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Data Analyst – Job Description

Learn more about becoming a Data Analyst in the UK.

Main Duties

A data analyst has to collect and analyse data that companies will use for various tasks. They may relate to insurance, marketing, politics or other things. It will be necessary for the data analyst to complete a selection of calculations on the data and report back their findings and conclusions.

One of the most important aspects of their job is to analyse risk. They will need to make sure that any expansion plans the business has are likely to be successful according to market trends. They will need to look at competitors as well as the company they work for to draw conclusions. This can be difficult as they have to predict what might happen in the future and decisions may be based on their findings.

It may be necessary to problem solve using the data, by looking at problem areas and analysing data to work out why things are going wrong.

The finding will have to be reported in written and maybe verbal form. Graphs and statistical analysis will be needed to be done.

The job would normally be office based and working hours would be 9-5 Monday to Friday in most cases although overtime may need to be done if reports are due.

Expected Salary

Entry level salary will be from £25,000- but this could rise to £80,000 if you obtain a senior position after some years of successful work experience.

Pros

Has a good starting salary and can potentially reach very high salary levels.
It is possible to get high pay quickly with hard and accurate work.
A great job for someone with an analytical mind who likes problem solving.

Cons

Can be high pressured and therefore may be stressful.
Needs to get the information correct or else it could have devastating results for the company.
Can have some boring data entry aspects.

Qualifications Required

A good knowledge of computers especially spread sheets and possibly statistical packages.
A good degree in maths, computer science or economics.
A Masters can be helpful but is not necessary.
Work experience in computer science or engineering is a big help.

Required Skills
An eye for detailGood at seeing trends in dataComputer skills, especially spread sheets and statistics softwareA good head for numbersKnowledge of statisticsProblem solving skillsFlexible, creative with time management and organisational skillsGood social skillsGood presentation skills

  
Finance Analyst – Job Description

Learn more about becoming a Finance Analyst

Main Duties

A finance analyst researches economic conditions and the business to come up with recommendations. They may decide that company stock should be bought or sold. They will also need to make future predictions with regards to the economy and make recommendations based on that.

The finance analyst may work in a specialist industry or provide more general recommendations.
Not many people work as finance analysts and so being in a small niche means that there are often many career opportunities. However, it can be a challenging job.

Working hours are likely to include a 10-11 hour day and weekend working may be necessary at reporting time. The working day tends to start at 6.45am. Many jobs are in London although there are jobs in some other cities in the country.

Expected Salary

Starting at graduate level you can expect upwards of £28,000 for a starting salary with the possibility of bonuses on top. These salaries can rise up to £100,000 with higher bonuses after five years. They will vary depending on location and company, with investment banks likely to pay  the highest.

Pros

A very good starting salary.
A niche job which can lead to bigger and better opportunities that are even better paid.
An exciting job where you have to keep up with the latest economic developments.

Cons

A lot of pressure to make correct future predictions in a field which cannot always be predicted.
Need to make correct financial predictions with regards to future investments so pressure to be right.

Tight deadlines will have to be met.

Qualifications Required

You will need a first or 2:1 degree and although subject is not important it will be preferred if you have maths, statistics, economics or accounting. It may also be helpful to have a knowledge of other subjects relevant to the industry that you want to work in.

It may be necessary to have 300+ UCAS at A level

A relevant masters degree may be useful, but it is not necessary. It may be preferred for students whose degree is not of a relevant subject.

Work experience is beneficial. Summer internships may be available which will really help to place your favourably in a company and more likely to be employed.

Required Skills
Research, analysis and report writingCommunication and presentation skillsA good head for figuresGood time management skills and an ability to stick to deadlinesSelf-confidence and driveInterest in current affairs and enthusiasm to keep economic knowledge up to dateEntrepreneurial spiritAttention to detail

  
Teacher – Job Description

Learn more about becoming and working as a Teacher in the UK.

Main Duties

A teacher will either teach at primary or secondary school.

A primary school teacher will be responsible for children between age 5 and 11 have to produce lesson plans in like with the national curriculum. They will have to teach these to class while creating a warm learning environment where pupils enjoy being with them. They will teach one class most of the time, so will need a knowledge in all primary core subjects. They will have to assess pupils and ensure their learning progresses through the school year.

A secondary school teacher will specialise in one or more national curriculum subjects and teach children aged 11-19. They will teach as well as observe and record progress. They will have to plan lessons and mark work. They have to keep up to date with the subject that they are teaching. They will have to take on pastoral duties if they are a form teacher.

Most teachers will work a 50 hour week during school term time. They do have up to 13 weeks holiday but most will do marking and preparation as part of this. Part-time and temporary posts are often available.

