Persons working in shipping are usually involved in ensuring the safe transport of goods using the most adequate means of transport. They are typically requires to work closely with clients to deliver quality results. The ideal candidate for this type of work would be someone with experience in a similar field. Patience, good communication skill and the ability to self-motivate are important qualities for applicants.
On a day-to-day basis, the job includes: researching and planning routes for shipment, taking into account the costs and methods of packing; negotiating contracts; checking documents; and numerous other tasks, meaning the role requires a versatile individual with the ability to multi-task.
Many people get into shipping through taking an apprenticeship, and there are numerous courses that are beneficial to gaining employment within the industry. The average pay for someone in this sector is around £26,000 per year, with lows of £21,000 and experienced employees earning as much as £37,000 or above.

• Having planning skills.
• Having interpersonal abilities.
• Being tactful.
• Having problem solving abilities.
• Having good communication skills.
• Being able to work under pressure.
• Being physically fit.
• Having appreciation of safety concerns.
• Having IT skills.
• Being self motivated and proactive.

There different academic qualifications for Shipment sector depending on specific job placements. People who want to work as shipment clerks will need for most cases four GCSE’s (A-C) including Math and English, and some office experience including foreign language and IT skills. Logistics manager applicants will need degrees or diplomas related to science and geography, business, language, logistics, distribution, or information systems.

There are many other jobs with no specific qualification requirements such as Freight Forwarder posts. Candidates just need four GCSE’s/S grades (A-C/1-3) including Math and English. An optional award for this area is a BTEC National Award in Logistics.