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Business Administration &
Customer Service Career Development

Learn more about how to develop your career path in business administration and customer service. On this page you’ll find plenty of resources about career options, courses, development opportunities and more. Don’t forget, your tutor is always available to support you when it comes to any questions you may have about your career journey.

Roles and Levels

Discover the range of roles and job titles which are common in a business administration or customer service career. This information may help you determine which route you need to take to get to your dream position.

Courses

We’ve gathered together a list of relevant courses and training resources that you can use to expand on the skills you already learn through your apprenticeship.

Careers Advice

In this section, we’ve pulled together some videos, blogs and interesting bits’n’bobs that will help you decide your next steps in your career.

Roles and Levels

Every person will follow a different path in their career, even if they ultimately end up in the same job role! Choosing your career path can help you to achieve your goals and gain the experience you need to apply for the job you aspire to.

Below you will find information about the common pathways within this sector, and the skills usually required within those roles.

Customer Service

Entry-Level Customer Service Roles

Typical Job Titles:

Customer Service Operative,
Customer Service Assistant,
Receptionist, Client Services, Account Holders, Customer Care

Qualifications Required:

In-house training

Customer Service Team Leaders & Specialists

Typical Job Titles:

Customer Specialist, Customer Experience Leader, Customer Service Team Leader, Customer Service Supervisor

Qualifications Required:

In-house training, Customer Service Level 2/3, Team Leader Level 3, 1-3 years experience

Customer Service Management

Typical Job Titles:

Business
Development Lead, Accounts Manager, Customer Experience Manager, Customer Operations/Relations/Success Manager

Qualifications Required:

In-house training, management qualifications such as Departmental Manager Level 5 or CMI, Generally 5 years+ experience.

Administration Career Paths

Entry-Level Administration Roles

Typical Job Titles:

Administration Assistant, Office Assistant

Qualifications Required:

In-house training

Specialist & Management Administration Roles

Typical Job Titles:

Office Manager, Admin Coordinator, Executive Assistant, Cheif Admin Officer

Qualifications Required:

In-house training, management qualifications such as Departmental Manager Level 5 or CMI, Bookkeeping Qualifications, Generally 5 years+ experience.

Financial Career Paths

Entry-Level Financial Roles

Typical Job Titles:

Pay Roll Assistant, Invoice/Finance Clerk, Accounts Junior, Billing Specialist.

Qualifications Required:

In-house training, software-specific experience (Sage, Quickbooks etc.), Knowledge of Tax Processes.

Advanced Financial Roles

Typical Job Titles:

Bookkeeper, Financial Analyst, Senior Bookkeeper.

Qualifications Required:

In-house training, software-specific experience (Sage, Quickbooks etc.), Level 2/3 Business Administration, Knowledge of Tax Processes, AAC, ATA, CIMA.

Management Finance Roles

Typical Job Titles:

Financial Controller, Management Accountant, Financial Manager, Bookkeeping Manager, Head of Payroll.

Qualifications Required:

In-house training, software-specific experience (Sage, Quickbooks etc.), Level 2/3 Business Administration, Knowledge of Tax Processes, AAC, ATA, CIMA.

Sales / Business Development Career Paths

Entry-Level Sales Roles

Typical Job Titles:

Junior Sales Executive, Sales Representative, Aftersales/Sales Advisor, Sales Consultant.

Qualifications Required:

In-house training.

Advanced Sales Roles

Typical Job Titles:

Account Manager, Sales Manager, Account Executive, Area Manager.

Qualifications Required:

In-house training, Level 2/3 Business Administration.

Management Finance Roles

Typical Job Titles:

Business Development Manager, Head of Accounts, Chief Sales Officer, Regional Manager.

Qualifications Required:

In-house training, Level 2/3 Business Administration, Management Qualifications (e.g. Operations Manager Level 5).