Expected Salary

Primary School teachers salary usually starts at £21,500 although this will increase with experience. Academies and free school set their own rates which could be very different.

Pros

Job satisfaction from seeing pupils improve.
Good salary and pension scheme.
Varied work, with new pupils to teach each year bringing new challenges.

Cons

Long working hours during term time.
Have to cope with disciplining children who may be unruly.
Only able to take holidays during school holiday period when they are expensive.

Qualifications Required

A teacher will either need a good honours degree followed by a PGCE or a BEd.
Someone with a lot of classroom experience may be able to do a School Direct course which is employment based and a PGCE may be awarded afterwards.
Teach First is a two year programme for top graduates where trainees are in a challenging school but get a PGCE at the end.
They will need to pass a CRB check and health check.

Required Skills
Ability to communicate well with children and parentsGood time management and organisational skillsEnergy, patience, stamina, enthusiasm and self-disciplineAbility to work as part of a team but also with leadership skillsResponsible and good at disciplining childrenCreative, especially for primary teacher

  
Merchandiser – Job Description

Learn more about becoming a Merchandiser in the UK.

Main Duties

A merchandiser has to make sure that products are in stores at the right time and in the right amounts. This may seem just like stock taking, but there is more to it as they have to forecast trends in the future and monitor sales and plan based on this. They will work with the buyer deciding on budgets and how many and what lines are bought.

This is a key role in retail as it can massively affect profits. They have to set the right prices to encourage sales but to maximise income. This is therefore a responsible role and could be stressful if things do not turn out as expected.

They will also deal with suppliers and receive stock ensuring it gets distributed correctly. A merchandiser may also be responsible for planning store layouts and working with display staff to put goods in the correct places to encourage sales.

Working hours would normally be 9-5 Monday to Friday although weekend and evening work may occasionally be necessary. Work is mainly office based although there may be some travel to visit stores, suppliers or trade fairs. Work tends to be at a head office which is likely to be in a large city or town. Part-time work or temporary work is unlikely.

Expected Salary

Salaries tend to start at £18,000 and can rise to £36,000 with experience.

Pros

Good salary expectations.
Exciting and variable work.
Responsible position which could lead to other exciting roles.

Cons

High pressure to increase profits.
A lot of responsibility and so likelihood of stress.
Will need to make unbiased decisions perhaps on the spur of the moment.

Qualifications Required

A degree is necessary and subject is not that important although accountancy, finance, economics, retail management, maths, marketing, business and IT are likely to be more favourable.

An HND may be enough but normally in business, management, operations management, finance or accountancy.

Although not normally necessary, it is possible to get post graduate qualifications in merchandising.

Required Skills
Ability to work under pressureBeing able to work as part of a teamGood arithmetic skills for budget planningGood IT skillsPresentation skills, to report back to senior managersGood knowledge of the retail tradeGood communication skillsClear headed and decisiveCreative with some idea of good design and layouts

  
Purchase Ledger – Job Description

Learn more about becoming a Purchase Ledger in the UK.

Main Duties

A purchase ledger deals with the money that a company is paying out. This means that they will have to deal with the invoices, VAT payments, staff expenses and pay out money as required, making sure that they are paying the right amount to the right people.

The job will be an office based job with little opportunity to travel and normal office working hours like 9-5, Monday to Friday. There may be the possibility of flexible hours, part-time or temporary work, depending on the company.

You will need to work with purchase, sales and general ledgers, do bookkeeping and check and then organise payments.

Check supplier statements and process them.

You will also need to organise and file paperwork.

There will be a mix of administration and phone work as well as the mathematical side of the role.
Clients may phone to chase payments and so some time will be spent on the telephone.

Expected Salary

This job would probably pay between £16,000 and £23,000 depending on past experience and qualifications.

Pros

Can lead on to other better paid positions such as supervisory roles or management accountant.
Provides good experience for anyone who enjoys the idea of an office job.

Great for anyone who is a lover of figures and maths, especially arithmetic and would like a job in this area.

Cons

It will be your responsibility for paying people and so if they do not get what they want then you may have to deal with their complaints.

You will be the first port of call for suppliers who have not been paid and so they may take out their frustrations on you.

You need a head for figures which many people do not have.

A responsible job where mistakes could be problematic to the company.

Qualifications Required

You will need GCSE Maths and English.
Bookkeeping experience may be preferred.
IT skills would be a bonus especially Excel, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics and BACS.
Those wanting to progress their career should look to do a Level 1 Association of Accounting Technicians qualification, which will provide basic bookkeeping skills.

