1. Home
  2. You’ve got a golden ticket

You’ve got a golden ticket

Posted on • Graduate opportunities

Your OU degree is your golden ticket. It opens up a world, not of pure imagination, but of opportunity in the graduate labour market. However, like Charlie and Grandpa Joe in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Dahl, 1964), you’ve got to overcome obstacles and challenges before you’re given the keys to the factory.

How valuable is your ticket?

OU students make great candidates, and you are no exception. Your OU study demonstrates your self-motivation, commitment to learning, resilience, and passion for your subject. As OU student Catherine says:

“I’ve actually been asked about being an OU student on every interview that I’ve gone for, I think it’s been one of the things that helped me to get the job because it’s something I can speak really passionately about.”

Research shows that employers recognise this value too. One employer in 2019 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.”

Your OU degree unlocks a range of job options for graduates. Remember, most jobs don’t require a specific degree subject either. What’s more important is the transferrable skills you’ve gained through study, so you can take on graduate careers with any degree.

Your skills and qualities

Charlie’s ticket only got him so far, he had to demonstrate respectful behaviour before Wonka gave him the chocolate factory. Similarly, your OU degree will grant you access to career opportunities, but your skills and qualities will land them. Try a career self-assessment or audit your employability skills to identify your strengths.

The recruitment process

You’ve got your ticket and identified your skills, but you also need to be prepared for the recruitment process. Willy Wonka took his candidates on a tour of his factory, in what can only be described as an eccentric assessment centre. You probably won’t experience anything that unusual, but it’s important to be prepared for everything a recruitment process might throw at you. Find everything you need in our 6 quick guides:

  1. Quick Guide to Cover Letters.
  2. Quick Guide to CVs.
  3. Quick Guide to Application Forms.
  4. Quick Guide to Assessment Centres.
  5. Quick Guide to Psychometric Testing.
  6. Quick Guide for Interviews.

More from your career Oompa-Lumpas

OU Careers and Employability Services has a wide range of tools and support to offer. Work through it all via our structured activity pathway. You can also talk to our Oompa-Lumpas, or Careers Consultants as they preferred to be called, by booking an appointment.

OU Careers and Employability Services
Headshot of Jack Renshaw, author.Jack Renshaw is a Development Coordinator in the OU’s Careers and Employability Services. He supports careers-related activity both within the service and across the University, helping students to achieve their ambitions and fulfil their potential. Explore the rest of our blog for more articles from your careers team.