Interest fit and satisfaction
A meta-analysis of 39,602 people found a modest positive association between interest fit and job satisfaction (corrected correlation 0.19).
Hoff and colleagues, 2020 ↗Free career advising & planning
A clearer direction.
A more confident next step.
Discover how your interests, experience and ambitions connect with careers in Marketing, Project Controls and Project Management. Create a free account for assessments, a detailed personal report and a practical career plan.
Free registration No payment cardThree specialist pathways England job opportunitiesYour pace, your profile Save and returnA report you can use PDF and action plan
Made for your profession
Choose the work you want to explore.
Your career pathway
Marketing
Turn creativity and customer insight into evidence of commercial value. Explore executive, social media, research and management roles.
Explore my next step →Your career pathwayProject Controls
Connect planning, cost, risk and performance. Explore controls, estimating and scheduling work across major sectors.
Explore my next step →Your career pathwayProject Management
Bring people, plans and decisions together. Explore project delivery, technology change and progression into greater responsibility.
Explore my next step →By knowing yourself more, you can make a more informed choice
Know yourself.
Find work that fits your life.
Knowing what interests you, how you prefer to work and what matters in your life gives your job search a clearer direction.
We bring those reflections together with your experience, skills and ambitions to help you explore roles, ask better interview questions and build a practical career plan.
Burnout has several influences. Workload, control and support matter alongside the demands and characteristics of a role. A personality profile cannot diagnose burnout or guarantee wellbeing.
Discover what matters to meLook beyond the job title
HSE identifies demands, control, support, relationships, role and change as six areas to manage work-related stress. Use your report to explore these with a potential employer.
Read the HSE framework ↗Interests, performance and persistence
A research review linked vocational interests with performance and persistence in work and education. Interest–environment fit was more strongly associated with performance than interests alone. This supports exploration, not a guarantee of success.
Nye and colleagues, 2012 ↗A clearer picture of you
Every reflection has a purpose.
Discover what draws your interest.
Explore six interest areas through 30 questions. Use the pattern to consider activities you may enjoy and roles worth investigating.
Start my interest profile →Understand your working preferences.
The 50-question IPIP Big Five reflection helps you discuss organisation, collaboration and openness to ideas. Your scores support exploration; they do not limit your options.
Explore my preferences →Make room for the life you want.
Set out the work, location, flexibility, responsibility and salary you hope for. Your report connects these goals with experience and realistic next steps.
Define my next chapter →Recognise how you help a team.
Reflect on a real team contribution and feedback from colleagues. Belbin’s official assessment offers a separate, licensed view of team behaviour.
Our original free reflection is not a Belbin test. About official Belbin Team Roles ↗
Explore my team contribution →Turn experience into evidence.
Bring your education, CV and LinkedIn text together with skills evidence and reasoning practice. Identify examples for interviews and gaps that learning could address.
Build my career evidence →Move from insight to action.
Get roles to investigate, salary sources, course suggestions, interview preparation and a 90-day plan. Opt in to relevant job emails with a clear explanation of each match.
Create my free report →All six steps are available with your free KBC profile. Optional wellbeing reflection supports personal planning. Licensed Belbin, NEO and SHL assessments are separate; our reasoning practice does not produce an IQ score.
Labour market briefing · reviewed 12 September 2026
Understand the market.
Build the evidence employers need.
Office for National Statistics
A selective UK jobs market
Estimated vacancies: 707,000, down 6,000 (0.8%) from the preceding three-month period. Estimated unemployment rate: 4.9%.
Use targeted applications with clear evidence of relevant work. These economy-wide statistics do not measure individual employability or demand in any one pathway.
Method, date and limits
United Kingdom · Vacancies: May–July 2026; unemployment: April–June 2026. ONS advises caution with short-term LFS movements; use the wider set of indicators. Next release scheduled 15 September 2026.
IPA Bellwether Q2 2026
Marketing: make the commercial value visible
Net balance of +6.9% of respondents revised total marketing budgets upward. Events budget net balance was +11.0%; market research was -4.1%.
