You will find a wide choice of transportation jobs as the UK’s supply chain and logistics sector is understaffed, particularly in driver positions. However, there is much more going on in transportation, offering diverse careers covering traffic management, warehouse logistics, flight crew, and people management.
Qualifications You Need For Working In Transportation
Many jobs in transportations require qualifications, although these don’t always fall into the brackets of a degree or diploma. For instance, an HGV or bus driver licence will secure you interviews for skilled driving roles. Numerous employers provide on-the-job training or apprenticeships, so opportunities exist for anyone with a genuine interest.
The qualifications transportation companies are looking for include:
- Two to three A Levels
- Geography, Business, or Town Planning Degrees
- Passenger Carrying Vehicle Driver Training
- HGV Licence
Soft Skills To Highlight On Your CV
Your experience is as important to an employer as your qualifications, so ensure your CV promotes your demonstrable skills. The high-demand skills include accuracy, attention to detail, patience, organisation, and efficiency.
If you find pulling your CV together a challenge, you should review a CV template, use this for inspiration, and know that you haven’t forgotten to include a vital skill or trait.
Popular Jobs In Transportation
The most popular jobs in transportation include:
Driver
You will need a valid driving license and a clean record to work as a Driver. Special licenses may also be required if you have aspirations to work as a van driver or delivery driver. To find work as a Driver, you should promote your time management and customer service skills, along with your geographical knowledge.
You will find a career as a Driver fulfilling if you have the patience to drive within the laws of the road, and enjoy the feeling of freedom, and can stick to routes and schedules. Your duties may include loading and unloading vehicles, so a degree of physical fitness is advantageous.
Train Driver
To start a career as a Train Driver, you must be at least twenty years old, pass a medical check, and pass an enhanced background check. You will need to undergo training for operating freight or passenger trains and can further your career by becoming an instructor once you have appropriate experience.
To secure a job interview for a Train Driver position, you should promote your concentration skills, attention to detail, and ability to remain calm under stressful situations. Employers are looking for individuals with general knowledge of public safety and security, coupled with basic computer and teamwork skills.
Cabin Crew
To train and work in the position of Cabin Crew, you must be eighteen years or older. Recruitment requirements include holding a valid passport and the ability to swim, undergo a medical exam, and complete a Disclosure and Barring Service Check. You will also need to be physically fit, have good hearing and eyesight, and meet the minimum reach standard.
Your duties as a Cabin Crew member will include making announcements, completing flight reports, demonstrating emergency equipment, and serving meals and refreshments. Your CV should highlight you are organised, authoritative yet friendly, and able to work under pressure.
HGV Driver
You can find an HGV Driver job through specialist training providers, starting an apprenticeship, or earning your Driver Certificate of Professional Competence. The CPC test includes both theory and practical driving ability tests.
You will catch the eye of employers if you can demonstrate your knowledge of road safety, patience, and customer service skills. Your day-to-day duties will include securing loads, delivering goods, driven within road laws, completing paperwork, following planned routes, and adhering to a set schedule.
Postman
To find work as a Postman, you do not need specific qualifications, but some GCSEs, including English and maths, are preferred. You can apply for a Postman position directly with Royal Mail or via an agency that provides temporary staff, giving you the experience to apply for a permanent job.
You will enjoy working as a Postman if you are physically fit, polite, calm, and have customer service skills. Your daily duties might include sorting mail, loading vans, collecting mail from post boxes, and delivering mail by foot for up to six hours per day.
Bus Driver
You can find work as a Bus Driver by applying for an apprenticeship or passing your Passenger Carrying Vehicle driver training, which usually takes between one and six weeks. Most employers prefer at least one year's car driving experience and give you training for the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence. You must be eighteen years or older and be happy to take 35 hours of Driver CPC training every five years.
Recruiters are seeking trustworthy candidates with excellent customer service skills. Your duties will include greeting travellers, loading luggage, reporting incidents, and maintaining the cleanliness of the bus or coach.
Lorry Driver
If a career as a Lorry Driver is appealing to you, you can start with a large goods vehicle driver C and E apprenticeship or heavy goods vehicles armed forces apprenticeship. You can apply directly for a Lorry Driver job if you have your Driver's Certificate of Professional Competence or have completed an HGV Skills Bootcamp.
You should highlight the skills you have that recruiters are hunting for. These skills include computer proficiency, excellent verbal skills, and organisation. Your responsibilities will consist of completing vehicle safety checks, driving within the law, and completing logbooks.
Logistician
A Bachelor’s degree in systems engineering, supply chain management, or business is required to find work as a Logistician. Recruiters may accept work experience, and you should highlight attributes such as your communication, critical-thinking, problem-solving, organisational, and customer service skills.
Your responsibilities as a Logistician will include overseeing your company’s supply chain system. Your duties may consist of developing business relationships with clients and suppliers, proposing strategies to reduce costs or time, and directing the movement of goods, supplies, or people.
Transportation Manager
Managerial experience will help you get a Transportation Manager job, along with a degree in logistics, business management, engineering, environmental studies, or town planning. You should highlight your knowledge of transportation costs, benefits, and methods when completing a job application.
Your duties might include route planning, ensuring proper vehicle maintenance and repairs, reducing risks, keeping schedules, inspecting vehicles, and ensuring the correct driver licenses are in place. You should be a proficient problem solver, analytical thinker, designer, and team worker.
View Transportation Manager Jobs
Air Traffic Controller
You will need at least four GCSEs, A-Levels, and a degree to work as an Air Traffic Controller. Air Traffic Controller apprenticeships or training with the National Air Traffic Services provide other opportunities to enter this position.
To be considered for an Air Traffic controller job, you will need to be eighteen years or older and pass a medical and security check. When speaking with recruiters, you should promote your skills in decision making, judgement, reasoning, and concentration.
View Air Traffic Controller Jobs
Warehouse Manager
A Warehouse Manager typically has a degree in logistics, business administration, or similar. You can also apply for Warehouse Manager positions if you have relevant experience in warehouse management, process improvement strategies, and best practices.
Your duties will include managing staff, overseeing goods receiving and distribution, ensuring health and safety, and planning schedules. Employers and recruiters will carefully consider a CV that shows off planning, organisation, and leadership.
Driving Instructor
Working as a Driving Instructor is a goal you can achieve by applying to become an approved driving instructor. You will need to complete parts one and two of the exam, which will permit you to provide instruction and charge for lessons. To appear on the register of approved driving instructors, you must pass part three of the exam.
Requirements for working as a Driving Instructor include being 21 years or older, holding a full UK driving license for three years, and passing enhanced background and motoring conviction checks. To apply to work for a company, you will need to demonstrate your patience, attention to detail, and ability to remain calm.
Train Conductor
To start a career as a Train Conductor, you must pass a medical check and screening for drugs and alcohol. Specific qualifications are not required, but experience in retail or customer services is an advantage. A popular route into this career is to undertake a passenger transport onboard and station team member intermediate apprenticeship, available through train operating companies.
Your duties will include performing carriage checks, checking tickets, answering passenger questions, and dealing with emergencies, passenger illness, and delays. It would help if you promoted attributes such as working alone and as part of a team, flexibility, and basic computer proficiency.
View transportation career advice here or make a transportation job search.