Skills Required in Business Administration & Customer Service

The career path you choose will determine the kinds of roles you will take and in turn, the kinds of responsibilities that will be specific to your job. Below, we have made an assessment of the specific skills you may need when taking on these roles, so you can determine whether you need to develop within these skills before entering a certain career path.

Customer Service Operative

Customer Service Operatives are the first port of call when customers interact with businesses. They will often answer queries, resolve issues or assist in account management.

Hard Skills Required

Product Knowledge

IT Skills

Strategic Approach

Data Analysis

Written Communication

Verbal Communication

Maths Skills

Conflict Resolution

Impact on Business

Customer Expectations

Working With Stakeholders

Financial

Dealing With Complaints

Soft Skills Required

Delagation

Time Management

Leadership

Management

Emotional Intelligence

Calm Under Pressure

Confidence

Problem Solving

Organisation

Planning

Sales

Dealing With Objections

Customer Service Leader

Customer Service Leaders are often responsible for a team of staff. They need to inspire and motivate, guide their teams through tricky issues and work out the logistics of rolling out customer service projects. They may also need to help strategize towards the greater goals of the company.

Hard Skills Required

Product Knowledge

IT Skills

Strategic Approach

Data Analysis

Written Communication

Verbal Communication

Maths Skills

Conflict Resolution

Impact on Business

Customer Expectations

Working With Stakeholders

Financial

Dealing With Complaints

Soft Skills Required

Delagation

Time Management

Leadership

Management

Emotional Intelligence

Calm Under Pressure

Confidence

Problem Solving

Organisation

Planning

Sales

Dealing With Objections

Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistants can be responsible for a large and diverse number of tasks within a business. They may assist with preparing documents, keeping records, bookkeeping, planning diaries or managing meetings to ensure goals are obtained efficiently.

Hard Skills Required

Sector Knowledge

IT Skills

Strategic Approach

Data Analysis

Written Communication

Verbal Communication

Maths Skills

Conflict Resolution

Impact on Business

Customer Expectations

Working With Stakeholders

Financial

Producing Documents

Soft Skills Required

Delagation

Time Management

Leadership

Management

Emotional Intelligence

Calm Under Pressure

Confidence

Problem Solving

Organisation

Planning

Procurement

Diary Management

Analytical

Administrative Leader

Administrative Leaders will often work with senior managers within the company to ensure company processes, systems and administration tasks are efficient and cost effective. They are often responsible for large amounts of data and need to be very organised with a keen eye for detail.

Hard Skills Required

Sector Knowledge

IT Skills

Strategic Approach

Data Analysis

Written Communication

Verbal Communication

Maths Skills

Conflict Resolution

Impact on Business

Customer Expectations

Working With Stakeholders

Financial

Producing Documents

Soft Skills Required

Delagation

Time Management

Leadership

Management

Emotional Intelligence

Calm Under Pressure

Confidence

Problem Solving

Organisation

Planning

Procurement

Diary Management

Analytical

Administration & Customer Service Courses

Whether you choose a career path in customer service, finance, sales or admin, it’s important to constantly develop and advance your skills with continuous learning. Courses can be long-term, or they can be completed over the space of an afternoon! Either way, they’ll help you to learn something that will allow you to excel in your current role, or give you a competitive edge when applying for new roles.

Here are a few courses you can take, that we personally recommend for your professional development:

Customer Service Management: Institute of Customer Service

Free Customer Service Skills Courses on Reed

Executive Level Administration Courses with The Open University

The AIM Group's Free Business Administration Course

Careers Advice

Remember, when you study with NTG Training, your tutor will always be happy to answer any specific questions you may have about the next steps in your career. However, if you’d like to view our favourite online resources for careers advice, you can find them here.

National Career's Service: Administration Assistant

National Career's Service: Office Manager

National Career's Service: Customer Service Assistant

National Career's Service: Customer Services Manager

Develop Your Career in Business Administration or Customer Service with an Apprenticeship

Your employer can enroll you on to an apprenticeship course. Apprenticeships help you to gain a qualification while you are working.

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