Blog: A-Level results 2017: Why you should consider a career in debt collection

A-Level Results Day is always full of mixed emotions but whether you have got top grades or not done quite as well as expected, there are now more potential learning and career pathways than ever for school leavers.


Apprenticeship career options

With apprenticeships currently in the spotlight, the advice to this year’s A-Level students is to consider options beyond just the traditional academic university route (see this great blog by AELP). But choosing to go straight into work-based learning such as an apprenticeship is about more than just taking a vocational route. Just as you need to carefully consider what subject to study at university, you should also carefully consider which apprenticeship will give you the best career options and most rewarding on-the-job role.


Laying the foundations for a successful career

It’s difficult for school leavers to know exactly what they want to do as a career after A-Levels and the beauty of new apprenticeship standards is that they provide a foundation for a wide range of careers. However, they also provide the opportunity to specialise in a specific area where there are skills gaps and which will result in a clearly defined career path.


Careers in credit control and compliance

I’m sure that ‘Credit Controller/Collector’ or ‘Compliance/Risk Officer’ (two of the apprenticeship standards which the Credit Services Association is approved to deliver) isn’t at the top of the ‘dream job’ list for many teenagers but these financial services apprenticeships can lead to a varied, rewarding and successful career in an important sector.

When most people think about debt collection, they think about bailiffs knocking down people’s doors. But much of the debt collection sector is now made up of professional, ethical, heavily regulated organisations that undertake complex work to engage with consumers who are sometimes in vulnerable circumstances and need to be treated fairly and carefully, to find a mutually beneficial resolution. A Credit Controller/Collector needs to have a wide range of skills from emotional intelligence to numerical ability. People with these skills are highly sought after and those who complete on-the-job apprenticeships in this area will be highly employable in this and a range of other fields and sectors.

Find out more about apprenticeships in debt collection visit our apprenticeship section.

Apprenticeships will be covered at the upcoming UK Credit & Collections Conference within a workshop session with Mike Thompson (Barclays), Peter Pledger (National Skills Academy for Financial Services) and Deborah Cooper (Marstons). Learn more here.