Telephonist

The person in charge of fielding and routing calls. No formal qualifications are required although NVQ/SVQ in Call/Contact Centre Skills (2703/4) is available at levels 1 to 4 and may be helpful. Good GCSE results are desirable. Excellent telephone manner, confidence and a co-operative manner are musts. Salaries range from about £12,500 to £18,500 a year, with entry level jobs starting at around £12,500 a year, rising to around £15,500 for an experienced telephonist. Senior telephonists can earn more than £18,500. Jobs are available across the UK in many different types of businesses

 

Secretary
Anyone interested in this type of role needs to possess an unflappable manner, excellent communication skills, and the ability to juggle and prioritise work loads. Must be good at a broad range of administrative tasks. Most employers and secretarial courses require several GCSC/ S grades (A-C/1-3), and good, written English - knowledge of a foreign language may be useful in some roles. Starting salaries for junior secretaries are about £8,500; with more experience they could earn up to £18,000. A senior secretary or administrator could earn over £25,000. Jobs are available across the UK and flexible working hours fit well with this type of role. The Institute of Qualified Professional Secretaries www.iqps.org has details on training.

 

Receptionist
Meeting and greeting is one of the most important parts of the receptionist's day-to-day duties. Keeping calm and dealing with visitors both face-to-face and on the telephone are also important job requirements, so it's important to be personable and a confident communicator. Good GCSE results are desirable but on-the-job training is the norm. Jobs are available across the UK in a wide-range of offices. Salaries range from about £8,500 to £10,500 for a trainee receptionist, rising to about £13,000 with experience. A receptionist in a senior position may earn up to £18,500. Jobs are available across the UK and flexible working hours are not a difficulty with this type of work. For information on training www.amspar.com may be helpful.

 

Personal Assistant (PA)
Would you be able to work closely with another person and be able to manage your own workload and responsibilities? This role demands excellent all-round secretarial and administrative skills, and first-rate communication skills. Most PA's work normal office hours but flexibility is important - you will have to fit around your boss! PA's are office-based, but are likely to attend meetings out of office. PA's work in all types of organisations in both the public and private sectors, including industry, commerce, the media and local authorities. Competition is fierce. Most employers look for several GCSC/ S grades (A-C/1-3), especially in English, and the Institute for Qualified Professional Secretaries www.iqps.org has details of Diplomas and Certificates which will enhance career prospects. Starting salaries are around £17,000, and some senior PA's can earn around £30,000.

Messenger
The main requirement of the job is to sort, collect and distribute items of mail within or between organisations. Although work is on the decline, despite email some companies will always still use written communication. Administrative and clerical responsibilities, such as filing and photocopying, or light maintenance duties are also part of this job description. An awareness of security issues is important. Employers include banks, law firms, local authorities, central government departments, NHS trusts as well as large corporations. Salaries range from £8,000 for a school-leaver, rising to around £15,000 with experience. A shift supervisor or team leader can earn up to £20,000.

 

Medical Secretary
Providing support for doctors, medical researchers and medical administrators the medical secretary has a lot of contact with patients, updating patients' computer records and files, making appointments and attending to people coming into the surgery. In a hospital, there would be contact with other hospital staff. Hours may include evening, early morning and Saturday shifts. Some medical secretaries go on to become personal assistants to senior medical administrators. They can also move into office management or GP practice administration. For advice on training you can email: learning@nhscareers.nhs.uk or check out www.amspar.co.uk. Salaries start at around £12,500 and senior medical secretaries can earn up to £25,000. Jobs are available across the UK.

 

Medical Receptionist
A medical receptionist makes sure that patients and visitors are in the right place at the right time and may also work with other medical staff including doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals as part of a team. Most work 37.5 hours a week but some evening and weekend shifts may be required. Part-time work and job shares are possible. Salaries for medical receptionists in the NHS range from around £11,800 to £14,700 a year. Employment opportunities exist throughout the UK. Promotion may be possible to a supervisory or managerial role. Some receptionists may move into other administrative roles in a healthcare environment and www.amspar.co.uk has details of training courses available or you can email learning@nhscareers.nhs.uk.

