The Top 5 Industries You Are Missing Out On

By Charlotte Giver

When you’re on the lookout for a job, it can often seem impossible to find a career that offers good pay, job security, and engaging work. Or is it? If you broaden your job search to include some of the most overlooked industries, you may well see your luck change.

We highlight five unheralded industries that you should consider focusing your job hunt around if you’re looking for a well-paying and fulfilling career.

Not many people grow up wanting to be an accountant when they’re older, but accountancy and financial acumen are some of the few skills that are in high demand across all industries and sectors. Because of this, accountants rarely find themselves out of work, and according to Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAEW)’s 2015 Salary Survey, the average salary for a chartered accountant is £90,200. Furthermore, a qualified accountant can also expect an average bonus of £20,600 each year.

Alongside an extremely competitive salary and the kind of job security it’s hard to come by in this day and age, an accountant can also enjoy the freedom to choose to work in-house or freelance. If you combine a second language with financial acumen, it also gives you the ability to work anywhere in the world.

IT is one of the youngest industries, but it has quickly grown to be one of its largest. The sector is now a driving force of the economy and has seen steady growth over the decades as computers become more and more integrated into our everyday lives. According to TIME magazine, the international IT industry is set for another big growth spurt in the next few years, making it a great sector to start a career in.

Moreover, if you’re qualified to degree level, you can expect a starting salary of £30,000 a year in the IT industry according to the 2016 Graduate Market report by High Fliers. If you’re planning the next step in your career, you could do a lot worse than a role in IT.

Much like accountancy and IT, human resources is a great sector to get into because it props up almost every other industry. However, it’s often overlooked by job seekers, who may not realize how fruitful a career in this sector can be.

According to Prospects, you can expect an average salary of £44,033 as a HR executive. This role also opens up the possibility of going self-employed once you’ve built up enough experience, as many businesses are taking up outsourcing their HR responsibilities.

Logistics is another unheralded industry that is often overlooked by job seekers, despite being essential for so many other industries to function. As John Davies, the Group Operations Manager at Impact Handling, says: “While logistics isn’t a particularly glamorous industry, there’s almost no product that isn’t handled by a logistics company at some point in its lifespan.”Furthermore, the continued rise of online shopping is set to create an even greater need for logistics, meaning the industry is likely to see steady growth into the future.

As the UK logistics sector is in the midst of a skills shortage, now is a great time to transition into it, as you’ll be in high demand if you have the kind of skills employers are crying out for.

Many job seekers are unaware that the UK has one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical industries, which means the sector often gets overlooked when people consider their next role. The country is home to several of the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, and a career at one of these companies can be both deeply engaging and financially rewarding.

If you’ve got an aptitude for a STEM subject and you’re considering pursuing a degree in science or engineering, keep your eye out for roles within the pharmaceutical industry after you graduate, as they tend to pay well and offer great job security. Furthermore, as the industry is so wide-ranging, it also offers ample opportunities to those interested in sales and marketing, IT, HR, and accountancy.

So, there you have it: five often overlooked industries that you should consider a career in if you’re looking for a fulfilling and well-paying job for the long term. As these sectors don’t get the attention they deserve, they’re a less crowded channel than the UK’s more glamorous industries, giving you a better chance of carving out a great role for yourself within them.