Explore & Discover

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

You’ll normally need an Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) or Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) accredited BEng degree in chemical, process or biochemical engineering.

If you have a degree in a different branch of engineering, or a related subject like chemistry or polymer science, a postgraduate qualification in chemical or process engineering may increase your chances of finding work.
 
You could also take an integrated master’s qualification, like an MEng, to prepare you for further postgraduate study like a PhD or EngD.

Some universities offer a foundation year for people without qualifications in maths and science. 

Cogent Skills, IChemE, IET and Whynotchemeng have more information on becoming a chemical engineer.

2. Skills required

You’ll need: 

• maths and science skills, particularly chemistry 
• good problem-solving and analytical skills 
• planning and organisational ability 
• excellent IT skills 
• the ability to manage projects, budgets and people

3. What you'll do

You’ll be involved in the design, manufacture and operation of processes that turn raw materials into domestic and industrial products.

You could work in a range of industries, like:

• food and drink 
• pharmaceuticals 
• textiles 
• oil and gas 
• minerals 
• energy and water 
• biotechnology 

You may also research and develop new or improved products.

If you work in research and development, you’ll: 

• test new ways to develop products in the lab 
• use computer models to work out the safest and most cost-effective production methods 
• plan how to move lab tests into a pilot production phase, then on to large-scale industrial processing 
• develop methods to deal with by-products and waste materials in a safe way 

In manufacturing, you’ll:

• work with plant designers to create equipment and control instruments for the production process 
• help to oversee the day-to-day operation of the processing plant 
• monitor production and deal with problems 
• work closely with quality control and health and safety managers 

You could also work in biochemical engineering, developing anything from new medicines like vaccines and stem cell therapies, to sources of sustainable energy like biofuels.

4. Salary

Starter: £29,000

Experienced: £55,000

Highly Experienced: £60,000 (senior chartered chemical engineer)

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You’ll usually work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. You may need to work overtime to meet project deadlines. In processing and manufacturing, you might work shifts, including weekends, evenings and nights.

You could be based in a lab, an office or a processing plant. In some environments you may need to wear protective clothing or use equipment like safety glasses, ear protectors or a hard hat.

6. Career path and progression

With experience, you could progress to senior process or design engineer, research and development manager. You could go on to be a plant manager, or overall operations manager.
 
You could also move into consultancy work.

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

There are no set requirements, but some employers may ask for a marketing, business or finance degree.

Other employers will want you to have strong numerical skills and experience in retail, especially an understanding and interest in stock control levels.

The Fashion Retail Academy runs a number of short courses like a 3-day Introduction to Merchandising.

The Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply also has details of procurement and supply qualifications.

Both graduates and non-graduates need to apply for entry-level posts, usually as an allocator, distributor or merchandise administrative assistant. 

Doing a college course in retail operations or fashion retail could help you prepare for this job.

You could also get into the retail industry through an apprenticeship.

Retail Careers and The Retail Appointment has more information on how to become a retail merchandiser.

2. Skills required

You’ll need:

excellent number and data analysis skills, using spreadsheets and computer modelling

good decision-making skills

an understanding of what motivates customers to buy products

confidence when leading negotiations or presenting at board meetings

good interpersonal and communication skills to build useful working relationships

strong leadership skills and ability to influence others

excellent organisational and planning skills with ability to prioritise

3. What you'll do

You’ll use your high levels of product and customer awareness to predict demand. 

You’ll usually specialise in one area like fashion, food or home wares.

Your day-to-day duties might include:

planning product ranges and stock plans with buyers

planning budgets, forecasting sales and profit margins

presenting forecasts to managers

visiting manufacturers with retail buyers to learn about production cycles

negotiating prices and orders with suppliers, and agreeing delivery terms

tracking stock deliveries, making sure goods arrive on time and meet quality standards

setting prices and sales targets for individual stores

helping visual merchandisers to plan store layouts to promote key lines

promoting special offers and marketing initiatives

analysing sales figures and trends

staying aware of how competitors are performing

identifying and sorting out production and supply problems

managing, training and supervising staff

You may be called a product manager in a large retail chain and deal only with one or two product lines. In smaller companies you may be responsible for both buying and merchandising.

4. Salary

Starter: £16,000 to £18,000

Experienced: £22,000 and £25,000

Highly Experienced: £40,000 to £60,000

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You’ll usually work between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. You may need to work longer at busy times, like during special sales promotions or the opening of a new store.

You’ll be office-based but will also spend time visiting stores or suppliers, which could be in other parts of the UK or overseas. 

A driving licence and vehicle may be useful.

6. Career path and progression

You could be promoted to senior merchandiser and responsible for sales and budgetary control of a multimillion-pound department and managing a team of people. It’s typical to have reached senior merchandiser level within 7 to 8 years.

You could also become a merchandise manager, head of merchandising, merchandising director, retail business analyst or self-employed retail consultant.

Role Description

Your day-to-day duties could include:

• carrying out and writing up pre-installation surveys
• marking out ventilation, wiring and pipework ducts in walls, and sealing openings, like air vents
• working out the volume of space to be filled, and the amount of insulation needed
• drilling holes into the walls of a building
• injecting insulation materials into cavity spaces through the holes in a specific order
• re-filling the holes and re-pointing mortar
• checking all airbricks and flues are clear
• making sure materials and methods used meet building regulations

Role Description

You'll be helping people in their own homes or in day centres, residential or nursing homes.

