Living The Corporate Life

December 9, 2013 Blogging Guide

5 Interesting Roles In The Private Sector

As many of us would know, working out what exactly we want to study at university and, afterwards, what field we want to work in, can be confusing and difficult process. It may surprise you to know that there are many roles in the corporate sector that are stimulating and rewarding, and may be a little off the beaten track when you think of the word ‘corporate’.

From environmental law to in-house corporate videography, there are exciting roles in corporate life that are just waiting to be discovered. Below are just some of the many opportunities the corporate sector has on offer!

1.     Environmental Law

Now we all know that the corporate sector encompasses a wide variety of legal roles, mainly in corporate and civil law. But did you know that environmental law practice is also becoming increasingly important to many private sector corporations and businesses? If you’ve got an interest in law and the environment, but want to skip on the mergers and contracts, then there are corporate sector roles that might just be up your alley!

Environmental law is a wide area of practice, and the duties of a lawyer working in the area can cover laws relating to natural resources and energy, climate change, green law, sustainability management, zoning laws and real estate law. You could be advising local government on zoning issues, representing the interests of green energy companies or even assisting State and Federal governments on climate change laws. The possibilities for an environmental lawyer, as a corporate worker, are almost boundless!

2.     Public Relations

It’s perhaps a little less surprising that PR makes the cut of being an interesting corporate sector job, but it’s well known in the corporate world for a reason! Depending on your interests, PR can be one of the most invigorating and rewarding roles offered by the private sector. This is because, as a PR practitioner, your ability to think outside of the square and come up with innovative ways of strengthening relationships between businesses and the public is paramount.

With the advent of social media and the 24-hour news-cycle, the dynamic in relationships between corporations and their publics are constantly changing and require reflexive attention from practitioners. If being creative and fast thinking is your thing, then corporate PR could be one of the most interesting jobs out there for you.

3.     In-House Corporate Videography

Have a keen interest in film and video production? Many people who study communications, film or other visual and audio media courses at university have the conception that most of their work will end up being on a freelance basis. What you may not realize is that there are plenty of interesting and creative jobs going right now in companies all over the place, as businesses and corporations look to save costs by creating in-house videography and digital media teams.

If you go the in-house route, you’ll have the opportunity to work towards the goals of your company using the skills you’ve developed and in the way you want. You’ll also have the opportunity to bond with company staff in a way not possible for freelancers, and can get a really detailed feel for what a company is after with their video material. These roles pay well, are interesting, and are, for all intents and purposes, corporate sector jobs.

4.     Advertising Industry

Through what we see on TV and in the news, most of us would consider the advertising industry to be a high-paced, client-oriented environment. Well of course, advertising is these things, but the nature of the work that goes into selling a company’s image is the most interesting part of advertising work. Having an understanding of trends such as globalization and knowing that business structures are constantly changing is key to being successful in the advertising industry.

People from marketing, communications and even psychology and mathematical backgrounds all enter the mix in this corporate role, where the goal is for your company’s client to strike a nerve with its demographics. Challenging, creative and very rewarding, advertising jobs are generally well-paid and represent the epitome of creativity in the corporate sector.

5.     HR in Corporate Organisations

Of course, one role that often gets overlooked when people think of the word ‘corporate’ is the role filled by human resources practitioners. Running parallel to many of the other roles in a company, the HR team (or personnel department) are effectively the gatekeepers for who is let in and who is kept out of employment with a corporation. To that end they play an extremely important role in hiring and vetting prospective employees, and these days are involved in conducting training courses and reviewing work contracts with employees.

Those in HR may not be heading up the legal or accounting aspects of a company, but they play a decisive role in influencing the company’s work ethic, employment standards and of course its general organizational culture! So if you’re interested in making a real difference to a corporate organization, then HR might just be the job for you.