year. 4 Social engineer Typical salary: Between £50,000 and £80,000, on average. Graduates start on £25,000 but salaries increase rapidly with qualifications and experience. The job: A social engineer is paid by a company to try to trick its employees into divulging confidential information that allows the engineer to access sensitive company data or the company’s computer network. Qualifications: Typically, social engineers have a degree in IT, although an understanding of psychology is useful, as is a background in marketing, teaching and customer service. To succeed as a social engineer, you need … the confidence to lie convincingly and the ability to fit in almost anywhere without looking too out of place. You also need a strong sense of personal ethics and an understanding of the law. Worst thing about the job: Other people may misunderstand your job: social engineers are not spies but most people think they are. 5 Power-line helicopter pilot Typical salary: £65,000 The job: To fly close to high-voltage power lines in a helicopter so that the lines can be inspected with a camera and any potential faults and issues can be identified by the power company. Qualifications: A private-helicopter-pilot licence, a commercial pilot’s licence and around 2,000 hours of experience flying at low levels in the type of helicopter the company usually uses. To succeed