Working Out Careers in Business, Finance & Retail
- Career blog
- Jul 30
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 21
With so many career options available, how do you decide where to begin? Whether you're choosing what to study, planning your future career, or simply curious about different real-life jobs, our blog series categorises careers into types (or clusters) to help you easily discover various roles within a broad field.
Here, we explore Business, Finance & Retail, covering:
Introduction to Business, Finance & Retail
Five fast facts
The key industries
Salaries and skillsets
A work experience case study
Our top tips for making it
Business, Finance & Retail intro
Business, Finance & Retail is a vital part of the UK economy, offering careers that help organisations manage money, support customers, and make strategic decisions. From financial services and retail operations to entrepreneurship and marketing, this sector covers a wide range of roles that contribute to economic growth and local communities. Whether working with data, budgets, people or products, professionals play an essential part in everything from high street shops to global companies.
As technology and consumer habits continue to evolve, the sector is opening up new opportunities for young people across the UK. Employers are looking for individuals with creativity, strong communication skills, and the ability to problem-solve and adapt. Whether your interests lie in leadership, customer service, fashion, finance or tech, this field offers diverse pathways into work.
Five fast facts about this career type
Over 5.5 million businesses operate in the UK - and 99.9% are small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The business sector contributes over £2.8 trillion to the UK economy - more than half of all turnover.
Women make up 42% of the finance workforce, but only 19% of senior leaders - showing a need for more diversity at the top.
Digital-first banking and fintech are growing fast, with demand rising for skills in cybersecurity, data analysis, and AI.
Retail offers fast-paced, flexible jobs, with opportunities in fashion, food, tech, and customer service, both in-store and online.
Industries you can expect to find
Let’s break this career type down a little further to discover different jobs:
Accounting, Banking & Finance: Work with money, data, and decisions - from managing accounts to planning investments.
Business & Sales: Help organisations grow by selling products, solving problems, and understanding customer needs.
Retail & Fashion: Support the design, sales, and delivery of products across physical and digital platforms - ideal for those with commercial awareness and an eye for detail.
You can learn more by watching videos from professionals here:
How much could I get paid?
Business, finance and retail offer a huge variety of careers from analysing data and managing budgets to leading teams and supporting customers. Whether you're working in a high street shop, a global bank, or launching your own business, these sectors provide roles that suit different interests and strengths. Jobs range from entry-level positions to senior leadership, with salaries that grow as you gain experience and responsibility.
From retail assistants and financial analysts to marketing managers and entrepreneurs, there’s something for everyone in this fast-moving, opportunity-rich field. Here are some examples to show the variety and levels of roles within Business, Finance & Retail.
Business project manager: Average salary of £29,000 to £75,000 a year
Financial advisor: Average salary of £23,000 to £60,000 a year
Sales administrator: Average salary of £22,000 to £28,000 a year
Credit controller: Average salary of £21,000 to £32,000
Visual merchandiser: Average salary of £19,000 to £30,000
Depending on age and experience, these figures may change but should give you some indication of average salaries over the years.
You can explore more here:
Business: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-careers/job-sector/business-and-administration
Finance: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-careers/job-sector/legal-finance-and-accounting
Retail: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-careers/job-sector/sales-marketing-and-procurement
Would a career in Business, Finance & Retail be a good fit for me?
These four core skills - communication, problem-solving, numeracy, and customer service - are vital across business, finance, and retail, helping professionals succeed in fast-paced, people-focused, and data-driven environments.
Communication
Whether you're presenting ideas in a business meeting, explaining financial products to clients, or helping customers in a shop, clear communication helps build trust, influence decisions, and make teamwork easier.
Problem-solving
From handling customer complaints to analysing risks in finance or streamlining processes in a business, problem-solving means thinking ahead, staying calm, and finding solutions that work.
Numeracy
Working confidently with numbers helps you track sales, manage budgets, and spot trends - essential whether you're forecasting financial growth, pricing new products, or balancing stock in a retail setting.
Customer Service
Creating positive experiences — whether advising clients, responding to a complaint, or guiding shoppers — is key to building loyalty, growing a business, and standing out in competitive markets.
Explore careers based on subjects you enjoy: https://careerpilot.org.uk/job-sectors/subjects and https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/groups/cpw27rkvq6pt
Discover professional qualifications related to some popular careers: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/professional-qualifications
Business, Finance & Retail work experience case study
Workshops and in-person work experience with Equifax
Global data, analytics and technology company, Equifax, worked in close partnership with Futures For All to deliver multiple 2-hour in-school financial education workshops – which focussed on upskilling students on budgeting, scams and debt – and 2-day in-person work experience placements, where students worked with employees and peers at their local Equifax office.
Through this programme, and with the support of 60 volunteer employees, we introduced 620 state-educated young people to careers in finance – with sessions in Nottingham, Leeds and London.
“Our placement raised my awareness of careers, taught me the skills required in the sector, and helped me to decide on what I want to do in the future.”
Student, 16
Educators rated their in-school workshops as 4 out of 5 stars.
86% of 2-day work experience attendees were from ethnic minority backgrounds.
48% of young people attending the placements identified as female.
26% of young people attending were eligible for Free School Meals – above the national average.
Five top tips on turning your passion into a career
Think broadly. Focus on career types rather than specific jobs; there might be a role within a sector that you weren’t aware of and could find appealing.
Consider which topics interest you – what do you enjoy discussing with your friends?
Make a list of subjects you like and those you excel at, even if you don’t currently enjoy them.
Try out different careers by gaining work experience in jobs you are passionate about and those you aren’t; the results may surprise you. Either way, you’ll add valuable experience to your CV.
Build a Strong Portfolio or CV – Whether you're into art, coding, writing, or any other field, having a portfolio or a strong resume to showcase your work is key. A great portfolio or resume will set you apart from others and help you land your first job or internship.
Network and Connect with People – Building relationships is huge in any field. Don’t just wait for opportunities to find you; actively seek them out! Attend school or community events, participate in work experience, and follow people in the industry you’re interested in.
Keep Learning and Stay Curious – The world is always changing, and new things are happening all the time. So, make sure you’re always learning and improving your skills. Whether it’s through online libraries, books and articles, watching tutorials or mentoring with professionals, you keep your knowledge and skills sharp. Being ahead of the curve will make you stand out.
What to do next
Where could your favourite subject take you? Still not sure what you want to do? Our top tip is to try as much work experience as you can.
Check out our Work Experience Finder to see the latest opportunities.
Interested in mentoring? https://brightside.org.uk/
Need access to a library of resources about different sectors? https://www.futuresforall.org/talks-library
Find out more about apprenticeships: https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice
University pathways: https://www.ucas.com/discover
This blog is a guide, and careers are constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed, and the GOV.UK website for more on T-levels. For careers advice in all parts of the UK, visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
