Top Career Options in the UK

Today's graduates find it extremely hard to find a well-paying job even after they get the required degrees. The competition is tough and it doesn't seem to ease anytime soon. After all, anyone would want to have a well-paying job after working hard for close to 5 years of their life. Even though degrees seem to be redundant in some sectors, studies have shown that having a degree (preferably till postgraduate) will give you an upper hand in your field of interest.

The UK is a country that can turn out to be extremely beneficial for people looking for a high-paying job, if the cards are played right. The best way to gain the best out of those benefits is to tailor your studies with the requirements of different sectors, as well as being sensitive to what are the current needs and adjusting to the same.

Glassdoor's senior economic research analyst, Amanda Stansell has mentioned that the face of the best jobs keeps changing or shifting as time goes by. The skills that were not relevant a few years ago would become extremely beneficial in the coming years, but there are also jobs that are consistent and always in demand, hence the pay is always high as well.

Without further ado, let's look at the top 10 job opportunities out of the jobs ranked by Glassdoor. The ranking is based on the average pay and includes the number of job openings and the satisfaction rate of the job, as of 2020.

Top 10 Career Choices in UK

1. Enterprise Architect (£75,209/year)

• satisfaction score: 3.9
• job openings: 2,692

An enterprise architect supervises the software and networking services of an IT company. They are responsible for upgrading and enhancing the services provided by the IT company, including hardware and software. Being on top of the latest technology trends in the market is important for enterprise architect's so that they can bring in those trends in the company they would be working in.

2. Strategy Manager (£74,896/year)

• satisfaction score: 4.1
• job openings: 753

A strategy manager has the responsibility of leading a company towards maximum growth with minimum risks. The job of a strategy manager is to plan out and execute the best ways the company can achieve its goals.

It is important to keep in mind that strategy managers aren't entry-level or freshers; they are a group of experienced and executives of the company, who don't have to take advice or report to anyone.

The process of achieving the goals of any company is not a one-day of work. It takes years of planning at every step of the way, as well as careful analysis of the company and the market data to figure out the best options for the company. These tough decisions are what strategy managers are responsible for.

3. Tax Manager (£62,995/year)

• satisfaction score: 3.8
• job openings: 1,651

To put it simply, tax managers are accountants who are responsible for documenting taxes. Their job description includes managing the taxes, keeping in line with the regulations, and updating the company's tax files frequently.

Moreover, tax managers are responsible for overseeing the accounting staff and making sure the organization is in compliance with the tax regulations of the country they are in.

4. Finance Manager (£60,403/year)

• satisfaction score: 3.8
• job openings: 2,231

A financial manager is quite different from an accountant, in the way that they manage the company's cash in-flow/out-flow oversee the accounting section. A company's budget-making includes financial managers that figure out the amount of profit the organization would be able to make over a period of time.

Other than overlooking the finances of the company, financial managers help the organization understand complex reports in simple words, this requires having amazing communication skill which develops with experience and would cater to the needs of the company.

5. Risk Manager (£60,000/year)

• satisfaction score: 3.9
• job openings: 1,437

Usually, a risk manager is supposed to help the company not face adverse aftereffects from losses and manages the risk level of the company, so as to not let the organization be unable to achieve its goals.

Sometimes, risk managers work in the financial department and help the company identify financial risks and how to avoid such risks.

6. Delivery Manager (£58,447/year)

• satisfaction score: 3.9
• job openings: 1,512

A delivery manager is someone who would make sure that the software and hardware products are safely and timely delivered to the clients or the company who bought them. They overlook the whole process and make sure there are no hindrances in the delivery, and get rid of any other obstacle that would not allow the delivery of a company's products.

7. Commercial Manager (£58,385/year)

• satisfaction score: 3.9
• job openings: 977

Commercial managers are important forces of the company as they lead the company into potential expansion areas, by grabbing beneficial opportunities regarding mergers, partnerships. They provide useful advice and make sure the company would not take a step in the wrong direction.

But that's not all; commercial managers also look for potential clients and increase the vendor connection of the company. They are responsible for managing the contracts made with the company and analyzing the market, keeping up with the latest trends which would all contribute positively towards the organization's expansion and growth in the market.

8. Design Manager (£56,439/year)

• satisfaction score: 3.9
• job openings: 854

A design manager's major responsibility is to effectively and efficiently convey the design work planned for the construction to the people responsible for the same. Design managers rarely work alone, they have to collaborate with architects, construction managers, BIM technicians, and service engineers to agree upon a plan and start working on it.

9. Product Manager (£56,195/year)

• satisfaction score: 3.9
• job openings: 2,750

Product managers are the people who will realize the needs of the customers and deliver to those needs. They are responsible for accurately knowing what is currently needed in the market, how would the product perform, the amount of profit it will bring in, and most importantly gets the team to start working on the idealized product.

A long-term product would include the product manager to look into the planning of long-term success of the product and what risks could incur, if at all.

The job of a product manager is very new, about 20 years old. Hence, the scope in this job position is seamless.

10. Engagement Manager (£51,166/year)

• satisfaction score: 4.2
• job openings: 747

An engagement manager works very closely with the client of the organization. They are responsible for looking after the client's needs and complaints once the contract has been signed. Of course, building a strong and positive relationship with the client is a given, so as to secure the client for future purchases as well.

An engagement manager also overlooks that the client receives the company's resources on a timely basis and that their invoice is cleared out as well.

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High pay doesn't equal high satisfaction

Whatever said and done, if your choice of career is dependent on the number of zeros you would earn, the satisfaction you would get from the job isn't always guaranteed.

The high-paying jobs are such because the amount of labor is high whereas the number of people is on the lower side, in most cases. Even though the UK has great potentially high-paying jobs (where the average salary is high, to begin with), students are encouraged to pursue the career of their choice as the average pay for any job is satisfactory and has great scope for growth.

In fact, most employers and recruiters look for a passion for the job as well as a drive to grow the company in the market. Such strong motivation is an abstract aspect that recruiters have begun appreciating after you have shown your potential in theory, aka academic qualifications.

Remember: The United Kingdom offers tremendous opportunities in a variety of fields making it one of the leading industrialized regions in the world. So plan your studies in advance accordingly.