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Category: Career planning

Everyone’s path is unique: Chloe charts her own course to a rewarding career

Take the path less travelled Chloe’s story isn’t your typical university journey. Studying Arts and Humanities at The Open University at just 16 and graduating with a first-class degree aged 20. Her story is a valuable reminder that your university and career journey are unique and personal to you. Find out how to make career […]

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Juggle your way to a new career

          Does changing your career whilst juggling your family, study and work commitments seem impossible? OU Engineering graduate Kay shows it can be done. Changing your career path can feel challenging, especially when you’re already juggling multiple responsibilities. Build your future with career confidence resources can help you boost your confidence […]

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Successful internships: top tips from OU interns

Weighing up the pros and cons of applying for an internship? Wondering if you would be able to juggle another commitment with your busy life? To help you decide, read our guide The benefits of doing an internship and the following top tips from students and graduates who recently completed an internship through the OU. […]

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Volunteering – your gateway to great things

As a mental health charity, volunteers are a big piece of the picture that makes up Mind BLMK. Their value is felt every day at all levels in the charity. The volunteer picture looks very different to what it used to pre-Covid. We have seen a big decrease in the average age of our volunteers […]

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The biggest regret of my university experience (and how you can avoid it)

Not using the careers service It’s a bold statement to say that not using the careers service is my biggest university regret. Back then, navigating my degree was enough to manage without thinking about my career. However, focusing solely on my studies meant neglecting my post-graduation future. I never even looked at the careers service […]

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Capybaras and your career: Lessons from nature’s giant rodent

The capybara is much loved by humans and other animals alike. These gentle giants have a lot to teach us all about navigating our futures… Here’s how capybaras would thrive in the graduate labour market, and how you can too. Adaptability Capybaras are masters of adaptation. They straddle land and water, seamlessly transitioning between environments. Flexibility […]

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5 steps to mirror career success

“[Self-reflection is] the foundation that all other soft skills grow from.”           Bailey and Rehman (2022) When we look in the mirror, we see a true reflection of ourselves and how others may perceive us. Self-reflection is not always easy, but it can help us to find a deeper understanding of our […]

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Be kind to yourself in your career planning

We all know it can be hard to make good decisions when we’re feeling under pressure, are unfocused and time limited. So slow down, take a breath and pace yourself through our top tips encouraging you to be kind to yourself in career planning… 1. Give yourself the gift of time – you’re worth it […]

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An informal guide to pursuing your passion

OU study opens an incredible number of possibilities and opportunities. But while students are busy balancing their studies with their home and work lives, they often find themselves carefully skirting around the big question: What is my passion? We can help you dare to dream and build your confidence to realise your passion. Reflection Take […]

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Ramadan Mubarak! Time to reflect and plan, whatever your beliefs

The sacred month of Ramadan is not just spiritual reflection, charity and fasting for Muslims; it’s also an opportunity for people of all backgrounds and beliefs to step back, review and plan for your future. For OU students and recent alumni, the 3-minute careers check-in and intelligent, automated Navigate Your Future activity pathway are structured […]

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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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