Your 2020 Vision: the year your future starts

Posted on 23 December 2019 • Career planning

A new year, a new decade, a new look at your career? Whether you’re exploring, developing or achieving your career aims, 2020 could be the year your future finally comes into focus. With lots of help on hand from the OU’s Careers and Employability Services, get #OUCareerConfident.

“I should have got these guides earlier in my studies”

OU Student on Becoming a Teacher guides

2020 Vision

Start the new decade by taking a realistic assessment of your career and what you really want from it. Our new workbook Your Career Planning Guide is your 6-step manual for starting, changing or developing in your personal and working life this year.

Knowing your skills

Where do your strengths lie? What have you learned from your life, study and work experience? The first step is to gain 20:20 sight of your 2020 self. Build your confidence by identifying your unique strengths and skillset and learn how to talk about them in a way that grabs attention. Try this useful employability skills activity on our Careers website. The exercises in Step 1 of Your Career Planning Guide could also really sharpen your focus.

Starting points for exploring a new career

How do you get from the present to the future? Your Journey Starts Here is an activity booklet to help visualise your dream job, take stock of your current situation and set out on the path to a new career. If you want to start exploring a new career but aren’t sure where to start, get some ideas from our What do OU students do? and How do I become a…? guides.

Step 2 in Your Career Planning Guide explores opportunities out there and what kind of things could be fulfilling for you, based on your unique interests – in study and in life.

Help with finding your way and getting out there

If you haven’t looked at OpportunityHub yet, make 2020 the year you make the step into a wider world: browse hundreds of opportunities for work experience, employer events and visits. Start networking and join The Open University Careers Network (TOUCAN) on LinkedIn.

If you’re new to thinking about your career, then you should also follow us on Facebook and Twitter so you can keep up with everything we have to offer you. Gain clarity of vision in 2020 and it could be the year your future becomes reality.