The Open University

Unlock career clarity with the Six Thinking Hats

2 May 2025

Making career decisions can feel overwhelming, but there’s a powerful tool that can help. Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats is a method designed to help you see your situation from multiple angles, breaking through indecision with clarity and confidence. White hat: gather the facts first What do you already know? What additional information do […]

Easter is much more than chocolate eggs and bunnies

14 April 2025

Lydia and Sue are two Christian colleagues who work in the Careers and Employability Services at the OU. Here are their personal reflections on Lent and Easter, a time to look back and start to navigate your future. Sue, what does Lent and Easter mean to you? Easter is a time of extraordinary joy and […]

Sketch out your career plan

31 March 2025

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” – Pablo Picasso When Pablo Picasso created his masterpieces, he always began with sketches – of ideas, of smaller parts of a bigger […]

A fresh start: four steps to help you change careers

17 March 2025

Whether it’s a conscious decision or caused by unexpected circumstances, such as redundancy, change can be exciting, daunting, overwhelming and energising. Changing career takes time but follow our four steps to plan your new start. Step 1: Making a career shift You may be seeking a new challenge or looking for promotion. You may want […]

Take your career planning offline

6 March 2025

Are you studying, working, socialising and relaxing by staring at a screen? You may have digital fatigue. If you want to plan your next career move without clocking up any more screen time, here are 3 top tips for going offline… 1. Get a printed copy of Your Career Planning Guide Your Career Planning Guide is […]

Don’t climb that mountain alone

3 March 2025

We understand it can feel like climbing a very steep mountain when you’re studying and planning your career while experiencing mental health difficulties. Help is on hand. It’s University Mental Health Day this month so we’re highlighting resources that can help you through the challenges. Finding work and support in the workplace Finding and keeping […]

Portfolio careers and how you can have one

21 February 2025

A ‘portfolio career’ or “squiggly career” (Tupper, 2024) is a version of self- or partial employment where you have several part-time jobs at the same time, rather than taking the traditional career ‘path’ of one full-time job. It offers a more flexible way of working, tailored to your unique set of skills, needs and priorities […]

Emilie’s son’s graduation sparked a career move that changed her life

10 February 2025

“Don’t be put off by the preconception that only younger people can switch career.” Emilie OU BSc Chemistry student Emilie began studying at the OU after her son had completed his degree. She embarked on an OU qualification and found that she could put the transferrable skills from her previous work experience to a career […]

Plan smarter with Labour Market Information (LMI)

24 January 2025

Many of us feel uncertain about the job market and the future of our careers, especially as the labour market is ever-changing terrain. Understanding how and why things change will help you navigate it, find current and future opportunities, and build your career confidence. This is why OU Careers and Employability Services has developed in-depth […]

Find your career belonging

8 January 2025

Research from the Valuegraphics Project (2024) shows belonging “tops the list of core human values”. Career belonging is your need to have a career that represents you on your terms, with the freedom, flexibility and autonomy to choose your own direction (Dr Sarabeth Birth Bickerton). Here’s how to feel belonging, be seen and valued in […]

From silent night to career bright: find quiet time to reflect and plan

28 November 2024

As winter sets in and the festive season begins, there’s a certain calm that settles over our busy lives. As the night skies darken and days shorten, use quiet, peaceful moments to pause, reflect, reset and turn your silent nights into a bright path forward. Understand where you are in your career journey using our […]

Keep your options open with career cushioning

22 November 2024

The job market is constantly evolving and creating exciting roles which didn’t previously exist and that you might not have heard of. With this in mind, keep your career options open and take steps to advance your skills and connections to develop career resilience. This has become known as “career cushioning”. “Career cushioning…means updating skills […]

Mature student? Get career cosy this autumn

1 November 2024

The warmth of experience Mature students offer years of experience as reliable and useful as that trusted, well-loved woolly jumper we put on again every autumn. When you think about your career journey, don’t discount the value of what you already know. Like the warmth of a familiar jumper, your existing skills and experience can […]

Changing seasons, changing career direction…

11 October 2024

Autumn is a time of transition. Leaves turn from green to shades of red and orange and many woodland animals gather and store food for the upcoming winter. Just as nature looks ahead, so must career changers plan for their future. Now is a good time to take stock and consider why you want to […]

Social media superpowers and your job search

13 September 2024

Social media can supercharge your professional presence. Your online presence is the way that you present yourself and one of the ways you’ll be vetted in the recruitment process. Here are some tips to maximise your social media superpowers and secure your future job. 1. Build your social media skills There are plenty of events […]

Careers stories

Category: Career planning