 

Legal Secretary
Carry out clerical and administrative tasks, work from dictation using audiotapes, and assist lawyers with their work. Transcribing letters and legal documents such as contracts, leases, writs, divorce petitions and documents necessary for civil and criminal court proceedings, including witness statements is a major part of the job. The majority work is for solicitors but other employers include the legal departments of large industrial and commercial firms, public sector organisations, barrister's chambers and courts. There are jobs throughout the UK. There is a high demand for legal secretaries and promotion to more senior secretarial posts is possible. For details of training and courses, have a look at The Institute of Legal Executives website www.ilex.org.uk or www.institutelegalsecretaries.com Starting salaries are between £9,000 and £14,000 (£16,000 to £20,000 in London) a year, withsalaries for experienced Legal Secretaries rising up to £19,000 (or £24,000 in London) per year, with top salaries reaching £30,000 (or between £35,000 to £40,000) per year.

 

Bi-lingual PA
Bi-lingual PA's carry out secretarial and administrative support tasks using English and one or more foreign languages. Hours are normally the Monday to Friday, but part-time work may also be available. The greatest need is for western European languages such as French, German, Spanish, Italian and Dutch. There is also a demand for Arabic, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese and Russian. Welsh speakers are often required by organisations in Wales. Opportunities exist in multinational companies, import/export companies, banks, insurance companies, freight companies, travel companies, law firms, government departments and international organisations such as European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN) institutions. In the UK, jobs are mainly based in London and the other large cities. The National Centre for Languages www.cilt.org.uk has details on training and courses to enhance career prospects. Salaries range from £16,000 when you start to £35,000 a year as an experienced bi-lingual PA with a large international organisation.

 

Records Manager
Responsible for the organisation of records, duties include cataloguing and storage, deciding what information should be kept and for how long, and what should be destroyed. Systems must comply with legal and statutory requirements, so in-depth knowledge of the 2005 Freedom of Information Act, the Data Protection Act, and the Statute of Limitations is required. Excellent IT knowledge is a must as most records are now held electronically. Hours are normally full-time. Qualified Records Managers are in high demand and can work for a wide range of both public and private organisations including local authorities, central government, large commercial businesses, charities, museums and educational establishments. In the public sector, there is a strong duty to maintain and preserve community records and local authorities have huge records departments. The starting salary for a graduate is around £20,000 and can rise to as much as £70,000.

 

Administrator
Provides administrative support in an office working mainly on computers. The role is likely to involve working with colleagues from various departments, as well as clients and other people outside of the company so excellent communication skills are required. Entry level administrative assistants can expect to earn between £10,000 and £11,000, rising to around £18,500 with more experience. Administrators with additional responsibilities may earn up to £35,000 a year. Administrative assistants train on the job, working with more experienced members of staff. The Council for Administration www.cfa.uk.com Has details of specific training courses. In larger firms, there are often good opportunities for promotion to wider administrative roles. Jobs are available across the UK in many different types of business.

 

Customer Care Manager
Customer care managers plan, organise, co-ordinate and direct resources necessary for receiving and dealing with the responses, complaints and further requirements of purchasers and users of a product or service. The role is demanding and mainly on the telephone so a good speaking voice and patience are pre-requisites. Approximately two thirds are male. The majority of this type of work is performed in call centres. www.instituteofcustomerservice.com is a useful tool for information about training and courses. The average salary is £29,000 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £50,000.

 

Office Manager
Office Managers plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the activities and resources of office workers like admin staff and secretaries within commercial and public offices and other organisations. Good communication skills and the ability to delegate are musts for this job, as is an all-round knowledge of how a good office runs efficiently. Approximately one third are male. The Institute Of Leadership and Management www.i-l-m.com and Chartered Management Institute www.managers.org.uk has details of training and courses. The average salary is £22,000 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £90,000.

 

Accounts and Wages Clerks, Bookkeeper and other financial clerks
Responsibilities include maintaining and balancing records of financial transactions, calculating hours worked by staff, wages due to staff and other relevant contributions/ deductions, and performing other financial and related clerical tasks. A head for figures and an eye for accuracy are required. Specialist training is also desirable although some companies offer their own on-the-job training. Approximately one third are male. City & Guilds qualifications are available and the Association of Accounting Technicians www.aat.co.uk has information on further training and courses. The average salary is £18,000 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £30,000.

