The city of Birmingham has the second largest economy in the United Kingdom and is rated well within the world’s top 100. The service sector accounts for the vast majority of the jobs available in the city with some of the world’s largest banks (Lloyds and Midland Bank for example) founded in Birmingham. The retail sector is particularly busy with the city having the third largest retail centre in the UK. Here are 10 of the top companies to work for in Birmingham, in no particular order.

10: Brooks England

This company has been making leather bike saddles since 1866 and was founded in the city. Sturmey Archer, the parent company of Brooks, collapsed in 2000 but the company was bought by an Italian company named Selle Royal two years later. This is a great place to work for someone who respects tradition and loves bikes.

9: Bird’s Custard

This iconic company was formed in Birmingham in 1843 by Alfred Bird. The custard is made from cornflour and is an alternative to egg custard. The company has enjoyed a long and storied history and its employees are delighted to be working at a stable company in what is a harsh economic climate.

8: Birmingham Airport

This international airport is located less than 6 miles from the city centre. It handles almost 9 million passengers a year and offers a variety of interesting careers. With several different airlines operating from the airport and with vacancies always available for airport staff, this is an opportunity that is always there for the ambitious.

7: O Neill's

As Irish bars are well-known for being more entertaining than their English counterparts, surely the opportunity to work in one of the O Neill’s chain of Irish-themed pubs is worth grasping? The chains headquarters are in Birmingham so if you fancy a bar job with a difference, O Neill’s is the place to be.

6: CrossCountry

If you enjoy travelling but are more interested in seeing the UK than the skies, this train company offers you a great chance to see what the British countryside has to offer. It is a new franchise that has only been in existence since 2007 with Arriva plc winning the rights to this franchise until 2016. The longest journey on the train is a whopping 13 hours and 23 minutes from Aberdeen to Penzance.

5: Webley & Scott

Some people complain that their job doesn’t allow them to meet interesting people. Webley & Scott are an arms manufacturer based in Birmingham and they certainly afford you the opportunity to meet new and exciting (if a little dangerous) individuals. The company is known for supplying pistols and revolvers to the British Army during World War’s I and II.

4: Harvester Restaurants

This is a restaurant chain with approximately 170 outlets all over the United Kingdom. Its headquarters can be found in Birmingham’s Fleet Street. The franchise was opened in 1983 and the restaurants are known for their help-yourself salad carts and flame grilled food.

3: Associated Architects

This one of the UK’s leading architectural firms. It is based in Birmingham and has received 21 RIBA awards which include the coveted RIBA Sustainability Award. This company only hires the very best architects but once you become part of the team, a fabulously lucrative career awaits. They are known for their work on the Birmingham Hippodrome and the Symphony Hall.

2: East End Foods

This company was founded by the Wouhra Brothers in 1972 and has expanded to become one of the biggest Asian food companies in Britain. East End Foods are intent on expanding even further and have purchased the old HP Sauce site in Aston and have plans to open a new Cash and Carry. There are more than 250 people employed with East End Foods at present.

1: Dunlop Tires

This is an internationally recognised company that has provided tires for a number of high profile motor racing events. It is based in Birmingham and produces approximately 300,000 racing tires each year. The company is owned by Goodyear and Sumitono with the former owning the controlling share.

Although Birmingham is better known for its services sector, you can clearly see that there are alternative jobs if you feel that you lack the skills for retail or banking which make up a large percentage of availabilities.