Shine through in applications: top tips from a CEO

Posted on 13 May 2026 • Career planning

In this episode of the OU’s In Office Hours podcast, discover top tips from Jack Harrington, CEO of the British Academy of Management and OU MBA graduate, to help you work towards your goals and make yourself and your application stand out from the crowd.

“I used a lot of the OU’s careers advice tools, including booklets and exercises. I was sceptical at first, but I genuinely found them really useful.”

Understand what motivates you

Jack highlights the importance of firstly understanding your reasons for studying and what motivates you to keep going. Identifying your goals and what your motivations are for achieving them is also important for increasing your chances of success in job applications. Jack used some of the OU’s careers resources to help him with his thinking:

“There were a few workbooks in particular that I found really helpful for thinking through and being honest about what motivates me in the workplace”

Act now to achieve your future goals

Jack advises: work towards your long-term goals by identifying jobs you might want to do in 5 or 10 years’ time. Look at the people who are doing these jobs. What skills and experience do they have? What are your gaps to work on to help you get there?

Explore work experience and volunteering opportunities to help you develop new skills and get a better insight into career sectors that interest you.

Demonstrate your passion and drive

Employers clearly have varying priorities, however, Jack explains that he looks for someone who has pursued a passion at some point in their life, as this demonstrates drive, dedication, courage and self-discipline. It doesn’t matter what the passion is – he encourages OU students to have confidence in demonstrating the relevance to the role they’re applying for.

“For me, it shows the richness of life, the complete person… It’s evidence that you are someone who can get dedicated to things”

Succeed in applications and interviews

Successful applications and interviews require careful and thorough preparation. Jack recommends reviewing and writing down everything you have learnt throughout your studies – it’s easy to forget what you have done. Reflect on what you have learnt and be confident – your studies have helped you develop a wide range of transferable skills and knowledge.

Prepare your answers to common interview questions. Work out your narrative months before the interview so you are confident articulating this.

Further support

Contact Careers and Employability Services if you would like further support with any aspect of your career planning or job search.