 

Stock Control Clerk
Stock control clerks receive orders from customers, prepare requisitions or dispatch documents for ordered gods, maintain and update records, files and other correspondence relating to the storage and despatch of goods. Approximately two thirds are male. The average salary is £15,500 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £40,000.

Database Assistant/ Clerk
Database Assistants and clerks create, maintain and update information held in electronic databases, computer files, voice-mailboxes and email systems. This could be anything from personal information to records relating to expenditure. Approximately two fifths are male. An eye for detail and working knowledge of IT databases is obviously desirable as is the ability to prioritise workloads. The average salary is £13,000 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £21,000.k.

 

General Office Assistant/ Clerk
General office assistants and clerks are responsible for recording, filing and disseminating information for a business, organisation or individual. Approximately one quarter are male. General office skills and/or experience as well as the ability to spot mistakes and attention to detail are all desirable pre-requisites for this type of role. The average salary is £12,500 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £22,000.

 

Typist
Responsibilities include typing letters, memos, minutes, reports and other documents from written or dictated matter, using typewriters, word processors or PC's. Good typing skills (at least 50wpm) and a typing qualification are usually required for this role. The majority of typists are female - less than five percent are male - and positions are available full and part-time, some typists even work from home typing up documents which they can deliver electronically via email or printed. Jobs are available across the UK. The average salary is £13,000 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £27,000.

 

Office Junior
Office Juniors perform a variety of elementary clerical tasks within offices, responsibilities could include: filing, delivering mail, typing and word processing, answering the telephone and even making coffee! This is an all-round post that requires a willingness to muck-in and perform. This kind of role gives an excellent grounding in general office duties and is suitable for school and college leavers looking for a step on to the career ladder. Approximately one half are male. Jobs are available across the UK in a wide-range of businesses. The average salary is £13,000 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £18,000

 

Hospital & Health Service Manager
Responsibilities are heavy and include the planning, organisation, direction and co-ordination of the resources and ativities of healthcare providers and purchasers at both district and unit level. This is a job that requires excellent people skills, top-notch communication abilities, good delegation skills, knowledge of working to budgets and an interest in all things medical. Approximately one third are male. Jobs are available across the UK in a wide-range of health care facilities. For details of training within the NHS for this kind of role, www.nhscareers.nhs.uk has lots of information. For Graduate courses take a look at www.futureleaders.nhs.uk. The average salary is £29,000 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £70,000.

 

Healthcare Practice Manager
Responsibilities include the planning, organisation, direction and co-ordination of the work and resources of medical, dental and other forms of healthcare practices. A female dominated profession - less than 5% are male - this type of role is demanding and successful applicants need to be efficient at prioritising workloads, able to communicate effectively at all levels and have good all-round IT experience. A managerial qualification is preferable and a desire 'to help' is also a must in this type of role. Jobs are available widely across the UK. The average salary is £27,000 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £36,000.
For details of NHS training and courses in this type of work, take a look at the following sites: www.futureleaders.nhs.uk and www.nhscareers.nhs.uk

 

Registrar and Senior Administrator of Educational Establishment
Duties include the planning, organisation, direction and co-ordination of the administrative work and resources of a university, college or other educational establishment. This type of role can be very demanding and people interested in this kind of work need to have excellent organisational skills, be able to keep calm under pressure and possess good all-round office experience. Excellent communication skills are also necessary. Approximately one quarter are male. Jobs of this nature are available across the UK in many schools, colleges and Universities. The average salary is £26,000 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £78,500.

 

Credit Controller
Credit controllers perform financial, administrative and other tasks in relation to credit control and debt collection. Approximately one third are male. The Institute of Credit Management (ICM) www.icm.org.uk, o the Credit Services Association (CSA) www.csa-uk.com offer courses and qualifications which can enhance career development and lead to roles with greater responsibility. Obvious desirable skills include a head for figures, good communication skills and excellent IT experience. The average salary is £19,000 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £50,000.

 

Counter Clerk
Counter clerks deal with the payment of money, cheques and other financial claims and open and close accounts. Advise upon financial products and services offered by banks, building societies and post offices. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) www.fsa.gov.uk has details on training which may be necessary for career progression. Approximately one third are male. Jobs are available across the UK. The average salary is £14,000 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £30,000.

