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Category: Career planning

Give your CV a spring clean

Spring is here, a time for growth and new beginnings, so why not take a fresh look at your skills and update your CV. We’ve got everything you need to help you to make your CV spotless and to move forward in realising your goals. Dust off your list of skills Note down everything you’ve […]

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Blowing your own trumpet isn’t easy, but you can learn how

Blowing your own trumpet, learning to sell your skills and strengths to employers doesn’t happen overnight. We know many OU students find lack of confidence a barrier to a fulfilling career, you’re not alone. So we developed Build your future with career confidence to give you a systematic way to start gaining confidence. Having spent […]

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Flexible working and you: what employers say

We all look for jobs that map to our values, our skills and experience, also opportunities to develop and grow in a role. Another question you’ll need to ask yourself when researching careers.is how important flexible working is for you. To help you prepare and understand the employer perspective, we asked four very different employers […]

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EY – an employer embracing diverse abilities

I didn’t join professional services partnership EY because it’s is a global organisation, or because it has an expansive client network. It was very simply for two reasons: The commitment to supporting staff with disabilities, and the internal support community the EY Ability Network. This is an employee-led workplace community group which brings together persons […]

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How to be a career-confident chameleon

Move over caterpillars and crabs, it’s time for the chameleon, one of the most fascinating animals on Earth that’s been around for over 60 million years, to help you to develop your career confidence. Behave like the chameleon. Look forward and observe behind. Malagasy proverb Chameleons have 360-degree vision, their eyes moving in two different […]

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Making work experience work for you: what employers say

It can be difficult navigating the world of work experience – whether you’re at the beginning of your career journey or looking to change direction. We asked a few employers from small and large organisations what they had to say about it. We hope it’ll inspire you to look at our work experience page, a good […]

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6 Steps to ‘Becoming a Teacher’

Becoming a teacher is rewarding, fulfilling and provides the opportunity to inspire and shape the lives of current and future generations. This career pathway involves a combination of education, practical experience and a commitment to ongoing professional development. Follow these 6 steps to explore different routes to teaching careers with the help of our  ‘Becoming […]

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Your career and our planet

One of my favourite presents last Christmas was a box of soap, so I can switch from buying plastic bottles of shower gel. It represents my, albeit very small, attempt to reduce the amount of plastic I use, and my intention is to incorporate other, more sustainable, products into my life and be more mindful […]

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Warm-up your CV this winter

Ensuring your CV stand outs from the rest, so you don’t receive an icy response from employers, can feel like a challenge. Melt away any CV uncertainties – use our top tips to make your CV warm and inviting so to employers don’t leave it out in the cold this winter. Where to start Note […]

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‘Crab-ify’ your career

‘Carcinisation’ refers to the scientific observation that several different species of non-crab keep evolving into crabs independently of each other. Does this mean that crabs are the ultimate form and end point of natural history? If so, should we start embracing the crab-life now? Here are 4 ways you can get ahead of evolution and […]

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Ensure your CV sizzles this summer

Summer is finally here! With long evenings, garden days and BBQs aplenty, what better time to “hot-up” on CV writing and move forward in your career goals. We’ve got everything you need to get your CV sizzling. Try our CV360 tool which uses Artificial Intelligence to score your CV against common checks and Applicant Tracking […]

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Ikigai – St. James’s Place Academy shares learnings

St. James’s Place Financial Adviser Academy is one of the inclusive employers working with the OU who welcomes applications from OU students and alumni. Marketing specialist Hannah Steiner from St. James’s Place shares her thoughts about Ikigai, the Japanese secret to a long and happy career. The Japanese believe everyone has an Ikigai, or a […]

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Brand yourself and achieve your goals

“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. If you’re ready to apply for jobs, internships or further study, you’re at the ‘Achieve’ career readiness stage. ‘Selling yourself’, or convincingly matching your unique skills and qualities to the needs of the outside world, is […]

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Age is no barrier for employers

Do you feel you’ve left it too late to change career? Or perhaps you worry your youth and lack of experience might be an issue. I’m Georgina, an Employer Engagement Manager here at the OU, and students highlight ‘age’ at nearly every employer event we host, especially those who feel too old to change career […]

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Getting to know and love the new ‘you’

Our role at work is often a huge part of who we are. We spend a lot of time at work and often feel our jobs are part of our identity. That’s why changing career can seem like changing the ‘you’ you present to the world. If you feel the prospect of such a psychological […]

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