Your day-to-day duties may include:

• getting to know clients and their interests and needs
• helping with personal care like washing, using the toilet and dressing
• food preparation, feeding and giving out medication
• carrying out general tasks like housework, laundry and shopping
• helping clients manage their budget, pay bills and write letters
• supporting families to get used to new caring responsibilities
• giving emotional and practical support to children and young people
• working with other health and social care professionals to provide individual care and development plans
• helping to organise leisure activities
• going with clients to and from a residential home

Role Description

Entry requirements

There are no set requirements but some employers may expect you to have a degree. Relevant subjects include:

advertising
media and communications
digital marketing
journalism
public relations
business management
You could get into this job without a degree if you have the skills and experience in areas like marketing, advertising or PR. 

You can do college courses in social media and business. 

You could also start as an assistant manager and work your way up. 

You’ll usually need some knowledge and experience of social media. To get experience you could:

manage your own social media profiles
volunteer to manage social media for a charitable organisation
ask to get involved in social media sites of the company you already work for
You’ll need excellent IT skills as you’ll be using social media software and tools. You’ll also need knowledge of search engine optimisation (SEO) methods and ‘key’ or ‘searched for’ words to drive more users to your social media site.

Experience of graphic design and digital editing software can help. You can use these skills to make your social media posts better by adding videos, photos and infographics.

You could get into this job through a creative and digital media apprenticeship.

iCould has a video interview with a social media assistant.

Skills required

You’ll need:

an eye for detail and the ability to work accurately
the ability to deal with more than one task at a time
creativity
presentation skills
an analytical approach to data
writing skills

What you'll do

You’ll monitor and upload content to sites like:

Facebook and Twitter
Instagram and Pinterest
YouTube and Vine
Your day-to-day duties may include:

updating social media sites
writing blogs, articles and posts
responding to social media posts and developing discussions
checking online for company mentions and customer feedback
searching for interesting posts, news and articles to attract site visitors
overseeing competitions and campaigns promoting your company
taking part in conferences and group chat relevant to your industry or company
educating other staff on social media use
promoting social media use within your company
developing strategies to increase your audience
using social media tools like Hootsuite, TweetDeck or Buffer to manage multiple sites
using web tracking tools like Google Analytics, Social Report or Bitly

Salary

Starter: £23,000

Experienced: £25,000 to £35,000

Highly Experienced: £75,000 (head social media manager)

These figures are a guide.

Working hours, patterns and environment

You’ll usually work normal office hours, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. You may need to work evenings and weekends when working on a campaign or with deadlines.

If you’re freelance, you may work longer hours depending on the needs of your clients and the amount of work you take on.

You’ll be based in an office and spend a lot of time working on a computer. You may also attend meetings and make presentations about your work to clients or colleagues.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could move into managing social media for larger companies or progress to a senior or head social media manager job.

Role Description

You’ll usually specialise in a particular type of environment, like marine or coastal areas. 

You could study a specific animal or plant species. 

Your day-to-day duties could include:

• carrying out fieldwork - surveying and recording information on plants, animals, environmental conditions and biodiversity
• researching the impact of human activity, like housing and intensive agriculture, on the environment
• building computer models to predict the effects of development or climate change
• monitoring pollution
• managing wildlife conservation areas, woodland and meadows
• You might also help assess planning proposals and make recommendations on sustainable land use for local authorities, government departments and companies.

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

You'll need to be over 18 and hold a full car driving licence.

You can apply for a job as a trainee with a freight company or complete an LGV course with a private training provider. You'll also need a Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC).

You could get into this job through an apprenticeship.

2. Skills required

You'll need:

excellent driving skills and road safety knowledge

the ability to work alone and concentrate for long periods

a polite manner with customers

the ability to complete record sheets and paperwork accurately

3. What you'll do

You'll drive commercial vehicles over 7.5 tonnes, including articulated lorries, tankers, transporters and trailer wagons. You'll work from depots, distribution centres and warehouses, carrying goods all over the UK and overseas.

Apart from driving, your duties may include:

planning delivery schedules and routes with transport managers

supervising or helping to load and unload goods

making sure loads are safely secured

following traffic reports and changing your route if necessary

completing delivery paperwork and log books

You may also deal with basic maintenance, like oil, tyre and brake checks before and after journeys.

4. Salary

Starter: £18,500 to £22,000

Experienced: £23,000 to £28,000

Highly Experienced: £27,000 to £35,000

Overtime may be available.

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You'll usually work up to 42 hours a week. Overtime may be available but there are strict laws about the amount of hours you can spend driving between rest breaks.

Most of your time would be spent on the road, and you would drive day and night in all weather conditions.

Overnight stays may be necessary.

6. Career path and progression

You could take further training and gain an ADR (Advisory Dangerous Goods by Road) Certificate to drive hazardous goods like toxic chemicals by tanker.

With experience, you could train to become an LGV instructor, freight transport planner or move into management.

Role Description

You’ll work as an employee or a self-employed contractor for large and small construction companies. You may work on a construction site, a client’s premises, or in your own workshop.

Depending on where you work, your day-to-day tasks may include:

• discussing plans and following instructions
• cutting and shaping timber for floorboards, doors, skirting boards and window frames
• making and fitting wooden structures like staircases, door frames, roof timbers and partition walls 
• making and assembling fitted and free-standing furniture
• installing kitchens, cupboards and shelving
• building temporary wooden supports to hold setting concrete in place (shuttering)
• making and fitting interiors in shops, bars, restaurants, offices and public buildings
• constructing stage sets for theatre, film and TV productions