Find your way in job seeking

Posted on 29 August 2025 • CVs and applications, Graduate opportunities, Interviews and assessments, Jobs, internships and work experience

Looking for work and need help? This job seeking pack brings together the resources you need to achieve your goals.

1. Map out your journey

Every journey starts with a single step, but it’s good to know where you’re heading. Before diving straight into applications, take time to review where you are currently and where you want to get to. Your Career Planning Guide is a great place to start.

• Schedule regular career planning time into your routine.
• Start with the ‘Know yourself’ section of the guide to develop your self-awareness and take a clear view of your career and life.
• Move on to section 2 ‘Exploring possibilities’, which helps you to plan your strategy and learn about the wide range of opportunities available to you.

2. Get to know your terrain

Discover the labour market and find roles that match your passions and skills.

• Find out what’s happening in the work sectors you’re interested in; use our Labour Market Information (LMI) pages and look online for news on the websites of professional bodies and associations.
• Identify sources and develop strategies using our job seeking pages which link to regional websites to find options wherever you are.
• Search regularly for new opportunities posted in OpportunityHub, the OU’s exclusive portal for graduate jobs, internships and other opportunities. Employers want to meet you, so follow organisations you’re interested in.
• Start networking using LinkedIn, social media and online and in-person events.
• Watch our webinars on How to network and use social media for your career. By speaking to people within your chosen sector, you may find that opportunities start to come to you.
• Job seeking takes time and patience. Learn how to be agile in your plans with the free OpenLearn course Developing career resilience.

3. Arrive successfully at your destination with a winning application

Employers value OU students for their skills from previous experience, as well as from study, and you are no exception. Make sure you know your transferrable skills, understand their relevance to the specific role you’re applying for – and spell this out in your application.

• Refresh your CV and make your transferrable skills shine. Section 4.6 of Your Career Planning Guide has lots of tips and you can build and review your CV using CV360.
• Gain confidence in evidencing your skills and experience against the job criteria using our Presenting your skills when applying for jobs page.
• Discover the STAR technique and practice your interview skills.
• Be prepared for whatever the recruitment process throws at you, including psychometric and aptitude tests and assessment centres.
• If you have a disability or health condition, see our Explaining a disability page for advice on discussing reasonable adjustments with potential employers.

Good luck with your job search and applications. Remember Careers and Employability Services are here to support you throughout your student journey and for three years after you qualify.