Many young people are heading into the final days and weeks of their time at university or sixth form, facing exams and assessments and inevitably turning their thoughts towards career choices. For some, the buzz of city life will be tempting, but Guernsey also offers some fantastic career opportunities and an enviable work/life balance.
While many career paths are within the financial services sector, there are numerous other options also available and the team at OSA has many years’ experience in helping first time job seekers identify a pathway that will suit them best.
When deciding what to do next it can be hard when job descriptions are full of sector specific language, making it difficult to understand what exactly you will be expected to do. These terms will become familiar as you train within a specific sector. Right now, all you really need to know is if your skill set will make this a role that you will enjoy.
Have a look at the areas below which you think are most relevant to you, with more detail on each industry provided. Any questions, just give us a call as we are always here to help. We also offer career coaching – a series of one-to-one confidential sessions, to help you improve your self-awareness to identify opportunities, stay on track with your goals and form action plans to create your ideal career path.
Would you describe yourself as…
- Someone who enjoys dealing with people?
- Someone who is creative?
- Someone who is analytical?
- Someone who enjoys preparing, organising, dealing with queries, and managing workloads?
- Someone who enjoys problem solving?
- Someone who loves numbers?
- Someone who likes sales?
- Someone who loves technology?
Roles for those who enjoy working with people
Account Executive/Customer Services
A perfect fit if you are friendly and outgoing, have excellent interpersonal skills and like working with people. These roles can be fast-paced, extremely varied and rewarding. You will often be working in a competitive environment, managing multiple campaigns, budgets and clients.
Insurance / Captive Insurance
Maths enthusiasts and analytical individuals may well be suited to a role in the insurance industry. Roles include actuarial work, sales, surveying, claims handling and investigation, underwriting, risk management, investment management, and pensions management. Most also need excellent communication skills. Professional qualifications – from certificates to advanced diplomas – are available from the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Trust
The trust industry is a fiduciary service provided to private clients to protect assets and support estate planning. An eye for detail and excellent people skills are a must for roles in this sector. Employers would expect trainees to complete STEP qualifications which are available at all levels.
Useful sites step.org
Other areas of interest –
- Client Relationship Management
- Human Resources
- Retail
Roles for those who enjoy being creative
Advertising
Are you naturally creative? Have you got great imagination and can think strategically? Add in good communication skills and a sprinkling of common sense and an advertising career might be for you. You will need to gain hands-on experience and insight into agency work before taking on your own personal client portfolio. You’ll identify the target audience, establish key messages, and analyse results. Training is usually ‘on the job’ but there are professional qualifications available. As well as a traditional CV, if you are applying for a creative job (e.g. in graphic design) you need to develop your portfolio. You can use sites like Instagram or Flickr for online portfolios that you can update regularly.
Useful sites: ipa.co.uk
Marketing / Business Development
If you are creative, can think strategically and are a good communicator then marketing would be a good choice. Marketing professionals are responsible for developing campaigns to promote a product, service, or idea. It is a varied role that includes:
- Research
- Planning
- Advertising
- Public relations
- Event organisation
- Product development
- Distribution
- Sponsorship
Roles can be either client or agency side. A number of professional qualifications are available.
Useful sites: cim.co.uk, theidm.com
Other areas of interest –
- Graphic Design
- PR
Roles for the analytically minded
Accounting & Actuarial
Ideal if you have fantastic attention to detail, analytical skills and love numbers. Larger accountancy practices offer training programmes for graduates to work towards an ACA or ACCA qualification. Accountancy offers a wide range of specialist areas from financial reporting to taxation, auditing to forensic accounting, and business recovery and insolvency. Actuaries are problem solvers and strategic thinkers, who use their mathematical skills to help measure the probability and risk of future events.
Useful sites: icew.com, accaglobal.com, actuaries.org.uk
Banking/Investments/Portfolio Management
If you have excellent communication and people skills, the ability to develop technical industry knowledge and can work within a set of regulations the banking industry offers many career options with a wide choice of specialist professional qualifications.
