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How to see what others see in you

Posted on • Discover

A picture showing the author with his sister.

OU student David with his sister, Lois.

Chatting to my sister before I went to a job interview a few years ago, she gave me some advice. “Tell them you’re really good at putting other people at ease,” she said. “Am I?” I asked, surprised.

Sometimes, we don’t realise that what we’re naturally good at is something other people wish they could do.

Being aware of your strengths is essential to have the confidence to plan your future. It’s being both realistic and positive about yourself at the same time. A difficult balancing act when we’re raised not to ‘boast’ about our achievements.

When I became an OU student, I was delighted to suddenly have access to tools that gave me clarity about myself. These resources really helped me organise my thoughts:

What our loved ones think about us can be enlightening. If you’re auditing your skills and strengths, ask someone you trust what your strong points are. They might surprise you.

It’s not only people close to us who have eye-opening insights. Research shows just how much employers value OU students. In a July 2023 survey, employers described OU students as: ‘self-starters’, ‘diverse’, ‘determined’, ‘adaptable’ and ‘work-ready’. My favourite quote is from a 2019 study, where one employer said:

“OU graduates have better communication skills; you can just see how those softer skills are a bit finer tuned. To be honest, we’ve saved a lot of time with taking OU graduates on. They show enthusiasm in terms of wanting to learn.”

It just shows how much employers believe in OU students. So if employers value you, maybe it’s time to start valuing yourself. My lightbulb moment was that chat with my sister. Where will yours be?

OU Careers and Employability Services
David Foulkes is Marketing and Communications Manager in the OU’s Careers and Employability Services. David’s job is to spread the word about our careers support, because we know that students with clear goals do better in study and life. David’s also a keen OU student of physics, astrophysics and space science. He’s at the ‘Discover’ career readiness stage.