Office Jobs

Every organisation, large or small, needs effective administration. People working in this sector provide the support an organisation needs to meet its objectives.

Roles in this job family range from managers, who devise policies and make decisions, to clerical workers, who collect, store, interpret and distribute information. Jobs may involve supervising colleagues or dealing with clients, members of the public and representatives of other organisations, either face to face or on the telephone.

Most employees in this sector are based in offices. Workers may spend all or part of their time sitting at a desk using a computer and a telephone. Many jobs involve travel to other premises for site visits, meetings and conferences. This can be local or throughout the UK. Some jobs, such as European Union (EU) official, provide the opportunity to work overseas. Work environments vary from modern purpose-built open plan offices to small rooms attached to busy factories and transport depots, and from high-rise city centre office blocks to isolated farms in rural areas. Full-time workers usually work 37 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Part-time work and job share are available in many roles.

There are opportunities in every employment sector, including national and local government, agriculture, finance, engineering, health, leisure, media, retail, transport and utilities. Employers can range from multinational corporations, with thousands of staff, to small companies with less than ten employees.

Over 4,933,000 people are employed in administration, business and office work, and this figure is predicted to rise. Around 32 per cent of employers report difficulty in recruiting skilled business and administration staff.

There are opportunities all over the UK, particularly in towns and cities.

Entry is possible at all levels. While some vacancies are open to people who have few formal qualifications, but who can demonstrate a reasonable level of literacy and numeracy, other roles require degrees or postgraduate qualifications. Employers often look for candidates with keyboard skills who are confident using a range of software packages. Teamworking, communication, organisation and problem-solving skills are important, and customer service skills are also required in many jobs. Supervisors and managers also need leadership and decision-making skills. For some roles, specialist qualifications in languages or knowledge of medical or legal terminology may be essential.

New entrants may receive on-the-job training and/or attend in-house and external courses. Some employers offer Apprenticeships. Employees may have the opportunity to study for additional qualifications, ranging from NVQs/SVQs at Levels 1 to 4 to a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Promotion usually involves taking on extra responsibilities and managing people, projects and resources. Opportunities for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) may be available.

Why not have a look at other Job Family articles as they may hold information on related jobs.