 

Pensions and Insurance Clerk
This is a supporting role performing specialist clerical tasks in relation to the administration of pension and insurance policies. You will either be part-qualified, or have a willingness to study for necessary qualifications. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) www.fsa.gov.uk has details on training, but two of the main providers are the Pensions Management Institute (PMI) www.pensions-pmi.org.uk or the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) www.cii.co.uk. Some employers provide on-the-job training straight from school. Approximately two fifths are male. Jobs are available across the UK. The average salary is £20,500 but with experience is it possible to earn as much as £38,000.

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Transportation and Distribution Clerk
Planning and managing the flow of goods or materials from suppliers to outlets and then on to customers is one of the main areas of responsibility in this role. Excellent organisational and communication skills are desirable as dealing with people of all levels will be integral to the job. Prioritising and juggling workloads effectively and within budget is also an important element. Job description could also include: monitoring stock levels, re-ordering goods, and tracking the movement of goods through depots. Shift-work is often available in this kind of role and there are many jobs across the UK in a variety of businesses. Most training is on the job; however, it might be possible to study for further qualification. The Chartered Institute for Logstics and Transport (UK) www.ciltuk.org.uk has information. Starting salaries for juniors are around £8,000 to £12,000 a year. Experienced distribution managers can between £25,000 and £35,000 a year.

 

School Secretary
Providing general administrative support to school staff, responsibilities may include: word processing, keeping records of pupils and staff, answering phone calls, ordering equipment and stationery etc. It is important to be able to communicate with both children and adults alike for this role and a friendly nature is all important. Many secretaries work part-time for 6 to 15 hours a week but some work full-time for 37 hours a week. They may sometimes have to attend evening meetings. There are no set entry requirements for this role, but many employers will ask for GCSEs/S grades or equivalent in English and maths and you may be asked for a secretarial qualification. You will usually be expected to have several years' office experience. Anyone interested in this type of role should expect to undergo a criminal record check which is normal procedure for anyone interested in working with young children. Jobs are available across the UK wherever there is a school. Secretaries working full-time in a state school are likely to earn £10,000 to £14,000 a year. For those working in a large secondary school earnings could be up to £20,000 a year. Salaries in private schools vary widely.

 

Call Centre Operator
Demand for people who can do this type of role is growing due to the advance of the internet and there are currently around 10,500 call centres in the UK. Responsibilities include selling goods or services, or providing information and advice to members of the public over the telephone. They are either people who may be interested in buying your product or people who have already purchased something and need help with it. This type of work is available in businesses such as: mail order companies, financial companies, help-lines and advisory services, and customer services departments. Cold calling to sell products or to conduct market research is undoubtedly the most difficult element of this type of work and to do this job you need to be confident and have a thick-skin! Work is available full and part-time. New entrants start on about £9,000, with experienced operators earning between £12,000 and £14,000. Commission or bonuses may also be paid. Work is available across the UK with the majority in major cities and towns like London, Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham. Training is normally on the job but a good starting point are the City & Guilds Certificate in Contact Centre Skills (4422), and BTEC Awards - Introduction to Contact Centres and Call Handling Operations, both of these will give a good background into this kind of work.

 

Customer Services Manager
Responsibilities include supervisin all or part of a team that works in variety of jobs involving constant or regular contact with customers, this could be in a customer service department or in more general terms as a manager of a sales team for example. Ensuring customers' enquiries are handled in a positive, efficient way in line with employer's standards is a daily duty and knowledge of their organisation's products and policies is imperative. Staff recruitment and appraisals, working arrangements, staff meetings, and training and development programmes are also part of this role. Jobs are available across the UK in a wide variety of businesses. Hours are normally full-time although certain types of business may consider part-time or job share, for example places that are operative 24-hours per day. For advice on courses and training it would be wise to take a look at the following websites: The Institute of Customer Service www.instituteofcustomerservice.com and the Institute of Leadership and Management www.i-l-m.com. Trainee managers usually earn from £10,000 to £12,000 a year. With experience, this can rise to between £12,000 and £15,000. Experienced managers in large organisations may earn £20,000 or more.