KBC's editorial recommendation is to show how strategy, content and measurement support business objectives; consider Marketing Strategy, Social Media Management and Commercial Intelligence where relevant gaps exist.
Method, date and limits
UK companies in the survey · Q2 2026. Net balance means the percentage increasing budgets minus the percentage cutting them. It is not budget growth of 6.9%, a vacancy count, or evidence that every marketing specialism is growing.
APM Salary and Market Trends Survey 2025
Project management: build evidence of delivery
APM reports average project-professional pay of £52,500, compared with £47,500 in its 2023 report.
KBC's editorial recommendation is to demonstrate planning, stakeholder management, risk decisions and delivery outcomes alongside any relevant professional qualification.
Method, date and limits
UK project profession · 2025 report; the summary page does not state fieldwork dates. A professional survey is not a guaranteed salary or a salary estimate for every role. Differences associated with qualifications, seniority or membership do not establish a causal return from a course. Latest salary report linked by APM when checked was 2025.
CITB Construction Workforce Outlook 2026–2030
Project controls: connect schedule, cost and risk
CITB describes a difficult near-term picture alongside expected medium-term growth and continuing recruitment and retention pressure.
KBC's editorial recommendation is to demonstrate integrated schedules, cost forecasts, earned value and clear reporting. Use the seven sector guides to explore context before selecting a role.
Method, date and limits
United Kingdom construction; not all project-controls sectors · Forecast 2026–2030. Construction forecasts cannot be presented as precise project-controls vacancy numbers or as guaranteed future jobs. Defence, energy, digital and other sectors have different conditions.
These sources cover different populations and periods. A survey average, a career-guide range and an advertised salary answer different questions. None predicts your individual earnings.
What could your next role look like?
Aim higher.
Explore your next chapter.
Explore ranges reaching
Six roles to inspire your next step.
Marketing
Digital marketing manager
£60k–£70k / year
London · Financial services
Salary guide · source & next step
Morgan McKinley 2026 salary guide. Permanent annual salary; published 3–5 years experience band Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: Campaign results, marketing analytics and return on investment.
View salary source ↗Project Controls
Project controls manager
£80k–£85k / year
Central London · hybrid · Major civil engineering / HS2
Advertised salary example · source & next step
Smart 4 EPC advertised salary. One full-time role advertised 27 May 2026; annual salary is stated separately. This is a salary example, not a live vacancy claim. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: Integrated cost, schedule, risk and earned value reporting.
View salary source ↗Project Management
PMO manager
£60k–£75k / year
London · Commerce and industry
Salary guide · source & next step
Morgan McKinley 2026 salary guide. Permanent annual salary; published 3–5 years experience band Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: Portfolio reporting, governance and practical delivery improvements.
View salary source ↗Marketing
Marketing director
£110k–£130k / year
London · Financial services
Salary guide · source & next step
Morgan McKinley 2026 salary guide. Permanent annual salary; published 3–5 years experience band Senior roles require relevant experience; this is not a promised timescale from starting a career. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: Marketing leadership, multichannel strategy and budget accountability.
View salary source ↗Project Controls
Head of project controls
£122k–£132k / year
Milton Keynes · hybrid · Rail / major infrastructure
Advertised salary example · source & next step
Carrington West advertised salary. One permanent full-time role, JO0000069493; team of 25–35 specialists; senior leadership experience required. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: Lead controls teams and explain performance to executive stakeholders.
View salary source ↗Project Management
Programme director
£120k–£150k / year
London · Commerce and industry
Salary guide · source & next step
Morgan McKinley 2026 salary guide. Permanent annual salary; published 3–5 years experience band. Use the sector table exactly; the separate generic calculator shows a different aggregate range. Senior roles require relevant experience; this is not a promised timescale from starting a career. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: Programme leadership, benefits realisation and executive decision-making.
View salary source ↗Marketing
Brand marketing manager
£80k–£90k / year
London · Financial services
Salary guide · source & next step
Morgan McKinley 2026 salary guide. Permanent annual salary; published 5+ years experience band Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: Brand positioning, customer insight and measured commercial growth.
