Career paths

Scotland’s National Health Service (NHS) is the biggest employer in the country. They employ people in more than 70 different professions. This means that there are lots of exciting opportunities to work in the health and social care sector. 

We encourage applications from qualified staff from outside the UK. This makes Scotland a great place to progress your career.  

Working in adult social care is a way to make a real difference to the lives of adults from a range of different backgrounds who need support. 

Adult social care covers all forms of personal and practical support for adults who need extra help to stay healthy, play a part in their community and lead as fulfilling a life as possible, tailored to each person’s ability, needs, preferences and the outcomes they want.  

You normally need a visa to come to work in the UK. A Health and Care Worker visa lets medical professionals work for the National Health Service (NHS) or an NHS supplier. 

There are lots of jobs eligible for the UK's Health and Care Worker visa. These include a wide range of roles, for example:  

• doctors 
• nurses 
• physiotherapists 
• occupational therapists 
• social workers. 

On the 22 July 2025, the rules for Health and Care Worker visas changed. If you live outside the UK, you can no longer apply to be a Care Worker or Senior Care Worker.  

You can still apply for these jobs if you’re in the UK on a different visa and want to switch to a Health and Care Worker visa. 

Get more advice on finding the right visa.  

Find out about careers in the NHS (careers.nhs.scot)

A social enterprise is a business that uses its profits to do good. In Scotland, we fully embrace the importance of social enterprises in the modern world. This is because they provide an ethical and sustainable way of doing business. 

Across Scotland, new social enterprises are being established to: 

• support their local communities 
• create businesses 
• secure jobs 
• deliver services.  

These new businesses are working across different sectors. They respond to problems like:  

• climate change 
• the demand for social care  
• child poverty. 

Scotland has many successful social enterprises. For example, organisations like Hey Girls and Changeworks. They do amazing work and their profits are reinvested into business growth and supporting their social or environmental purpose.  

There are currently more than 6,000 social enterprises in Scotland providing around 89,000 jobs. And with approximately 300 new enterprises formed each year, there are some amazing opportunities across Scotland. 

Find out more about social enterprises (socialenterprise.scot)

Scotland is a great place to start a career in teaching. We’ve led the world in our commitment to excellence in education for centuries. Scotland was the first country in the world to provide universal education to boys and girls in the 1600s. 

In Scotland, you can enjoy the satisfaction of a career that is personally fulfilling and offers a competitive salary, excellent pension scheme, career development prospects and a generous holiday entitlement. 

If you enjoy spending time with young children and want to make a lasting, positive impact on their lives, early learning and childcare could be the career for you.  

There are lots of routes into the profession. Once you start work, there are many ways you can develop your practice and skills to enhance your own career development. There is also a range of roles in the sector including: 

• providing care and learning experiences for children 
• working in an outdoor nursery 
• focusing on play-based learning 
• assisting children with additional support needs 
• progressing your career into positions of leadership.   

A job in Early Learning and Childcare is rewarding and worthwhile. You might be involved in developing children’s skills through activities such as: 

• painting 
• cooking 
• playing music 
• number and alphabet games  
• outdoor activities 
• encouraging children to learn through play.  

Each day is full of variety, creativity and making a difference to children’s lives. Supporting children in their early years helps them to learn, develop and become successful individuals in the future. 

It’s easy to connect with Scotland’s tech industry. The right companies, resources and support are waiting for you. Global companies like CGI, Hewlett Packard and Outplay have picked Scotland as their place to grow. 

Each year more than 10,000 students graduate in software and digital-related disciplines from Scottish universities. Scotland currently employs over 161,000 people in more than 10,000 technology and engineering companies. This shows our commitment to the technology sector. 

Scotland is home to one of the largest life science clusters in Europe. We do pioneering research and have nearby hospitals, drug clinics and world-renowned organisations. This means that, you can turn new ideas into life-changing products.  

From scientist, technologist and researcher to CEOs and sales and marketing, there are exciting opportunities at every level. Moving to Scotland could be the breakthrough you’re looking for! 

Scotland has decades of experience in the North Sea. This means we’re recognised as a global hub for the energy industry. We’re at the forefront of pioneering renewable energy sources. This combination makes Scotland the ideal place to work in the energy sectors. 

Our coastline is well-served by our ports network. This means we’re well connected to the rest of the UK, Europe and the world.  

Scotland has many opportunities for people to work in the transition to clean energy. We’re home to the world’s first floating offshore wind farm, one of Europe’s biggest hydrogen bus fleets and a world–first demonstration at scale of hydrogen for domestic heating. 

We also have a large energy research group which includes renewable energy scientists, academics and engineers. No matter what part of the industry you’re looking for work in, Scotland has a vast and diverse selection of opportunities.  

Businesses setting up in Scotland’s Green Freeports can benefit from a package of customs and tax incentives. Find more information on Green Freeports (sdi.co.uk)

Find out about career opportunities in Scotland's growing industries (sdi.co.uk)

There are lots of amazing opportunities in the creative industries across Scotland. For example: 

• advertising 
• architecture 
• the performing arts 
• fashion 
• music 
• photography 
• film and television.  

One of the top creative industries in Scotland is game development. It’s a leading force, on the same level as places like London, Vancouver, and L.A. You can find opportunities in areas such as art, design, audio, production management, programming and marketing. 

Scotland is at the forefront of game development. We have ambitious new start-ups and established companies like Rockstar North. You can work collaboratively and delve into new areas. For example, real-world medical research, broadcast, finance and the arts. 

Scotland is a leading country in the financial services industry. It’s the birthplace of one of the oldest banks in the world. As well as having Scottish financial companies like Standard Life, we’re also home to the headquarters of some of the world’s largest financial institutions, such as HSBC and JP Morgan. 

More finance companies are choosing to set up in Scotland. Whether you’re looking for a job in banking, savings and investments, insurance, or any other area of financial services, Scotland really has it all!