Explore & Discover

Role Description

Entry requirements

There are no set qualifications but you'll usually need:

basic English and maths skills
good eyesight and colour-normal vision
a good driving record and the correct licence
You may need to be over 21 and have held a full driving licence for at least 12 months.

Many vans are less than 3,500kg. If you drive vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,000kg, you may need further training depending on when you passed your driving test.

You could get into this job through an apprenticeship.

Skills required

You'll need:

excellent practical driving skills
the ability to work quickly and to tight deadlines
lifting and carrying skills
the ability to complete record sheets and paperwork

What you'll do

You may deliver parcels, letters and documents, groceries, furniture or equipment. This could be for postal or courier services, supermarkets or retailers. Your vehicle could vary in size, depending on the load and your licence.

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

collecting goods from a depot, warehouse or pick-up point
loading the vehicle in an order that matches the deliveries you'll make
planning the route
greeting customers, getting signatures and giving invoices when you deliver
recording mileage and fuel you buy
updating delivery records
returning undelivered items

Salary

Starter: £14,000

Experienced: £20,000

Highly Experienced: up to £27,000

Some employers offer bonuses for attendance and for reaching work targets.

These figures are a guide.

Working hours, patterns and environment

You'll usually work between 36 and 48 hours a week, including evenings and weekends. Some courier companies may expect you to drive through the night.

For safety reasons there are legal limits on drivers' hours, depending on the type of vehicle.

For some jobs, you'll be given a uniform and specialist clothing.

The job is physically demanding.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could complete training for a large goods vehicle (LGV) licence for opportunities in freight transport and tanker driving.

If you take specialist training, like defensive driving and personal security, you could drive vehicles containing cash and valuable items. You'd also usually need a Security Industry Association (SIA) licence for this.

Role Description

Your day-to-day tasks could include:

• measuring the work area and setting out the first rows of bricks (courses) and the damp course
• mixing mortar by hand or with a mechanical mixer
• laying the bricks on top of each other and applying the mortar with a trowel
• shaping and trimming bricks using hammers, chisels and power tools
• checking that courses are straight using spirit levels and plumb lines
• You'll work on a particular section of a building alongside other bricklayers on larger jobs.

Role Training

Some employers may expect you to have GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in maths and English. 

You'll also need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card.

Labouring or experience on a building site would be helpful.

You could complete a college course, but this isn't essential.

You could get a bursary, if you want to work in heritage conservation.

You could get into this job through an apprenticeship.

Go Construct has more information on becoming a bricklayer.

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

There are no set requirements, but it’s common to have a qualification in a relevant subject like:

logistics

international transport

supply chain management

transport management

geography

You could also start in a more junior role like transport clerk and work your way up.

Skills for Logistics and the The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT UK) have more information about careers in supply chain management.

2. Skills required

You'll need:

planning and organisational skills

the ability to motivate and lead a team

spoken and written communication skills

problem-solving and maths skills

good geographical knowledge

If your employer operates overseas it may be useful to speak a foreign language.

3. What you'll do

Supply chains are made up of different operations, from forecasting trends and buying through to transport and distribution. 

Depending on which part of the supply chain you're in, your day-to-day tasks may include:

working with procurement managers and buyers to select products that are in demand and will sell

negotiating and managing contracts with suppliers

planning the best way to get goods from suppliers to distribution centres and retailers

tracking shipments and stock levels using computer software

working with retailers to make sure they receive their goods on time and in the right condition

looking at ways to improve supply chain networks

monitoring overall performance to make sure targets are met

preparing forecasts and inventories

recruiting, training and managing a team of supply chain staff

You might also be involved in brand and marketing planning.

4. Salary

Starter: £20,000 to £25,000

Experienced: £25,000 and £45,000

Highly Experienced: Up to £60,000

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You’ll usually work 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. You may work evenings and weekends on a rota basis, or be available on-call to deal with emergencies. Some companies run 24-hour operations involving shift work.

You’ll usually be office-based but would travel to meet clients. This could include travel overseas.

6. Career path and progression

With experience, you could progress to senior planning jobs and consultancy work.

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

There are no entry set requirements, but a good general secondary education would be useful. 

Experience of working in a kitchen, in hospitality or a catering service may also be helpful.

You could complete a college qualification in catering, but this isn't essential.

You could get into this job through an apprenticeship.

2. Skills required

You'll need:

the ability to carry out tasks quickly and competently

the ability to pick up detailed instructions quickly and follow them closely

good spoken communication skills

3. What you'll do

Your day-to-day duties could include:

supporting chefs in a specific work section

washing, peeling and preparing food items

using a variety of kitchen equipment such as mixers, special knives and cutters.

unloading deliveries

organising the storeroom

washing kitchen appliances, work surfaces, floors and walls

4. Salary

Starter: £11,500 to £12,500

Experienced: up to £16,500

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You'll usually work shifts, evenings, weekends and public holidays. If you're based at a factory or catering business, your hours are likely to be more regular than in a restaurant. Part-time, casual or seasonal work may be available.