Required Skills
A good head for figuresPatience when dealing with frustrated clients and a thick skin to accept criticismGood administration skillsCapable of working well with a teamTime management skills Ability to consistently reach deadlinesConfident computer skillsA good telephone manner

  
It Support Technician – Job Description

Learn more about becoming an IT Support Technician in the UK.

Main Duties

An IT support technicians main duty is to monitor computers and maintain them if they go wrong. They may upgrade the systems and provide new hardware and software solutions supporting one department or a whole company, depending on its size.

Technical knowledge would need to be applied to ensure that all of the computers are running as efficiently as possible.

Problem solving skills are key as computers that need fixing would need the problems to be diagnosed and solved.

The work may involve working directly with the computers or advising the users over the telephone so they can make the fix themselves.

When new software and hardware is installed the technician may need to provide continuous support to help users get used to the new system and to fix any bugs or problems.

The job would usually be based in one office, although it may involve travel to other branches. It is usually within normal office working hours although may involve being on call or doing shift work in some cases.

Expected Salary

A starting salary would be from £17,000 to £26,000 and this could rise to £35,000 with relevant experience and qualifications.

Pros

Great salary prospects.
Many jobs available in this area as all companies have computers that need maintaining.
Lots of different problems to solve or systems to work with so interesting and variable.

Cons

It is necessary to keep skills up to date as IT is an ever changing area. This learning is usually expected to be done in your own time.
Often overtime is expected with no extra pay.

Qualifications Required

HND or degree in business IT, IT, software engineering, computer science or similar.
Knowledge of the systems the company uses such as Microsoft, Linux and/or Cisco.
MCSE, MCSA, MCITP may increase chances of securing a role using Microsoft products and similar postgraduate qualifications for Linux or Cisco are a plus.
Work experience is also useful.

Required Skills
Logical thinking and problem solving skillsAn ability to understand a problem from a customer’s description and then come up with an answer that can be explained to themGood team work skillsAn ability to work well with customers and colleaguesTime management and prioritising skillsGood at learning how software works and remembering this for practical applicationPatience with others and good at explaining thingsAn interest in technology

  
Beauty Therapist – Job Description

Learn more about becoming a Beauty Therapist in the UK.

Main Duties

A beauty therapist is responsible for providing face and body treatments for their customers. They help to make them feel less stressed and more confident by improving their appearance and giving them relaxing treatments.

The types of treatments offered include hair removal, nail treatments, massage, eyebrow and eyelash shaping and facials. They may also offer skin and beauty advice and specialised treatments such as electrolysis and tanning.

Beauty therapists may work in health and fitness clubs, spas, airports, hotels, cruise ships, hair salons or holiday resorts. Some are self-employed and may provide services in their home or visit clients in their own home.

Some may be required to book appointments and manage telephone calls.

Selling beauty products is often part of the job too.

Expected Salary

A newly qualified therapist should expect to earn between £10,000 and £13,500 but this can often be supplemented with commission on sales of beauty products. Salary will increase with experience, but managers can earn significantly more.

Pros

A very rewarding job where customers should leave treatments feeling more relaxed and beautiful.
Opportunity for promotion to a salon manager or to run own business if self-motivated.
Lots of possible locations to work from salons to cruise ships so working abroad could be possible.

Cons

Physically demanding as the therapist is always standing and needs energy to give treatments.
Has to always be smiling and friendly as well as polite even if they do not feel like it.
Is responsible for making the customer look and feel good and so could feel high pressure.

Qualifications Required

NVQ/SVQ level 3
Some hands on experience is preferred
Qualifications need to be up to date due to the ever changing treatments in the industry
Additional qualifications that will help include:
BTEC Higher National Diploma in Beauty
CIBTAC
CIDESECO

Required Skills
Need to be professional all of the time and respect their customers privacyNeeds to have high standards of personal hygiene and grooming to make customers feel comfortableHas to have good communication skills and able to put clients at easeHas to be a very good listenerNeed to be good at handling a full schedule and standing up all dayGood time management skills so appointments are on timeNeed to keep up with changes in the beauty business and may need to train to improve skills

  
Security Officer – Job Description

Learn more about becoming a Security Officer in the UK.

Main Duties

A security officer’s main duty is to protect property and stock. In an office based role, they would normally work out of hours, to ensure the property is secure. They may be responsible for issuing passes and checking in visitors during office hours. In a retail environment they would work while the shop was open to make sure that items were not stolen.

The security guard may therefore have a variety of roles. They may need to patrol the building and carefully check passes of visitors or issue them. They will need to on the lookout for thieves and be prepared to take appropriate action should they spot any. There may be CCTV cameras and the security officer may have to keep a check on the footage to watch for any suspicious activity and then take appropriate action.

