The job market is in crisis. Entry-level job listings have fallen to their lowest level in five years, and thousands of graduates have been left high and dry – stopped in their tracks before they could even get started. With competition fiercer than ever, many job seekers and students are considering which career path is not only the best fit for their qualifications, but also is most likely to develop into a career with longevity, providing consistent progression opportunities along the way.
We’re going to take a look at several professions that give prospective candidates a solid springboard from which they can leap up the ladder in their early careers, while maintaining a high ceiling and earning potential later in life.
Paralegal
Paralegals support lawyers with legal research, document drafting, and the management of critical case files. Entry-level positions pay relatively well and work across a variety of sectors: one Paralegal could specialise in civil law, while another works in IP (intellectual property) law, for instance. The variety of work is staggering: the first Paralegal might support credit hire claims and personal injury cases, while another works with a major movie studio on a copyright infringement case.
If you’re considering a career as a Paralegal, then good news – it’s an accessible profession with several different routes to getting started. First off, having a Law degree will qualify you for almost any entry-level Paralegal position, but it’ll take at least 3 years and incur some expensive student loan fees. If you’re coming in fresh, we’d recommend a couple of different routes. The NALP (National Association of Licensed Paralegals) Level 3 qualification doesn’t require prior experience and takes approximately 6 months to complete; it is explicitly designed to prepare students for entry-level positions.
If you’d prefer to work and earn while studying, then fear not. A paralegal apprenticeship takes 18 months to complete, and allows you to learn on the job and get paid while completing assignments, like essays and exams.
The Paralegal profession is also a standout for us because of the amount of flexibility on offer later in the career pathway. Here are just three examples:
- Senior positions: Manage more complicated cases and work with more autonomy, often responsible for their own team of junior paralegals.
- Chartered Legal Executive: A popular route, as it allows them to effectively become lawyers, albeit within a restricted scope of practice.
- Solicitor: Many paralegals later qualify as solicitors, training via the SQE (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) or qualifying work experience.
Digital Marketing Specialist
If you’re more creatively minded, then you’ve likely considered a role in marketing. Digital Marketing Specialists are exposed to a variety of marketing disciplines in a diverse, ever-changing industry. Applicants are in high demand, and roles typically offer abundant opportunities for professional development and career progression.
In an internal position, junior marketing specialists are part of an organisation’s internal marketing team, supporting digital paid media campaigns, creating content for the company’s social media accounts, and assisting with the organisation’s website and SEO (search engine optimisation). In a digital marketing agency, junior marketing specialists support clients with services similar to those of an internal position, albeit across a wide variety of industries, exposing them to a broader range of marketing techniques and preferences in different sectors.
Much like the Paralegal profession, there is no shortage of ways to access a career in digital marketing. Naturally, a degree in marketing, or a related field, like Business, Communications, or even English, is a solid foundation, but it isn’t essential. Industry-specific qualifications, such as CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) Level 3, and free qualifications from Google and HubSpot are widely recognised across the industry and do not require prior experience.
If you’re looking for a career with longevity, then digital marketing is a strong choice, with various options available as you progress.
- Director-level roles: If you work your way up in either an internal or agency environment, you’ll likely end up in a director-level position. The role’s primary focus revolves around setting a long-term marketing strategy that can take months or even years to roll out.
- Consultancy: Work for yourself. Charge agencies or organisations an eye-watering day rate to advise them on what they’re doing wrong and make recommendations on how to improve.
- Specialising further: Choose to specialise further in a specific area, like content marketing, UX (user experience), social media, or SEO.
Accountancy
The Accountant has long been the poster child for a stable, high-ceiling career – and it still is. If you’re considering an entry-level role, like a Junior Accountant or Accounts Assistant, you can expect to manage purchasing ledgers, record transactions, help prepare financial statements, and process invoices.
In terms of environment, you can expect to start your career as either part of a company’s internal finance team or in an independent accounting firm. Earning potential early in your career might be similar to others in different industries, but accounting soon outpaces others, as those with over five years’ experience earn considerably more than their peers in other fields.
To kick-start your career in accounting, you can earn a degree in Accounting, Finance, or another related field, or alternatively, opt for an apprenticeship, which combines studying and work experience. Once your foot is through the door at an internship or entry-level job, you can pursue professional qualifications like ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), which often come with a pay rise and allow you to pursue senior positions in the space.
As a career in accounting progresses, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to progress and diversify your practice. Here are just a couple:
- Senior roles: Roles like CFO (Chief Financial Officer), Finance Director, or Head of Finance are in high demand across various industries in the UK, within organisations of all shapes and sizes. They are high-paying, strategic, and an essential part of any business – especially in times of fiscal uncertainty.
- Consultancy: Senior Accountants often choose to move into consulting, becoming self-employed and working on a contract basis to provide expert advice to clients on complex financial issues.
- Public sector: Accountants with strategic experience at scale are well-equipped to transition into important roles that manage public money across a wide range of services, like the NHS, local authorities, or the armed forces.
Closing Thoughts
Nowadays, students are shackled to more debt than ever; the cost-of-living crisis is tightening its grip on every household across the country, and the spectre of artificial intelligence looms over the global workforce, poised to steal millions of livelihoods.
It’s no wonder that so many young adults are thinking twice about what career can deliver them the future they want, weathering inevitable upcoming financial crises and offering a rewarding career with consistent progression opportunities. The path you choose now can shape the entire trajectory of your working life, so don’t make the decision lightly. Choose wisely, don’t stop learning, and use every step up as a launch pad to take your career to new heights.
