Birmingham Job Vacancies

Land Rover, Jaguar, Peugeot and LDV are at the heart of Birmingham's manufacturing industry and there are hundreds of smaller firms providing parts and supplies. With robots taking over much of the heavy-duty work, a career in manufacturing today requires a good knowledge of IT, systems and processes. And don't just look to the major employers - there are thousands of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) in Birmingham's manufacturing sector requiring skilled staff. Watch out as well for jobs in the Advanced Manufacturing sector; this growth industry looks at top-end manufacturing for the medical, transport and low carbon sectors. The Birmingham plant of the Goodrich Corporation is just one of the sizeable employers in this growing field.

Birmingham has a long tradition of links with the banking and finance world. It was over 250 years ago that Lloyds Bank started in Birmingham! Financial companies have therefore called on the skillset of Birmingham's population to provide staff for personal banking, investment banking and the myriad of financial services needed for the 21st century global village. It can be as much about IT, managerial or customer care skills as it can be about having a head for finance. Employers in this sector want to see people with a keen interest in finance but also good team-working skills as well. Watch out for careers in some of Birmingham's other big financial players such as RBS, HSBC, Wesleyan Assurance, Barclays and Zurich. Many of these will offer graduate or internship schemes.

Retail is one sector that survives even the worst recession - indeed many shops report an increase in trade as people look to cheer themselves up! Birmingham's Bullring, The Mailbox, The Pavilions and The Pallasades are just four of the major shopping centres in the city offering both part-time and career-structured jobs. But retail is also a rapidly-changing industry. Be prepared to understand the processes and requirements of shops gearing up for a boom in online sales.

Just as the million residents of Birmingham require services from schools to clean streets, so too do the thousands of businesses require a wide range of services. This can be anything from cleaning, security, call centre staff, IT support, accountancy, personnel training, market research to specialist legal or financial advice. Working in this field can mean employment with a small support firm, as an agency worker or self-employed.

Birmingham's central location has made it the ideal spot for national conference centres. The NEC and International Conference Centre are the two best known but there are many other venues throughout the West Midlands. Such venues require diverse skills including organising, marketing, catering, security and admin. It's a fast-paced working environment but very rewarding.