View salary source ↗Project Management
Head of PMO
£80k–£90k / year
London · Commerce and industry
Salary guide · source & next step
Morgan McKinley 2026 salary guide. Permanent annual salary; published 3–5 years experience band Senior roles require relevant experience; this is not a promised timescale from starting a career. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: PMO leadership, strategic prioritisation and dependable governance.
View salary source ↗Marketing
Marketing executive
£23k–£50k / year
UK career guide · Career profile
Career guide · source & next step
National Careers Service. Guide range from starter to experienced; source does not specify a common salary sample date. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: A campaign brief, content sample and evaluation showing a real result.
View salary source ↗Marketing
Marketing manager
£30k–£65k / year
UK career guide · Career profile
Career guide · source & next step
National Careers Service. Guide range from starter to experienced; source does not specify a common salary sample date. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: A strategy linked to commercial objectives, budget decisions and measured outcomes.
View salary source ↗Marketing
Social media manager
£25k–£50k / year
UK career guide · Career profile
Career guide · source & next step
National Careers Service. Guide range from starter to experienced; source does not specify a common salary sample date. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: A content calendar, examples of creative work and a report linking engagement to a business objective.
View salary source ↗Marketing
Market research executive
£20k–£36k / year
UK career guide · Career profile
Career guide · source & next step
National Careers Service. Guide range from starter to experienced; source does not specify a common salary sample date. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: A small ethical customer-research project with limitations and evidence-based recommendations.
View salary source ↗Project Management
Business project manager
£29k–£75k / year
UK career guide · Career profile
Career guide · source & next step
National Careers Service. Guide range from starter to experienced; source does not specify a common salary sample date. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: A project plan, risk register and an honest account of a delivery decision and its outcome.
View salary source ↗Project Management
IT project manager
£35k–£60k / year
UK career guide · Career profile
Career guide · source & next step
National Careers Service. Guide range from starter to experienced; source does not specify a common salary sample date. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: A delivery roadmap and example of managing technical dependencies, acceptance criteria and change.
View salary source ↗Project Management
Business analyst
£23k–£55k / year
UK career guide · Career profile
Career guide · source & next step
National Careers Service. Guide range from starter to experienced; source does not specify a common salary sample date. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: A current/future process map, clear requirements and a benefits rationale.
View salary source ↗Project Controls
Estimator / cost engineer
£22k–£40k / year
UK career guide · Career profile
Career guide · source & next step
National Careers Service. NCS lists cost engineer and cost planner as alternative titles. This general estimator guide is not a senior specialist nuclear/energy cost-engineer pay survey. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: A cost estimate with basis, assumptions, uncertainty and a forecast update.
View salary source ↗Project Controls
Construction planner
£34k–£83k / year
UK career guide · Career profile
Career guide · source & next step
Go Construct / CITB. Guide gives £34,000 newly trained to £83,000 experienced; figures assembled by CITB from industry sources, not a representative official pay survey. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: A resource-aware schedule, critical-path explanation and a progress update with recovery options.
View salary source ↗Project Controls
Quantity surveyor
£26k–£70k / year
UK career guide · Career profile
Career guide · source & next step
National Careers Service. Guide range from starter to experienced; source does not specify a common salary sample date. Checked 12 September 2026.
Evidence to build: A cost-change assessment with clear assumptions and a commercial recommendation.
View salary source ↗No matching titles. Try a broader search or another salary range.
Annual salary examples, checked 12 September 2026. Filters use the top of each range. Location, sector and experience matter; these are not guaranteed earnings or course outcomes. Advert examples illustrate pay and may no longer be open.
A report with a purpose
Know what to do next.
Your report connects your declared experience with roles to investigate, evidence to build and questions to ask. Review the reasoning, compare essential job requirements and decide what fits your circumstances.
Course suggestions explain the gap they may address. Workplace projects, mentoring and self-study can also support progress. KBC provides training and has a commercial interest in enrolments; you can use the career service without buying a course.
