checks of recommendations
• supporting staff making changes and reporting any issues
• In some cases, you may be responsible for managing a project through to completion.

Role Training

Entry requirements

There are no set requirements, but previous project management experience and a working knowledge of project development methods like Waterfall or Agile will be helpful. A technical background, like in software development or programming, can also help.

It may be useful to have a first or higher degree in subjects like:

• business information systems
• business management
• computing and systems development
• computer science
• Employers may look for recognised certification of your skills from a professional body, like The International Institute of Business Analysis UK (IIBA) or The Chartered Institute for IT (BCS).

You could get into this career through a degree apprenticeship.

Role Description

Your day-to-day duties could include:

• supervising a team of care assistants 
• writing care plans 
• monitoring patients’ vital signs, like blood pressure and heart rate 
• completing patient medication records 
• developing and leading activities for service users 
• keeping families up to date about their relative's progress 
• training and mentoring new staff 
• attending team meetings with service managers 
• providing emergency cover

Role Training

You’ll need: 

• experience in care work 
• a level 3 college qualification in health and social care
• clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
• You can also start in senior roles with a nursing qualification.
• You may need a driving licence.

Think Care Careers has more information about becoming a senior care worker.

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

Events managers often have a variety of backgrounds. You can do a college or university course in events management but it isn’t essential.

Whatever your qualifications or background, you should have practical experience gained from public relations, travel and tourism, or helping to organise events like live entertainment.

You could gain experience of organising events and activities in your social life. Paid or unpaid work as a crew member at large events or exhibitions can also be a good way of building contacts within the industry.

The Business Visits and Events Partnership has more information about working in events management.

2. Skills required

You’ll need:

• excellent organisation skills 
• the ability to carry out a number of tasks at the same time 
• good communication and people skills 
• a creative approach to problem-solving 
• a high level of attention to detail 
• the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines 
• good negotiation, sales and marketing skills 
• budget awareness 

3. What you'll do

You’ll oversee the whole project, from planning at the start to running the event on the day.

Your day-to-day duties might include:

• discussing what the client wants 
• coming up with original ideas for events 
• agreeing budgets and timescales with the client
• researching venues, contacts and suppliers
• negotiating prices with suppliers and contractors
• booking venues, entertainment, equipment and supplies
• hiring and supervising contractors such as caterers and security 
• publicising the event 
• making sure that everything runs smoothly on the day 
• ensuring that health, safety and insurance regulations are followed 
• managing a team

4. Salary

Starter: £17,000 to £21,000

Experienced: £25,000 to £40,000

Highly Experienced: £50,000 to £80,000 

Your salary may include bonuses and commission, particularly if the job involves sales and marketing.

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You’ll generally work standard office hours, although you may work long and unsocial hours in the run up to events. 

If you manage outdoor events, you’ll have to work in all weather conditions. You may also go to events in the evenings and at the weekend. 

Depending on where you run the events, you may need to spend time travelling and staying overnight.

6. Career path and progression

With experience and a good track record, you could run events that have larger budgets and eventually progress to management.

You could work freelance or set up your own events management business.

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

There are no set requirements but competition is strong so you’ll usually need a foundation degree or a degree.

If you want to go into quantitative work (analysis based on numbers), these degrees may be useful:

• maths
• statistics
• business/management
• economics
• For qualitative work (analysis based on language), useful degrees include:
• psychology
• sociology
• geography
• social sciences
• anthropology

English or marketing degrees are also useful, as well as sciences or engineering for some specialist industrial jobs. 

You’ll also find it useful to have previous experience in marketing, sales or advertising, or as a market research interviewer. 

You could get a paid internship or join a graduate training scheme. You could also start as a research assistant in an agency and then take further qualifications.

The Market Research Society (MRS) has more information about careers in market research.

2. Skills required

You’ll need:

excellent number and IT skills

the ability to analyse and interpret statistics

written communication skills for report writing and designing questionnaires

creative problem-solving skills

accuracy and attention to detail

organisational and time-management skills

initiative and teamwork skills

3. What you'll do

As a market research executive, you’ll specialise in one type of research – consumer or industrial, social or political. You’ll carry out research using one of 2 main methods:

quantitative – analysis based on numbers, from surveys of large samples of people

qualitative – analysis based on language, from focus groups and in-depth questionnaires

Depending on the type of research, in your work you’ll usually:

meet clients to discuss research projects

come up with a plan or proposal and present it to the client

manage a budget

design questionnaires and organise surveys

brief interviewers and researchers

monitor progress of surveys

analyse data and present results to the client

advise the client how they can best use the research

Most jobs involve a lot of computer work, for background research and to analyse information and produce reports.