For example, these are a few areas of corporate banking:
- Management of foreign exchange risk and interest rate sensitivity.
- Provision of loans, leasing arrangements, asset finance and supplier finance.
- Products and services for international trade; loans and trade finance; letters of credit, indemnities and guarantees.
- Cash payment and management.
- Sector-specific financial
- Investment banking services to advise on and assist with raising finance in the capital markets.Useful sites: charteredbanker.com, libf.ac.uk
Insurance / Captive Insurance
Maths enthusiasts and analytical individuals may well be suited to a role in the insurance industry. Roles include actuarial work, sales, surveying, claims handling and investigation, underwriting, risk management, investment management, and pensions management. Most also need excellent communication skills. Professional qualifications – from certificates to advanced diplomas – are available from the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Useful sites: cii.co.uk
Other areas of interest –
- Audit
- Business Analysis
- Data Analysis
Roles for those who enjoy preparing, organising, dealing with queries, and managing workloads
Trust
The trust industry is a fiduciary service provided to private clients to protect assets and support estate planning. An eye for detail and excellent people skills are a must for roles in this sector. Employers would expect trainees to complete STEP qualifications which are available at all levels.
Useful sites step.org
Fund Administrators/Fund Managers/Private Equity
If you have excellent organisational, numerical and problem-solving skills and are highly self-motivated, love working under pressure and are a good time manager a career in funds might be for you. Fund administrators are responsible for the administration, accounting and reporting of collective funds – pools of cash from individual investors which are invested into larger asset funds such as property funds, debt funds, hedge funds and bridging finance. Fund Managers are responsible for managing the funds, making investment decisions and also sourcing potential investors to raise capital.
Useful sites: ICAEW.com, accaglobal.com, cgi.org.uk
Company Secretary
Company Secretaries are responsible for ensuring that organisations comply with standard financial and legal practice and that they maintain high standards of corporate governance. If you are fastidious about detail, never miss a deadline and are a stickler for procedure, then this might well be for you. Company Secretaries hold a pivotal strategic position within an organisation and act as a point of communication between the directors and company shareholders. You will generally be expected to work towards Chartered Secretary status.
Useful sites: cgi.org.uk
Office Administration
A role in administration is perfect if you are a great organiser with strong administration skills and a flair for clerical or supportive work. As an Office Administrator, youu0027re responsible for facilitating the smooth running of an office and ensuring it meets its goals. This includes the organising of people, information, and other resources. The exact nature of your work will vary depending on the organisation. Qualifications are available at a variety of levels.
Useful sites: instam.org
Pensions
Pensions specialists provide advice and information on retirement provision to organisations and individuals. Most pensions consultants work for specialist pensions and benefits consultancies, although opportunities also exist with large financial services companies and life assurance companies. Qualifications for beginners are available.
Useful sites: penions-pmi.org.uk, cii.co.uk
Secretarial / Reception / PA
If you’re highly organised with great attention to details these roles sit as a central hub for many organisations. The role varies greatly depending on the sector, size of the employer and levels of responsibility. You will need to be an excellent writer and oral communicator, as well as have IT and presentation skills, and the ability to multi-task and work well under pressure. In some cases, such as in legal secretarial work, specialist knowledge or qualifications may be required. There are various courses to equip you with the necessary skills.
Useful sites: instam.org, londonchamber.co.uk, pitman-training.com
Legal
Qualifying as an Advocate can open the door to many fantastic career opportunities if you are a natural problem solver. There are also opportunities for Paralegals, Court Clerks and Legal Secretaries which require organisational and time management skills, flexibility and enthusiasm and excellent communication skills. In order to qualify as a Lawyer, you will first need to study at university then complete the one-year postgraduate Legal Practice Course (LPC). Once ready to join a law firm you’ll spend a couple of years gaining practical experience before qualifying as a Solicitor and eventually as Court Advocate should you choose.
