Task 1 Job Roles

In this part of the task I am going to write about the L'oreal company, its functional areas and some of the main jobs within the company.

L'oreal was founded in Paris and it is the world's leading beauty company. The management committee within the company is very big. There is a chairman and CEO, executive vice-president, managing directors in different areas and many others. Some of the functional areas are Research and Development, Finance, Marketing, Business and Sales, Communication and Human Resources. There are also different types of technician and non-technician jobs within the functional areas. The job roles and the functions can be shown in a pyramid because there are fewer people in the higher roles and more people in the lower ones. There are different levels of job roles within a company and they are directors, managers, supervisors/team leader and operatives/assistants/support staff. All they are responsible for different tasks in terms to improve the company strategy and image.


Software developer

This job is for people who have good computing skills and enjoy design and development. People will normally need a degree, foundation degree or BTEC HNC/HND to become a software developer.  

To become a software developer, you will need to have a creative approach to problem-solving. You’ll also need to be able to follow technical plans. Excellent communication and customer care skills are also important.


As a software developer, your work could involve:

• designing computer controls for industrial and manufacturing machinery
• building administrative and financial databases
• developing software from home entertainment equipment
• programming a test version of a piece of software
• testing installation and compatibility issues
• checking test results and fixing technical problems
• maintaining and supporting systems once they are up and running

You could work with a range of web-based technologies, and you would need to understand how databases integrate with these systems. You would work between 37 and 40 hours a week. You may be asked to do overtime and weekends in terms to meet deadlines. 

Starting salaries for graduates can be between £20,000 and £26,000 a year. Experienced developers can earn between £28,000 and £40,000, and software developers with management responsibilities can earn over £50,000 a year.

To become a software developer, you will need to have:

• a good knowledge of hardware, software and programming languages
• a creative approach to problem-solving
• excellent communication and customer care skills
• the ability to work with people at all levels, including non-technical staff
• good project management skills
• the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• good teamwork skills
• an appreciation of the client's business needs
• an understanding of confidentiality and data protection issues
• Network support
  

Network manager

This job is suitable for people who like problem solving and have good IT skills. Network managers are responsible for designing and administering computer network systems within an organisation or between organisations. In this job people will need to be good at negotiating. They will need to be able to communicate well and give presentations and they will also need to show leadership skills when managing projects and making decisions. 

The typical duties might include:

• assessing a client's network requirements
• designing and testing plans to meet those requirements
• making sure network plans are compatible with other computer systems
• supervising technical staff
• monitoring and reporting on network performance and usage
• managing network growth and development.

Employees would work closely with other IT professionals and business managers to make sure systems work efficiently. You normally need relevant experience to become a network manager, for example working as a network engineer, an IT support technician or an IT manager. 
You may be able to take up a trainee position as a network manager with a company if you have a BTEC HNC/HND, foundation degree or degree. Relevant subjects include:

• computer networks
• networks and communications systems
• computer science
• digital communications and networks

Starting salaries can be between £24,000 and £35,000 a year.
Experienced managers earn between £35,000 and £55,000.
Senior staff with strategic responsibility can earn up to £70,000 a year.


Marketing Manager

This job is for people who like communicating ideas and messages and have creative and organisational skills.

As a marketing manager, it would be your responsibility to plan the best ways of promoting your employer's product, service and deliver it to as many people as possible. To do this job you will need to have management skills to lead and motivate a team. You'll also need the ability to work under pressure and to deadlines.

You would use various marketing strategies (such as media advertising, direct mail, websites and promotional events) to communicate with customers.
The job typical tasks would include:

• researching and analysing market trends
• identifying target markets and how best to reach them
• coming up with marketing strategies
• planning campaigns and managing budgets
• organising the production of posters, brochures and websites
• attending trade shows, conferences and sales meetings
• making sure that campaigns run to deadline and on budget
• monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of strategies and campaigns
• managing a team of marketing executives and assistants.

People will usually need solid experience as a marketing executive before they progress into management. For jobs at management level, employers are likely to be more interested in your skills, track record and industry knowledge than your formal qualifications.If an employer does ask for qualifications, they will generally prefer you to have a marketing or business-related degree, or a professional marketing qualification.You could also move into marketing management if you have a strong background in a related area such as sales management or public relations.

Management salaries are usually between £25,000 and £40,000 a year.Senior managers and marketing directors can earn £50,000 a year or more.

 

Retail manager

A retail manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of a store/retail outlet in line with overall company policy. The main focus of any retail manager's job is to improve the commercial performance of the store by increasing its turnover and maximising profitability. 

The typical tasks would include:

• managing and motivating a team to increase sales including recruiting, training, day-to-day managing, promotions and team building
• organising stock checking and re-ordering as necessary, through computerised or manual systems
• organising sales and promotions
• analysing and interpreting consumer trends
• taking responsibility for seeing all security, health and safety and legal procedures
• analysing sales figures and forecasting future sales volumes to maximise profits
• ensuring standards for quality, customer service and health and safety are met
• maintaining awareness of market trends in the retail industry
• customer initiatives, and monitoring what local competitors are doing
• monitoring budgets and controlling expenditure
• serving customers when required.

To be a retail manager, you should have:

• the ability to lead and motivate a team
• excellent communication and 'people' skills
• a strong commitment to customer service
• the ability to work under pressure and handle challenging situations
• confidence, drive and enthusiasm
• decision-making ability and sense of responsibility
• the ability to understand and analyse sales figures
• good business sense
• an understanding of retail laws, security and health and safety.

Entry requirements depend on the company. Experience of working with customers, especially in a retail environment, is very important.

Useful qualifications include:

• Foundation Degree in Retailing
• degree in Retail Management
• degrees (non-retail) for entry onto a graduate training programme.

Income:

Starting salaries start at around £20,000 a year.

With experience, typical earnings can rise to around £31,000.

Some senior store managers earn £47,000 a year.

Human Resources Officer

This job is suitable for people who are looking for an office role and enjoy working with people. Human resources (HR) officers, also known as personnel officers, look after hiring and developing employees.

HR officers' work would usually involve:

• hiring staff – advertising and interviewing
• working with other managers to plan future staff needs
• keeping employee records
• providing staff training and development
• making sure staff have the right pay and benefits
• dealing with complaints and discipline procedures
• promoting equality, and health and safety
• advising on matters like pay negotiations, redundancy and employment law
• developing HR policies and procedures.

In large organisations, you may specialise in one or two of these areas. In smaller companies you would usually deal with all aspects of the job. Most employers will want you to have a good standard of general education. Previous experience of office work would help. Many human resources officers are graduates and some have a BTEC HNC/HND, degree or postgraduate qualification in human resource management. However, this is not very important if you have the right experience. You should have a good standard of general education.
Income:Personnel administrators can earn around £15,000 to £19,000 a year. Starting salaries for human resources officers can be between £18,000 and £25,000 a year. Personnel managers can earn £25,000 to £50,000 a year or more.

source used for this task: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx