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Take control of your job search: channel your inner mole

Posted on • Career planning, Job search, Jobs, internships and work experience, Labour Market Information

Feeling like your job search has you fumbling around in the dark? It might be time to channel your inner mole.

  1. Dig down – informational interviewing is one of the quickest ways to get real‑world insight into roles you’re curious about. Use it to uncover what a job actually involves, the skills employers value, and the routes people took to get there. Start by reaching out to people you already know or connect through networking to build new contacts.
  2. Tunnel – if breaking directly into a new career feels tough, consider a sideways move. Target roles in a different sector where your current skills still fit, but where you can see a clearer path towards the job you ultimately want. Find out which sectors are thriving using our Labour Market Information (LMI) pages and search for inclusive employers.
  3. Surface regularly to scan the landscape – testing out new areas doesn’t always require a full career leap. Volunteering, short‑term work experience, and experiential learning events let you explore interests, build confidence, and strengthen your CV. Discover more about finding volunteering and work experience.

Job searching doesn’t have to feel like guesswork. Dig, tunnel, and surface — and use our job seeking resources designed to help you move forward with purpose.

Fiona Munday, OU Careers and Employability ConsultantFiona Munday is a Careers and Employability Consultant with 30 years experience supporting adults and young people in education, the secure estate and community settings, helping them towards achieving their career goals. At the OU, she combines work directly supporting students and alumni with developing useful resources and services to help OU students of all diverse backgrounds.