Is money your main motivation? If so, the obvious place to make big bucks is in the City. You’ll have to sacrifice your work-life balance for a while but, if you like to work hard and play hard, the financial rewards will be worth it
The arts and media are notoriously difficult to break into – no wonder as they offer some of the most glamorous and exciting jobs around. To get ahead you’ll need talent, contacts, determination and the ability to work for nothing Could you cut it as a creative? Find out with our quiz
Are you stuck in a job that really doesn’t suit you? Do you long to reinvent yourself professionally? A career overhaul can seem a daunting step but, with careful planning, you can achieve those unfulfilled ambitions
Does the thought of being cooped up in an office all day fill you with dread? If so, a career relating to either the built or natural enviromnent could be your ticket to a life in the great outdoors
Turning a hobby into your career may seem idealistic or risky but increasing numbers of dissatisfied workers are finding innovative ways to combine business with pleasure
Clueless and confused? You are confused or just plainly at a loss about what career to choose. You know you have certain strengths, but you can’t make sense of your likes and dislikes, and the pressure is piling on to choose something Deadline – breakdown your plan of action into thinking time, research and
Mansur Khawar, 30, had tried his hand at a number of things – including writing, decorating, and pupil barrister – before joining headhunting firm Armstrong International in February 1998. He tells us why the headhunting business is the one that really stimulates him
Jeffrey Shesol, 30, worked as deputy chief speechwriter for US president Bill Clinton from 1998 – 2000. Before this he wrote books on political history and reviews and opinion pieces for magazines and newspapers. He also wrote and drew Thatch, a syndicated political comic strip that appeared daily in 150 US publications
Leslie Vik Waddell is a 27-year-old entrepreneur who has been making the news. Vik Waddell set up her own jewellery business after gaining a first class degree from Middlesex University. She has worked alongside British designers such as Vivienne Westwood. Setting up alone has been far from easy, but well worth the effort as she
David Wilkinson, partner at Ernst & Young, swapped large company directors for unknown entrepreneurs twelve years ago. He now runs the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and spends the rest of his time talent-spotting for the company’s entrepreneurial services
Simon, 24, is a business analyst with management consultancy Accenture (formerly called Andersen Consulting), having done a business and political science degree at Trinity College in Dublin. He has been working there since November 1999
Mike Caldwell is director of corporate communications at the world’s largest mobile phone company, Vodafone AirTouch. Caldwell set up the company’s press office when he joined the company at its Newbury HQ in 1991 and now oversees a department of 12. He counts his career highlights as handling the public relations (PR) side of Vodafone’s
John Steele, Human Resources director at British Telecommunications, talks about graduate entry at BT, and what it takes to be a successful HR professional
Michelle Burgess works as a public relations (PR) officer for Vodafone AirTouch Group Services. The company sponsored her through university and offered her a job once she graduated. She says PR is a growing industry – especially the telecoms sector – and offers great prospects for graduates who can write well and have good communication
Phillipa Phelps is technical manager, telecoms, for the world’s largest mobile communications company Vodafone AirTouch. She manages a team that plans ahead to ensure the Vodafone network has enough capacity to meet the ever-growing demand from mobile phone users. She works in a fast-moving environment – but that is the way she likes it
Vicki Field, 23, is a graduate human resources (HR) officer on a two-year graduate training scheme with Vodafone AirTouch. She joined the company in October 1998 after graduating from Durham University, where she studied combined social sciences. Vodafone employs 100 HR professionals across the UK
Anthony Hedger, 22, is a graduate finance trainee with Vodafone Airtouch – the world’s largest mobile telecoms company. He says he gets a buzz from the commercial side of the business – looking for areas where the business can develop and grow. He told us how figures can be fun
Carol Armstrong, 24, graduated in 1999 with an MSc in Natural Sciences. As a result of a twelve-week work placement in the summer of 1998, she was offered a job at BT when she graduated
Steve Bennetts has recently joined Content Technologies, the e-content management and security company, as chief financial officer. Bennetts qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young, but his most recent position was at Amazon.com where he was European finance director. He lives in the Thames valley with his wife and two children.
Glenda Stone is the founder and managing director of Busygirl.co.uk, a website for businesswomen. An energetic, exciting character, she moved to the UK from Australia two years ago, accompanied by a passion for bringing women online