Your working environment will often be hot, busy and noisy. You may find this work unsuitable if you suffer from certain skin conditions.

You'll usually be provided with a uniform.

6. Career path and progression

With experience and further training, you could become a trainee or junior chef. You could also progress into management or move into bar work or food service.

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

You’ll need to take the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) graduate fast-track diploma to become a chartered member.

To become a chartered member, you’ll need:

to have completed a law degree recognised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) within the last 7 years, or

to have completed a common professional examination (CPE), or graduate diploma in law (GDL, sometimes known as GDip) conversion course, if you’re a non-law graduate

If you don't have any law qualifications:

you could work for a law firm and study part-time for a level 3 diploma or level 6 professional higher diploma, or

start as a clerical assistant or legal secretary

You’ll then need to work for a further 3 years before qualifying.

Even if you’re not working in a legal environment, if you meet the entry requirements, you could study for the CILEx graduate fast-track diploma full-time, part-time or at home.

CILEx has more information on becoming a legal executive.

2. Skills required

You’ll need:

excellent communication skills

administrative and IT skills

accuracy and attention to detail

research skills

an organised approach

the ability to work under pressure

3. What you'll do

You’ll specialise in a branch of law, like:

conveyancing – the legal side of buying and selling property

probate – wills, trusts and inheritance tax

family law – divorce and children’s matters

civil litigation – disputes between people

criminal law – defence or prosecution of people accused of crimes

company and business law – tax, contracts and employment law

Depending on your specialism, your work might include:

advising clients and explaining legal matters

contacting professionals, like mortgage lenders, planning officers or other lawyers on behalf of clients

researching and summarising legal information

preparing legal documents

writing to clients

drawing up wills

preparing contracts

representing clients in court

preparing bills for clients

4. Salary

Starter: £15,000 to £28,000

Experienced: £35,000 to £55,000

Highly Experienced: up to £100,000

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

In many full-time jobs you’ll work standard office hours Monday to Friday. Flexible hours and part-time work are often possible.

You’ll be based in an office, but may also spend some of your time at courts and police stations.

6. Career path and progression

With experience, you could take on more complex cases and build up a large client base. You could also progress to leading a team of legal executives and secretaries, or become a practice manager in a law firm. 

With further study, you could qualify as a solicitor.

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

You may find it useful to have GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or equivalent, in subjects like English and maths.

A qualification in administration or secretarial skills may help. Employers also value experience, which you could get by temping or volunteering.

You could get into this job through an apprenticeship.

2. Skills required

You'll need:

• an excellent telephone manner
• skills in IT and administration
• the ability to use your initiative and solve problems
• organisational and time management skills
• 3. What you'll do
• You could work in the public or private sectors or for a charity.
• Your day-to-day tasks could include:
• being the first point of contact for visitors, phone calls and emails
• arranging meetings and taking minutes
• diary management and making travel arrangements 
• producing letters, reports, spreadsheets and invoices
• updating records on IT systems
• photocopying, printing and filing
• handling confidential information

4. Salary

Starter: £14,000 to £16,000

Experienced: £17,000 to £20,000

Highly Experienced: £25,000

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You'll usually work in an office, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

You could also work part-time or get temporary work.

6. Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a personal assistant or office manager.

You could also move into human resources work, or train as a legal or medical secretary.

Role Description

You’ll be:  

• discussing work schedules with the farm manager 
• carrying out equipment and machinery checks 
• inputting instructions into the cab’s control panels 
• ploughing fields and sowing seeds 
• spraying crops with fertilisers and pesticides 
• harvesting vegetable, cereal and non-food crops 
• using baling machines to bind crops and hay ready for storage 
• maintaining hedges and roadside verges with tractor cutting attachments 
• carrying out basic maintenance and repairs

Role Training

There are no set entry requirements but experience in farming or dairying could be useful. A knowledge of basic mechanics might also be helpful.

You’ll need a Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) card to operate some machinery. You may be able to train for this on the job or at an agricultural college.
 
You could get into this job through an apprenticeship.

Industry body Lantra has more information about farming careers.

Role Description

Your day-to-day duties could include:

• planning where to put insulation 
• deciding what materials to use for a particular job 
• preparing and cleaning surfaces to be insulated
• measuring and cutting insulation materials to size
• fitting insulation using clips, adhesives or cement
• sealing the work area after completing an installation

Role Training

There are no set requirements. You could move into this role with related industry experience, like working with air conditioning.

You could also get into this job through an apprenticeship.

The Thermal Insulation Contractors Association has more information on becoming a thermal insulation engineer.

With experience, you could move into a technical, supervisory or managerial role, like foreperson, site safety officer or contracts manager. 

You could also move into a related area, like heating and ventilation engineering or air-conditioning and refrigeration.