Studying with the OU is a great way to boost your career prospects. Many OU students study to develop themselves in their existing role, while others study with a complete change of career in mind.
An OU qualification is highly regarded by UK employers. Seventy-five per cent of the FTSE top 100 companies are sponsoring, or have sponsored their staff on OU courses and qualifications. That's a measure of how highly they think of us, and how seriously they take our qualifications.
Employers also understand that studying part time while managing work and personal commitments shows determination, adaptability, motivation and a high level of organisational and problem-solving skills – qualities that they value highly.
What careers might OU study lead to?
Have a look at these subject areas to find starting points for your research. They outline skills you develop through study and point to potential career opportunities, with links for further research.
Popular career areas
Many students contact us asking for advice on getting into a particular type of work and the types of qualification they'll need. Here's some information on those careers we're asked about most frequently.
- Working with children - advocate, carer, play worker, classroom assistant
- Counselling - routes you could follow if you want to work in counselling
- Management - careers in every organisation, many do not require a specific degree
- Psychology - qualifying as a chartered psychologist
- Social work - advice on qualifications
- Teaching - becoming a teacher, OU flexible PGCE
Careers Advisory Service
If you want to:
- get career planning advice
- explore your career options
- assess your employability skills
You can do all this and more by visiting our Careers Advisory Service.
Once you become a student you can access our full range of services including:
- Careers advisers in regional and national centres providing one-to-one guidance
- Online forums offering support from careers advisers and other OU students
- Links with employers offering a range of vacancies open to OU students and graduates
