Skills & Hobbies

Skill

Careers that use customer service

You are friendly, reliable and good at making people feel looked after. 28 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 (8)

You will use this every day.

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

Automotive and transport

Bicycle mechanic

Build, service and repair bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters - a friendly way into a trade if you love cycling.

£23,000 – £30,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Gas engineer

Install, service and repair boilers and gas appliances safely – a trusted, legally registered trade with steady demand.

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

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

IT and telecoms

IT support technician

Be the person who fixes it: solve hardware, software and network problems for computer users, in person and remotely.

£24,000 – £36,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Locksmith

Fit, repair and open locks, safes and security systems – a problem-solving trade for calm, trustworthy people.

£23,000 – £30,000 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

Used a lot (13)

An important part of the work.

Food and hospitality

Butcher

Cut, bone and prepare meat and poultry, make sausages, burgers and pies, and help customers choose the right cut in shops and meat plants.

£18,000 – £26,000 starter to experienced

Outdoors, land and animals

Dog groomer

Bathe, dry, brush and trim dogs of every breed, check their skin and coat, and advise owners, in a salon, a vet practice or your own mobile business.

£15,000 – £23,000 starter to experienced

Outdoors, land and animals

Farrier

Trim horses' hooves and make and fit horseshoes by hand at the forge. A skilled, registered trade reached through a long approved apprenticeship.

No official salary figure

Construction and trades

Glazier

Measure, fit and repair windows, doors, rooflights and glass panels in homes and businesses.

£23,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Heat pump installer

Help homes and businesses switch to low-carbon heating by installing, commissioning and servicing heat pumps.

£24,000 – £46,000 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

Automotive and transport

Motor vehicle technician

Service, diagnose and repair cars and vans - including hybrids and EVs - in a busy garage workshop.

£22,000 – £42,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

Motorcycle mechanic

Service, repair, tune and customise motorbikes, scooters and quad bikes - turn a love of bikes into a trade.

£25,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Plasterer

Create smooth walls and ceilings, renders and ornate mouldings – a skilled finishing trade that rewards a steady hand.

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

Building services and energy

Plumber

Fit, fix and look after the water, heating and drainage systems that keep homes, hospitals and businesses running.

£24,000 – £46,000 starter to experienced

IT and telecoms

Telecoms engineer

Install and repair broadband, phone, fibre, mobile and satellite systems - out on the road, up masts and in customers' homes.

£25,000 – £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 (7)

Helps, but not the heart of the job.

Building services and energy

Electrician

Install, test and repair wiring, lighting, controls and low-carbon tech in homes, workplaces and new buildings.

£26,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Outdoors, land and animals

Gardener

Grow and care for plants in private gardens, parks, estates and green spaces, from sowing seeds to pruning, weeding and mowing.

£24,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

HGV mechanic

Service and repair lorries, trailers, buses and coaches - big machines, big responsibility and some of the best pay in motor trades.

£26,000 – £55,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Heating and ventilation engineer

Keep big buildings comfortable – installing and maintaining heating, ductwork, ventilation and controls in offices, schools and hospitals.

£20,000 – £40,000 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

IT and telecoms

Network cabler

Install, terminate and test the copper and fibre cabling that connects offices, hospitals, data centres and homes to the digital world.

No official salary figure

Building services and energy

Solar panel installer

Fit, connect and look after solar PV systems on homes and businesses - a hands-on, outdoor role at the heart of the move to clean energy.

£25,000 – £47,000 starter to experienced

Other skills