Careers advice: Be more platypus

Posted on 1 March 2022 • Discover

If you’re not sure what you’ve got to offer, don’t know which direction to go in, or you’re struggling to find a job role you identify with, you’re at the ‘Discover’ career readiness stage, and you have more in common with the platypus than you might imagine.

If you’re still figuring out where your OU study could take you, Careers and Employability Services can help you discover a future that matches your passions, values and talents. Time to embark on a voyage of discovery and unleash your inner platypus.

Find your hidden talents

The duck-billed platypus has a swathe of hidden abilities, and you do too. You might not have a venomous horn on your foot, or use electrolocation to hunt down prey, but you do have lots of transferrable skills and qualities which you probably haven’t considered before. Discover them using the skills audit exercise in Your Career Planning Guide.

Think outside the box

First discovered in 1798, the platypus didn’t fit into any established categories and was even considered fake. This venomous, egg-laying, semi-aquatic mammal with a beak but no quack seemed to break all the rules.

Don’t be too hasty to define yourself based on your past. You can apply yourself to a much wider range of careers than you might be aware of, so think outside the box. Use our career matchmaker tool to get matched to roles based on your interests and skills, or if you already have an idea, check out our Starting Point resources or How do I become a…? page.

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there through networking, volunteering, or even by doing an internship – there are no judgmental eighteenth century naturalists you need to be worried about.

Don’t judge a job by its name

Being more platypus is about being open to opportunities wherever and whenever they arise. This is called “planned happenstance”. If you’re confident in your transferable skills, and willing to think outside the box, you’ll find unexpected opportunities fall into your lap much more often. Don’t be put off by things that sounds unusual, just make sure you match 70% of the job description. Take a chance by applying for vacancies on OpportunityHub and increase your chances of success with our quick guides to CVs, interviews, applications and more.

Platypus Development Planning

If you’re ready to start being more platypus you can make it easier by using a structured, step-by-step personal development plan. Depending on your course, you may also have access to FutureYou on the Plan or Succeed tab of your StudyHome site.

Evolving beyond the platypus

Being more platypus is linked to the ‘Discover’ career readiness stage, but there are also ‘Explore’, ‘Achieve’, and ‘Progress’. Learn what stage you’re at by checking your Career Readiness Pulse, which will then signpost you to relevant tools and advice. You can also get one-to-one support from our friendly careers experts, or find our latest resources, news and events.

OU Careers and Employability Services

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