Explore Careers in Business, Marketing & Accounting
According to the House of Commons Library, Business Statistics Briefing Paper, July 2020 there were more than 5.9 million private sector businesses in the UK in 2019.
Employment opportunities in this sector can generally be split into two main areas: business management and consultancy.
You don’t need to restrict yourself solely to the business sector as the majority of organisations require managers and consultants in order to operate effectively. Because of this, graduates have plenty of job opportunities to choose from.
Business managers usually work general management jobs or hold specific responsibilities for a particular area of an organisation, such as marketing, strategy planning, human resources (HR) or information technology (IT). Some roles lean towards people management, while others focus on project management – but most managers need skills in both areas.
Meanwhile, consultants offer advice to organisations to help them solve problems and enhance performance. They either work in large companies or consultancy firms. Organisations can be general, specialise in strategy or offer advice to a specific industry, such as:
- finance
- HR
- IT
- marketing and public relations (PR)
- media
Work in this area is highly competitive, with firms looking for bright, high achievers. However, you may find it useful to first move into a role where you can build up business knowledge and maturity before heading into consultancy.
Alternatively, consider other business jobs that offer specialist information, advice and support to companies, such as data mining or market research, or specific roles such as business adviser, economist, risk manager and operational researcher.
When researching potential areas of work it’s likely that they overlap with the accountancy, banking and finance sector. Professionals from both sectors work together to ensure the best outcome for the client and the lines between the two industries can sometimes become blurred.
Stuart Marsden – Claro Software
Nichola Mason – Lancaster University
Victoria Kennedy – JD Sports
Roman Dibden – Changing Education
Victoria Braddock – Director of International Marketing at Marketing Manchester
Michael Lough – Managing Director at Blue Wren
Marcus Bleasdale – Freelance Photographer and MD of Wilstar
Ann-Marie Atkins – Tilney Wealth Management
Donald Allison – Novus Group
Graham Taylor – Business Manager for Screwfix
Barry Grant – Ambassador Theatre Group
David Fletcher – NIKE Amsterdam
Dave Windebank – Operations Director at WYE Mountain Biking
Robert Martin – Freelance Marketing Consultant
Mary Wilcox – Claro Software
Martin Kemp – Director of Change for SKY TV
Michelle Parkin – NatWest Business
Daniel Crumblehulme – Employer Engagement Manager at Preston’s College