4. Salary

Starter: £20,000 to £25,000

Experienced: £25,000 to £35,000

Highly Experienced: £60,000 (senior market research executive)

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

If you work as a quantitative researcher in-house for a company, you’ll usually work in an office with standard hours, Monday to Friday, with occasional overtime to meet project deadlines.

If you work as a qualitative researcher, you’ll often work evenings and weekends to travel to visit clients and focus groups. You may need a driving licence and a car.

6. Career path and progression

With experience, you could progress into management, or become a self-employed market research consultant. 

You could also move into the promotional side of advertising or marketing.

Role Description

You'll work in:

• a 'third party' collection agency, paid to collect debts from businesses or individuals, or
• a company's finance or credit department, chasing late payments from suppliers and customers

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

• contacting individuals or business customers when payment is overdue
• checking credit records and tracing missing debtors
• setting up repayment plans and working with debt counsellors
• setting up and maintaining customer files
• processing payments
• starting legal proceedings if debts are not paid within an agreed time
• liaising with solicitors and bailiffs
• You may work at a debt collection agency as a 'field collector', travelling to debtors to collect payments in person.

Role Description

You could work anywhere from a small business to a large employer like the civil service or NHS. Your day-to-day tasks may include:

• dealing with queries on the phone, by email and social media
• greeting visitors at reception
• typing letters and reports
• updating computer records
• printing and photocopying
• ordering supplies
• setting up meetings and taking notes during them
• making travel arrangements for staff

Role Training

With further training, you could specialise in an area like legal, financial or medical administration.

Experience of temping could lead to a permanent job. Qualifications in business administration may also help.

You could get into this job through an apprenticeship.

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

• You may find it useful to have GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths.
• Employers also value experience, which you could get by temporary work or volunteering.
• Getting a qualification in reception skills or business and administration may also be helpful.
• You could get into this job through an apprenticeship.
• You may need a background check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

2. Skills required

You'll need:

• excellent spoken and written communication skills
• the ability to use office equipment like computers, photocopiers and fax machines
• organisational skills

3. What you'll do

You may work in the reception area of offices, hotels, sports centres, hospitals or health centres.

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

• greeting visitors and directing them to the correct person or department
• managing the visitors book and giving out security passes
• answering enquiries in person, by phone and email
• managing a room booking system and keeping rooms tidy
• dealing with incoming and outgoing post and deliveries
• arranging appointments and updating records on databases
• taking payments and handling invoices

4. Salary

Starter: £12,000 to £15,000

Experienced: £16,000 to £18,000

Highly Experienced: £21,000

Salaries vary and may be higher in some city centre offices.

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

If you're based in an office you'll usually work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

In hotels, restaurants and sports centres, you'll probably work a shift system that includes weekends.

In hospitals and health centres, you're also likely to work some early and late shifts.

6. Career path and progression

With training and experience, you could move into a senior receptionist or personal assistant (PA) role. 

In a GP surgery or health centre, you could train to become a medical secretary or a practice manager.

Role Description

1.Entry Requirements

There are no set entry requirements. A good standard of general education is important but employers will also want you to have an outgoing and confident personality.

Previous experience in customer service, sales or marketing will be helpful though not essential.

You could get into this career through an apprenticeship.

The Institute of Sales Management (ISM) is the industry body offering qualifications to help you progress in your career.

2. Skills required

You’ll need:

• excellent communication skills to build trust with customers quickly 
• sales and negotiation skills 
• IT skills 
• a well organised approach 
• determination and a focus

3. What you'll do

You’ll be:  

• contacting customers and businesses 
• promoting products, services and special deals 
• following up sales leads and taking orders 
• updating customer records on computer systems 
• advising customers about delivery times 
• setting up appointments for senior sales staff 
• providing after-sales service

4. Salary

Starter: £15,000 to £18,000

Experienced: £20,000 to £25,000

Highly Experienced: £25,000 to £35,000 (managers)

Some companies offer a basic salary with extra bonuses and commission linked to sales targets.

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You’ll usually work up to 40 hours a week on shifts between 8am and 10pm, Monday to Saturday.

You’ll be based in an office or call centre and spend most of your time using a computer. Some companies offer homeworking.

6. Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a team leader, senior salesperson or sales manager.