Skills & Hobbies

Skill

Careers that use creativity and design

You have an eye for colour, shape, style or finish. 16 of our careers use this skill, ranked below by how much it matters.

Match me, starting with this skill

A key skill in these jobs (1)

You will use this every day.

Hair, beauty and wellbeing

Hairdresser

Wash, cut, colour and style hair, talk clients through new looks and build a loyal following in salons, spas or as a freelance stylist.

£19,000 – £30,000 starter to experienced

Used a lot (12)

An important part of the work.

Hair, beauty and wellbeing

Barber

Cut and style hair with barbering techniques, shape beards and give shaves, working with every hair type in a busy, sociable barbershop.

£19,000 – £30,000 starter to experienced

Hair, beauty and wellbeing

Beauty therapist

Give facials, manicures, waxing, lash and brow treatments and more, helping clients look and feel their best in salons, spas or your own business.

£23,000 – £29,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Carpenter or joiner

Turn timber into staircases, roofs, doors, kitchens and fitted furniture – on site or at the workshop bench.

£24,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Food and hospitality

Chef

Prepare, cook and present food in restaurants, hotels, hospitals and schools, from commis chef at the start to running your own kitchen.

£22,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Health and science

Dental technician

Design and make crowns, bridges, dentures and braces to a dentist's prescription in a dental lab. A registered, precise, hands-on health career.

£32,000 – £48,000 starter to experienced

Engineering and manufacturing

Electronics engineering technician

Design, build, test and fix electronic systems and circuit boards, from factory controls to medical and aerospace tech.

£26,000 – £42,000 starter to experienced

Creative crafts

Furniture maker

Make chairs, tables, cabinets and fitted furniture from technical drawings, using hand tools, machines and CNC, in workshops and factories.

£23,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Outdoors, land and animals

Landscaper

Build and look after gardens, parks and outdoor spaces: paths, walls, lawns, planting and water features, working outdoors in all weathers.

£26,000 – £38,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Painter and decorator

Transform rooms and buildings with paint, wallpaper and specialist finishes – ideal if you have an eye for colour and detail.

£21,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Stonemason

Cut, carve and fix natural stone for new buildings, memorials and historic restoration, working in a workshop or out on site.

£24,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Creative crafts

Upholsterer

Build and restore padded furniture such as chairs and sofas, fitting springs, fillings and fabric using traditional or modern upholstery methods.

£23,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Wall and floor tiler

Lay precise, beautiful tiling in kitchens, bathrooms, shops and restaurants using ceramics, stone, slate and marble.

£21,000 – £38,000 starter to experienced

Handy to have (3)

Helps, but not the heart of the job.

Food and hospitality

Baker

Make bread, cakes and pastries by hand or on production lines, in craft bakeries, supermarkets and food factories. Early starts come with the job.

£19,000 – £26,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Kitchen and bathroom fitter

Rip out the old and install new kitchens and bathrooms – a multi-skilled trade combining joinery, plumbing and tiling.

£24,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Engineering and manufacturing

Welder

Cut, join and shape metal for everything from buildings and pipelines to wind turbines - a skilled, practical trade.

£25,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Other skills