Useful sites: lawsociety.org.uk, guernseybar.com
Other areas of interest –
- Corporate Services
Roles for those who enjoy problem solving
Accounting & Actuarial
Ideal if you have fantastic attention to detail, analytical skills and love numbers. Larger accountancy practices offer training programmes for graduates to work towards an ACA or ACCA qualification. Accountancy offers a wide range of specialist areas from financial reporting to taxation, auditing to forensic accounting, and business recovery and insolvency. Actuaries are problem solvers and strategic thinkers, who use their mathematical skills to help measure the probability and risk of future events.
Useful sites: icew.com, accaglobal.com, actuaries.org.uk
Compliance/Risk
Risk/compliance is one of the fastest growing areas of employment in the finance sector and beyond. You need an eye for detail, an investigative nature, good critical problem-solving and the ability to interpret information quickly and efficiently. As a Compliance Officer, you are responsible for ensuring a company complies with its outside regulatory requirements and internal policies. In short, you are responsible for making sure that your employer plays by the rules. A range of qualifications are available.
Useful sites: int-comp.org
Legal
Qualifying as an Advocate can open the door to many fantastic career opportunities if you are a natural problem solver. There are also opportunities for Paralegals, Court Clerks and Legal Secretaries which require organisational and time management skills, flexibility and enthusiasm and excellent communication skills. In order to qualify as a Lawyer, you will first need to study at university then complete the one-year postgraduate Legal Practice Course (LPC). Once ready to join a law firm you’ll spend a couple of years gaining practical experience before qualifying as a Solicitor and eventually as Court Advocate should you choose.
Useful sites: lawsociety.org.uk, guernseybar.com
Other areas of interest –
- Service Desk Analyst
- Project Management
Roles for those who love numbers
Accounting & Actuarial
Ideal if you have fantastic attention to detail, analytical skills and love numbers. Larger accountancy practices offer training programmes for graduates to work towards an ACA or ACCA qualification. Accountancy offers a wide range of specialist areas from financial reporting to taxation, auditing to forensic accounting, and business recovery and insolvency. Actuaries are problem solvers and strategic thinkers, who use their mathematical skills to help measure the probability and risk of future events.
Useful sites: icew.com, accaglobal.com, actuaries.org.uk
Banking/Investments/Portfolio Management
If you have excellent communication and people skills, the ability to develop technical industry knowledge and can work within a set of regulations the banking industry offers many career options with a wide choice of specialist professional qualifications.
For example, these are a few areas of corporate banking:
- Management of foreign exchange risk and interest rate sensitivity.
- Provision of loans, leasing arrangements, asset finance and supplier finance.
- Products and services for international trade; loans and trade finance; letters of credit, indemnities and guarantees.
- Cash payment and management.
- Sector-specific financial
- Investment banking services to advise on and assist with raising finance in the capital markets.
Useful sites: charteredbanker.com, libf.ac.uk
Insurance / Captive Insurance
Maths enthusiasts and analytical individuals may well be suited to a role in the insurance industry. Roles include actuarial work, sales, surveying, claims handling and investigation, underwriting, risk management, investment management, and pensions management. Most also need excellent communication skills. Professional qualifications – from certificates to advanced diplomas – are available from the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Useful sites: cii.co.uk
Other areas of interest –
- Software Developer/Engineer
- Business Analyst
Roles for those who love sales
- Account Management
- Retail
- Estate Agency
Roles for those who love technology
IT
There are a wide choice of roles in IT including consultancy, technical support, and training.
If you are a logical thinker and love all things tech, then IT is worth considering as a career path. Training courses are generally on-going to keep up-to-date in this the ever-changing world.
Useful sites: bcs.org, theiet.org
Other areas of interest –
- Software Development
- Telecommunications
