The Channel Islands' commercial sector holds great opportunities for people who want to work in sales, management, administration and customer service, from temporary and contract roles to full-time, permanent positions. There are a wide range of roles available that cater to different skills, interests and career aspirations.
Commercial sector jobs are not always about degrees. Even if you are not a university graduate, you can still build a successful career provided you have certain employable skills as well as valuable industry experience. Each role and industry varies so please contact our consultants to discuss your prospects.
The key to success lies in finding a job that has the greatest compatibility with your skills and long-term goals. To help you in your job search, here are some sectors to consider in the commercial industry and the opportunities they offer.
Retail
The consumer market continues to grow worldwide, creating plenty of job opportunities across the retail sector. Retailing offers a variety of career paths for professionals in areas such as merchandising, store operations, supply chain management, logistics/distribution, loss prevention, marketing, customer service, sales, IT support and finance.
If you have sales skills and enjoy working with people, then a career in the retail industry will be rewarding for you. Education is not essential in this sector, but demonstrable industry experience with an understanding of the local market, management and customer service skills are required. As the sector is constantly evolving and becoming more technology-driven, professionals with technical, analytical and numerical skills have an added advantage.
Starting salaries are competitive, and the scope for career progression is higher than most sectors.
Hospitality
The hospitality industry is an exciting, dynamic and fast-paced industry with a wide range of employment opportunities available in travel and tourism, hotel management and food and beverage sectors.
Being a popular tourist destination, the hospitality sector in the Channel Islands is well-developed and a major source of employment. Career opportunities are found in hotels, restaurants, luxury resorts, cruise, catering, spas and wellness centres, country clubs and airlines.
There are positions available for different levels of skills and experience, ranging from support staff to food preparation and management jobs.
Management and supervisory and marketing roles require at least a bachelor's degree, while there are many roles where no educational qualification is needed such as waiting staff, bartenders, housekeepers, maintenance workers, concierge, tour operators, travel agents and reception staff.
Hospitality jobs are for people who thrive in a fast-paced environment and can demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a strong focus on professionalism and customer satisfaction.
PR/Marketing/Advertising
Jobs in marketing are available across all sectors in organisations that have in-house marketing team or agencies specialising in marketing and/or advertising.
Every business needs marketing for reaching out to its customers by building strong brand awareness and generating interest in products or services. Some of the corporate positions available are in advertising, copywriting, SEO content marketing, brand management, email marketing, public relations, communications, media research, graphic design, web design and development, and event management.
There is ample scope for marketers, writers, artists and digital experts to build a professionally fulfilling career in this industry.
Construction
Construction is one of the fastest growing sectors, and one which offers significant opportunities for both skilled and unskilled professionals.
Construction jobs involve technical, supervisory, management or craft labour roles. The best way to enter craft or technical careers is through apprenticeships or you can get a diploma in the field you want to specialise in. Those aiming for management positions will require a relevant formal qualification.
The rapid growth in this sector means the demand for construction professionals is always high. Quantity surveyors, site managers, electricians, plumbers, contractors, construction workers, painters and glaziers are highly sought after in the market.
Human resources
Sourcing and retaining quality talent is vital to business growth, and HR professionals specialising in talent acquisition and retention are the backbone of many companies. The growing market instability and volatility has added to the human capital challenges, making the role of HR even more crucial than it was before.
Some of the most in-demand HR jobs are human resources manager, training and development specialists, compensation and benefits manager, executive recruiter, HR IT specialists and HR consultants.
While a degree in human resources management is preferred by employers, professionals with degrees or experience in other fields, such as finance and technology, can also break into HR.
Some companies also consider candidates without any degree in HR, but are able to demonstrate significant experience in sales, customer service, marketing, business development and administration.
E-commerce
With most businesses going online, the demand for e-commerce professionals is at an all time high. There are tons of jobs available in this sector for people who are highly creative, driven by passion and goal-oriented.
Companies are always on the look out for ecommerce market analysts, telemarketers, ecommerce specialists, web merchandisers, social media specialists, data analysts and web administrators and developers.
AP Personnel specialises in recruitment across all areas within the commercial sector, including retail, wholesale, hospitality, PR/Marketing, construction, advertising, human resources and ecommerce.
If you are looking for a role in the commercial sector or want to learn more about available job opportunities, please get in touch with our commercial recruitment teams based in Jersey and Guernsey.