Industry Sectors

Role Description

Skills required

You'll need:

1. a high level of accuracy and attention to detail
2. excellent communication skills

What you'll do

Your role and tasks will vary by industry.

In the pharmaceutical, food or brewing industries, your work will include:

• developing new products
• monitoring production
• quality control
• checking the safety of existing products

In a hospital, public health laboratory or research institute, your work will include:

• carrying out tests on blood
• researching the causes of disease
• exploring new methods of treatment

In agriculture and the environment, your work will include:

• genetically engineering plants to create pest-resistant crops
• improving the quantity of crops
• developing and extending the shelf life of produce
• monitoring the effects of pollution on the environment

As a biochemist in education, you could work in universities, colleges and schools, or medical, veterinary or dental schools.

Role Training

You'll usually need a science degree. For jobs in industry or research, you may also need a postgraduate qualification (MSc or PhD).

Relevant first or higher degree subjects include:

• biochemistry
• biotechnology
• biopharmaceuticals
• cell and molecular biology
• chemical and molecular biology
• microbiology genetics
• molecular biology

In the NHS, you can train by following the NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP).

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. 

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

You'll usually need a foundation degree, HND or degree in a subject like marketing, advertising or business.

Experience as a marketing assistant, or working in sales or public relations, could help you get into this job without a degree.

You could also get into marketing through an apprenticeship.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) has more information about qualifications and training.

2. Skills required

You'll need:

excellent organisational, planning and IT skills

strong communication and negotiating ability

creativity and writing skills

3. What you'll do

You could work for sales or marketing agencies, or in marketing departments of organisations like financial services or manufacturing.

You could also work for fund-raising charities, heritage organisations or the education sector.

Your day-to-day tasks may involve:

doing research on customer and market trends

identifying target markets and possible sponsors

creating and planning marketing campaigns

using automated systems for email campaigns and customer management

writing and editing for print and multiple online uses

organising promotions and events to meet clients, suppliers and the media

managing campaign websites and social media

managing budgets and monitoring the effectiveness of campaigns

4. Salary

Starter: £18,000 to £22,000

Experienced: £22,000 to £30,000

Highly Experienced: £30,000 to £35,000 (senior)

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You'll usually work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. You may occasionally work evenings and weekends.

You'll be based in an office but may travel to meet clients and attend events.

You may need a full driving licence.

6. Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a marketing manager.

You could also become a freelance marketing consultant, or move into areas like advertising, sales or public relations.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) has details of professional development.

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

There are no set requirements. You could start this career with a background in journalism, marketing or IT, or with business experience.

You’ll usually need experience of writing content, although not necessarily online. You could gain this by:

• blogging or writing on social media 
• writing marketing materials or newsletters 
• volunteering for a student newspaper, charity or community group

Knowledge of web design, desktop publishing and photo editing will be useful. A portfolio of work to show employers would also be helpful.

You could also take a course that would teach you some of the skills needed for producing web content, like journalism, publishing, media and communications, or PR and marketing.

2. Skills required

You’ll need:

• organisational skills and the ability to meet deadlines 
• financial management and negotiating skills 
• confident presentation skills 
• the ability to build relationships with clients and partners 
• an excellent grasp of English grammar, punctuation and spelling 
• the ability to write for a target audience 
• creative skills to find interesting ways to present information and to generate new ideas 
• attention to detail, for example when proofreading

3. What you'll do

You’ll work on websites or company intranets.

Your day-to-day duties might include:

• taking a lead role in maintaining and developing a site 
• attending meetings to plan and develop site content, style and appearance 
• using web content management systems (CMS) 
• analysing website usage statistics 
• writing reports for senior managers, clients and partnership organisations 
• carrying out quality assurance checks on content 
• reporting technical problems to IT support staff 
• The type of content you might work on could include:
• e-commerce, like online shopping or banking 
• product advertising and retail catalogues 
• local, national and international news reports 
• social media output 
• college and university websites 
• online public information and government services
• In larger companies, you might manage an editorial team. You’ll have a more 'hands on' role in smaller organisations.
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4. Salary

Starter: £25,000 to £28,000

Experienced: £32,000 to £40,000

Highly Experienced: £55,000 or more

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You’ll usually work 35 to 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday. You may sometimes need to work overtime to meet deadlines.

Most of your work will be office-based at a computer. There may be some out-of-office duties, like attending meetings with clients or partners.

6. Career path and progression

You could progress into information management, search engine optimisation (SEO), technical web development or wider information planning and policy roles.

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

There are no set requirements to become a personal assistant (PA), but you’ll need proven experience of administrative work.

Employers will usually look for a good standard of general education, including GCSEs in English and maths. A recognised qualification in office skills or administration, or a business-related foundation degree, HND or degree could all help you find a job.

Foreign language qualifications may also be useful if you plan to work in an organisation that deals with overseas visitors and clients. Having extra skills like shorthand and audio typing can also help you get in. 

Temporary work (temping) can be a good way of getting administration experience and can lead to a permanent job.

You could get into this job through an apprenticeship.

2. Skills required

You’ll need:

• excellent organisational and time management skills 
• good written and spoken communication skills 
• accuracy and attention to detail 
• a calm and professional manner 
• excellent computer and administration skills 
• a flexible and adaptable approach to work 
• the ability to use your own initiative 
• tact and discretion, for dealing with confidential information

3. What you'll do

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

• screening telephone calls and handling enquiries 
• organising your manager’s diary and making appointments
• dealing with letters and emails 
• arranging meetings 
• organising and maintaining office systems 
• taking notes at meetings 
• making travel arrangements 
• looking after visitors

Many managers rely heavily on their PA and give them a high level of responsibility, so in some jobs you may have extra tasks like:

1. standing in for the manager in their absence 
2. acting as office manager and supervising other administrative staff 
3. dealing with accounts and budgets 
4. taking on project work, like research or producing reports and presentations

4. Salary

Starter: £18,000 to £25,000

Experienced: £25,000 to £40,000

Highly Experienced: £40,000 to £50,000

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You’ll usually work 37 to 40 hours a week Monday to Friday, possibly with extra hours to meet deadlines. 

You’ll be based in an office, but may travel to go to meetings and other events.

6. Career path and progression

With experience, you could take on more responsibility by moving to a larger company or working for a more senior manager. 

Promotion to management may also be possible.

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 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.