It is possible that the security guard will need to help customers or office workers and so they may have additional duties. There will also be a certain amount of paperwork including reporting of incidents that may need to be passed on to the police.

In most cases there will be a uniform unless there is undercover work. There may be shift work and this could involve anything from early morning starts to late night finishes for retail stores plus nights for those that are open all the time. For office security guards they will be expected to work night and weekend shifts.

Expected Salary

Starting salary is from £12,000 to £15,000 and this can increase to £21,000 after some years of experience.

Pros

Good salary prospects.
Can be interesting work in some positions as you get to meet a lot of people.
You do not need many qualifications.

Cons

There is the chance that the work could be dangerous.
You may need to do shift work which does not suit everyone.

Qualifications Required

A security guard licence from doing an SIA course.
There are no other qualifications required however a basic education and work experience is useful. Showing the ability to handle trouble is useful and so work experience in the armed forces or police work can help.

Required Skills
Good communication skillsAble to work as part of a teamQuick reactionsReport writing skillsAssertive and confident natureHappy using CCTV and similar equipmentPhysically fit and strong

  
Project Manager – Job Description

Learn more about becoming a Project Manager in the UK.

Main Duties

A project manager has to manage the resources of a project. This includes the people working on the project as well as any equipment.

They will be responsible for the project being delivered on time and to budget to a high quality. They will use software to help them track the time and budget and break it down in to sections so that it is in more manageable chunks. This software might be Microsoft Project, 24 Seven Office, Omniplan or AtTask.

They will be responsible for writing reports on the project and presenting progress reports. They will have to work together with everyone involved on the project to ensure it is all delivered on time and within budget.

They therefore have to make sure that resources are cheap but work well and so provide good value for money for the project. They will need to closely monitor this, making sure the workforce are reaching their potential as well as checking that any equipment is running properly and items purchased are offering value for money to the project.

Most project managers would be office based and therefore often need to be smartly dressed. Working hours would tend to be 9-5 on weekdays, although overtime is likely at times.

Expected Salary

Salary would tend to start at around £37,500 with the national average being around £50,000. With experience salary can rise up to £72,500.

Pros

Satisfaction of seeing a project completed at a high quality, on time and on budget.
Great for anyone who enjoys being in control.
Varied tasks within the role keep it interesting.

Cons

Can be a lot of pressure to get work completed on time.
If budget is overspent it may cause difficulties.
Needs to be able to resolve any conflicts within the team.

Qualifications Required

A degree is essential and a business or industry related subject would be preferable.
Additional project management qualifications from the Project management Institute.
Several years of relevant work experience in a related field.

Required Skills
Time management and prioritisingAbility to stay calm under pressureAble to work in a team and lead them as appropriateIT skills, usually a specific project management programReport writing and presentationDecision making and judgement skillsGood leadership skills and a well respectedGood industry knowledge where relevantGood financial/budgeting skills.

  
Bank Clerk (Cashier) – Job Description

Learn more about becoming a Bank Clerk – Cashier in the UK.

Main Duties

The bank clerk is the person that customers will first meet when they go in to the branch of a bank. They therefore have to be customer focused and able to have a friendly conversation with everyone that comes in. They will need to be confident in all of their duties because they will have to perform them with the customer watching.

The job will involve paying out money, checking statements, processing payments and transferring money. However, there is also a sales role as bank clerks are expected to be able to offer customers other financial products.

Working hours will tend to be 9-5 and possibly Saturday mornings as well. You will be required to wear a uniform and will be desk based most of the time. There are sometimes part-time positions or even shift jobs in customer service centres.

Expected Salary

The basic salary would be around £14,000 but this would increase up to around £27,000. There may be bonuses available linked to the profits made by the bank as well. There could also be opportunities to get discounts on financial products such as loans, pensions and mortgages.

Pros

Getting to meet new customers every day helps to keep the job interesting.
Great for anyone who loves to chat to people.
Not too many qualifications are required but the starting salary is reasonable.

Cons

The pressure of having to sell products to customers as well as remaining helpful and polite.
Many banks do not have that many staff so you need to be quick and efficient and remain calm when there could be a long queue.
There is a chance that some customers will have problems that they want to discuss and they could get emotional or angry as money can be a very serious matter.

Qualifications Required

School leavers with four GCSE’s at A-C including English and Maths are required.
A friendly personality is essential and so this will be more important than any more qualifications. Training is offered on the job where you will be taught about the bank and the products that it offers.
In most cases where there will be the opportunity to earn NVQ/SVQ in customer service and providing financial service at level 2 and 3. There is also a professional diploma in financial services management which anyone looking to advance in role.

Required Skills
Friendly personality, relaxed and chattyAbility to work under pressureSales skillsIT and numeracy skillsAttention to detail