Start my free reportYour personal career report
Your next chapter
- Interests, personality and ambitions
- Experience, education and skill evidence
- Roles, salaries and opportunities
- CV, LinkedIn and interview preparation
- Learning choices and a 90-day action plan
Private wellbeing appendix only if you choose.
Free sector career guides
Explore the world of projects.
Seven KBC guides to project controls and project management careers. Download the sector that interests you for role examples, interview preparation and professional context. These are 2026 editions; salary and market information may change. Use the dated source links above to check current figures.
Engineering & Manufacturing
Explore project controls careers in engineering and manufacturing, from junior planning to programme leadership, with employer profiles, workplace skills and practical interview preparation.
Download PDF · 40 pages · 6.3 MB ↓
Construction & Infrastructure
Understand the project controls roles behind major construction and infrastructure programmes, then prepare for interviews on scheduling, earned value, reporting, risk and change.
Download PDF · 41 pages · 7.8 MB ↓
Consultancy & Professional Services
Prepare for client-facing careers with a guide to consulting progression, structured problem-solving, commercial judgement, stakeholder relationships and case-style interview questions.
Download PDF · 40 pages · 5.6 MB ↓
Energy, Utilities & Net Zero
Explore careers supporting energy and utility investment, with sector context, project controls responsibilities and interview themes covering infrastructure delivery, commercial decisions and net zero programmes.
Download PDF · 40 pages · 6.0 MB ↓
Defence & Aerospace
Explore project controls careers in defence and aerospace, including employer types, role progression, permanent and contract work, and interviews on governance, integrated planning and reporting.
Download PDF · 40 pages · 5.3 MB ↓
Public Sector & Government
Prepare for programme and project-controls careers serving public organisations, with guidance on governance, assurance, stakeholder accountability, digital delivery and interview preparation.
Download PDF · 37 pages · 6.0 MB ↓
IT, Digital & Transformation
Discover how project controls supports digital change, from junior PMO work to programme leadership, with interview preparation on agile delivery, dependencies, suppliers, governance and benefits.
Download PDF · 37 pages · 9.4 MB ↓Questions before you start?
Clear answers.
Is the career service really free?
Yes. Registration, the open assessments, your career report, job links and action planning are free. No card is required. Reasonable daily report limits apply. Courses and separately licensed assessments have their own terms.
Is this a scientific test?
The RIASEC and IPIP questionnaires use established published instruments with original wording and scoring. KBC’s combined report and role suggestions have not been independently validated as predictors of job success. Original reasoning exercises are practice activities.
Will it tell me my IQ or diagnose depression?
No. The service does not provide an IQ score or diagnose depression, burnout or another condition. The optional wellbeing reflection helps you consider work and support needs. Official NHS information and support routes are available in the profile.
Does a course guarantee a better job or salary?
No. A relevant course can help develop knowledge and evidence, alongside experience and applications. There is no reliable individual probability of a job with versus without a KBC course. Salary sources describe roles, not a promised training uplift.
Can I use Belbin, NEO or SHL Verify?
These are licensed provider assessments, separate from IPIP and KBC practice. Belbin explores team behaviour; our free team-contribution reflection is an original activity, not a Belbin test. You can follow the official provider links and record authorised result notes. Full integrated delivery requires the relevant provider contract.
How is my information used?
Your verified account saves career answers and reports. You review an explicit processing notice before automated report writing. Optional wellbeing answers are excluded from job matching and model processing. Quality, research and email marketing have separate optional choices, which you can change.
Are the job links live?
Selected individual England adverts are checked and dated, and removed after their stated closing dates. Employers can close adverts early. Opt-in alerts use connected Joblet searches and source checks. They cover suitable new adverts found by the service, not every vacancy in England; source searches are also available.
Can I get human support?
Yes. Book a conversation with KBC to discuss your report and learning options. For broader independent guidance, visit the National Careers Service. For health concerns, use NHS or qualified clinical support.
Your career belongs to you.
Explore your options with evidence, support and a plan you can act on.