Industry Sectors

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

There are no set requirements, but it may help if you have some GCSEs or equivalent including English and maths.

Experience of dealing with the public and giving presentations could be useful, and additional languages may also help.

You may need a Blue Badge in Tourist Guiding to work in places like Westminster Abbey and York Minster.

2. Skills required

You'll need:

• excellent communication skills
• the ability to present information in an interesting way
• a good memory for facts, figures and events
• organisational skills for planning tours

3. What you'll do

You'll work in one place or accompany groups on driving or walking tours.

You'll escort groups around sites, giving information about history, purpose, architecture or other points of interest.

Role Description

1. Entry requirements

There are no set requirements, but experience of working in an office or call centre could help.

For some sales jobs, such as technical or pharmaceutical sales, you may need to have a relevant qualification like a degree.

You could get into this job through an apprenticeship.

2. Skills required

You'll need:

• excellent customer service and communication skills
• the ability to sell and negotiate
• IT and presentation skills

3. What you'll do

You'll specialise in a particular industry, like consumer goods or energy. You may sell directly to consumers, or to other businesses. 

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

• contacting new and existing customers
• making presentations to promote new products
• agreeing sales, prices and delivery
• keeping in contact with customers before and after a sale
• recording orders
• going to conferences to understand industry trends
• meeting sales targets

4. Salary

Starter: £15,000 to £20,000

Experienced: £25,000 to £35,000

Highly Experienced: £40,000 to £50,000 (sales executive or manager)

You'll usually get a basic salary and an extra amount for each sale (commission). You may also get a bonus if you meet targets.

You may get a company car and fuel allowance.

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You'll usually work 38 to 40 hours, Monday to Friday, but may need to work evenings or weekends. Occasionally you'll stay away overnight, or travel abroad to trade fairs and conferences.

You may drive to visit customers. When not on the road, you'll work from a sales office or call centre. Sometimes you’ll work from home. You’ll usually need a driving licence and may need a passport.

6. Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a sales team leader or an area sales manager.

The Institute of Sales Management (ISM) could help you develop your career.

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 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

You could work in hotels, restaurants, pubs, schools, colleges, cruise ships, the NHS or the armed forces.

In a small kitchen you may be a general chef. In a large kitchen you may be a specialist chef, in charge of one area like pastry, fish or vegetables, working under a head chef.

Your day-to-day tasks will vary with your role, but may include:

• preparing attractive menus to nutritional standards
• controlling and ordering stock and inspecting it on delivery
• gutting and preparing animals and fish for cooking
• scraping and washing large quantities of vegetables and salads
• cooking and presenting food creatively
• monitoring production to maintain quality and consistent portion sizes
• working under pressure to make sure food is served on time
• keeping to hygiene, health and safety and licensing rules
• You’ll need knowledge of allergens, nutrition and diets.

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 Description

You might work in a supermarket, a department store, a garden centre, a small independent shop or one that's part of a chain. You'll be:

• serving and advising customers
• arranging goods in displays and on shelves
• rotating and replacing stock
• promoting extra products
• taking cash and card payments and making sure the till balances
• dealing with returns
• meeting sales targets